Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Review: Super Sons #9


Super Sons #9 came out last week and finished the Planet of the Capes storyline. I must admit, I don't know if actually followed what the heck was happening. I don't know if I understood what the living Ygarddis was hoping for. I don't know if I understood what the motivation of Kraklow was. I don't think I got what the heroes were hoping to accomplish.

What I do know is that the character moments continued to be a high point. I liked the interaction between Damian and Jon. I liked Jon starting to become an inspiration even at his early age. I liked the sons response to the end of the mission. That all worked.

But the story around those moments? I'll reread the issue (again) but I don't know if I'll ever 1005 follow what was happening.

The art is listed as being done by Jorge Jimenez and Carmine Di Giandomenico. There is no page breakdown so hard to know where one artist ends and the other begins. But some pages have a rougher look than Jimenez normally has so I have to assume that is Di Giandomenico. The page layouts have a similar feeling so the book sort of flows fine.

On to the book.



Last issue the boys found themselves on the living world Ygarddis. The planet has discovered the boys and has sent some magic clay super-hero simulacrums to attack.

I liked this opening page showing the boys getting a bit more in synch in their battle mode. Robin saying that he as going to set up these things to be smashed by Jon. And Jon realizing that these are 'things' and can be smashed is fun. We get to see him let loose.

But this seemed organized. And I thought that was cool.


So this is where I start to get a bit lost.

Realizing this is a never-ending fight to a planet, Jon has he and Damian stand down. They surrender. And Ygarddis scoops them up and puts them into an area where Kraklow is.

But is this prison? Is Ygarddis aware of what they are saying? And why did Jon think this would work?

And then Ygarddis talks about heading back to the boys' world so it can feed there. But is there the clay he eats on our world? And I don't get how Ygarddis can remain so powerful when we hear that the clay has basically run out on this world.


Meanwhile, Kraklow is in this area of Ygarddis as are Hardline and Big Shot.

This is the main DCU Kraklow. He is having a crisis in knowing what is real and what isn't real. But he knows one thing. Hardline and Big Shot aren't real. They are his creations. They have memories and powers. But they aren't 'alive' in the classic sense.

Okay, that is an interesting wrinkle. But I barely know these two and I barely know Kraklow. So I don't know if it impacted me as much as such a revelation should.


Then I start to get lost. We hear how this Kraklow talked to that Kraklow. Remember, that Kraklow gave this one a tub of magic clay in hopes of fighting Ygarddis. He knew that this clay could manifest independent thought.

But why did that Kraklow think this was a good idea. And what was he hoping this Kraklow would accomplish.


Regardless, everyone is here and the exposition is done. And I mean this is pages of exposition where writer Peter Tomasi is trying to explain what is happening to me. But I was lost.

Hardline and Big Shot are reeling from the news that they aren't alive. But Jon does his best Superman imitation. He looks at them and says he knows heroes when he sees them and these girls are heroes. And he knows that heroes always try their best.

It is an inspiring talk from this kid. Even Damian has to admit Jon sounds like Superman. This was my favorite moment.


But then I'm lost again. Kraklow seemingly becomes evil, opens up a portal to the main DCU world for Ygarddis who has a two page montage where the villain repears 'feed, create, feed'. But it turns out that the portal isn't a real portal. Kraklow set up Ygarddis. It is some feedback loop.

Kraklow was trying to do the best he could, stating the hero line Jon said.

Still. How does Kraklow have the ability to do this? What is the feed/create mantra and what was Ygarddis doing? What clay was he using?

I just didn't follow. So someone please explain it.


With Ygarddis temporarily gone, Kraklow talks about not being forgotten anymore (remember his DCU origin as a Forgotten Villain). He'll be the hero of this world. He'll work with Hardline and Big Shot  (and other heroes he will create) to truly defeat Ygarddis rather than stall.

And then he opens the real portal and sends the Super Sons home. I like that all this has reinvigorated the heroic spirit of the girls on the world. Inspiration again!

But how can they defeat the planet they live on?


Back on Earth, the sons discuss the adventure with Superman who says maybe one day the League will head there to help. But after seeing Jon be the inspiration, we now see Clark as Jon's inspiration. This panel with Jon literally looking up at a figure too big to fully take in is great. And Damian looking away? Perfect?

Still this is a bittersweet closure. The boys wonder what is happening on that world right now. They know their friends are locked in battle. That isn't a win. A hero isn't always victorious.

So good character moments in a plot that I thought was too convoluted. The art was dynamic and thrilling as it usually is. So still enjoyable.

Overall grade: B

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm lost, too. The plot was... convoluted. The art pretty good and colourful, though...

"Hardline and Big Shot are reeling from the news that they aren't alive. But Jon does his best Superman imitation. He looks at them and says he knows heroes when he sees them and these girls are heroes. And he knows that heroes always try their best."

'You'll see, my dad knew a girl who really was a protoplasmic entity who looked right like my second cousin and constantly wondered if she was truly alive...'

"Still. How does Kraklow have the ability to do this? What is the feed/create mantra and what was Ygarddis doing? What clay was he using?"

People complaining about Kryptonians being overpowered when the real narrative trouble is quasi-omnipotent super-villains.

"You do here, son!"

Yes! You tell the dwarfish brat, Clark!

That was a great final panel. I love the expressions.

You see, DC? Storylines featuring a non-hypotetically-evil Jonathan Samuel Kent can be done!

Anonymous said...

Apropos of absolutely nothing in this review (and apologies for that but I couldn't readily find an email for you), I just wanted to say I'm surprised you've never reviewed John Byrne's Superman/Batman Elseworlds saga "Generations" -- if for no other reason than that the thing is positively littered with Supergirls (Clark and Lois's daughter Kara in Generations 1 and 2, and their great-granddaughters, twin Supergirls Lois and Lara, in Generations 3). I ran across it recently and really enjoyed it, though a few parts got a little grimdark for my taste. Would be quite interested to read your take on it.

Anonymous said...

"Apropos of absolutely nothing in this review (and apologies for that but I couldn't readily find an email for you), I just wanted to say I'm surprised you've never reviewed John Byrne's Superman/Batman Elseworlds saga "Generations" -- if for no other reason than that the thing is positively littered with Supergirls"

I honestly think "Generations" was very mean-spirited regarding Supergirl. You see a Supergirl called Kara wearing THAT costume and THAT hairstyle... and it's not cousin Kara. It's Clark and Lois daughter, even though makes no sense they'd call their daughter Kara. "Generations" was supposed to go over Superman and Batman's story since the beginning, but cousin Kara is erased from History. AGAIN. Because, you'll see, Superman MUST be the Last Son of Krypton, and his cousin makes him less unique. So JB will show us again how Supergirl should be done. Again he'll replace her with his own perfect creation which will not importune Superman or take his sacrosanct "Last of his kind" status away.

And then he gets her killed. By her brother. Which ripped her heart from her chest.

Shaking my head.

I'd rather read Anj's reviews on "Superman/Batman: The Supergirl from Krypton". When did he find out about Kara's return? What were his thoughts back then? Did he enjoy the issues?

Or "Elseworld's Finest: Supergirl & Batgirl". I can't believe DC published an elseworlds where cousin Kara was Supergirl and Barbara was Batgirl in the late 90's when both characters had long been fridged.

Anj said...

I don't own Generations so doubt I would seek it out to buy and review unless I found a whole bunch in the quarter box.

I have had Elseworlds Finest in my review pile for over 2 years. I need to finally get to that.

And going back to the Turner stuff? Interesting idea ...

Anonymous said...

"I don't own Generations so doubt I would seek it out to buy and review unless I found a whole bunch in the quarter box."

Speaking strictly for myself, I don't think it's worth. Byrne wasn't at the height of his "powers" so to speak. Middle-aged Superman kissing teenager Lana Lang is creepy. His treatment of Supergirl is real nasty. He looks to reexamine Superman and Batman's story since the Golden Age but he disregards Kara Zor-El? And then he kills her off in a horrible way? I pass.

"And going back to the Turner stuff? Interesting idea..."

I hope you consider it!

Mela said...

"Speaking strictly for myself, I don't think it's worth. Byrne wasn't at the height of his "powers" so to speak. Middle-aged Superman kissing teenager Lana Lang is creepy. His treatment of Supergirl is real nasty. He looks to reexamine Superman and Batman's story since the Golden Age but he disregards Kara Zor-El? And then he kills her off in a horrible way? I pass."

I'm going to second Anonymous (who I swear isn't me, even though they seem to share my frustrations with many things) and recommend avoiding Generations if you actually like Supergirl. Her treatement and especially her exit from the story is mean-spirited and cruel, and it kind of makes me wonder if Byrne ever liked her at all in any way. Generations 3 treats the Legion the same way, on top of that. They were the series that started my slide in opinion on Byrne as a creator, and if you can somehow nerf the good of Dark Phoenix Saga or Man of Steel with a work, you've done something wrong. So if you're looking for a good Supergirl Elseworlds, I'd say skip these. But that's just me.

Anonymous said...

An unrelated Anonymous also endorses the Turner era revisit.

Anonymous said...

"Her treatement and especially her exit from the story is mean-spirited and cruel, and it kind of makes me wonder if Byrne ever liked her at all in any way."

I think he said he liked derivative characters when he was a kid until he grew up and realized they "de-uniqued" the original character and there should be only a Superman, a Martian, a Green Lantern, a Flash, etcetera?

Of course, he doesn't appear to have trouble accepting the existence of a "Batgirl".

And still he sets aside characters such like Supergirl as the kiddy, childish, cheesy stuff which was holding Superman back and was to be scraped off.

"Generations 3 treats the Legion the same way, on top of that."

This, I have no need to speculate on. Byrne hates the Legion. He's always hated them. And when I say 'always' I mean 'as long as the Legion has existed':

'Most folk 'round these parts know I have no fondness for the Legion. I was "present at conception", having read the story that introduced them when it was first published. My younger self -- often the butt of cruel tricks played by the other kids at school -- instantly hated these punks from the future for the trick they played on Superboy. My older self has never quite been able to get over it.

I have other reasons for disliking the Legion, tho. I have watched as they became almost the Poster People for things that have gone wrong in comics over the past several decades. As characters introduced as kids barely into their teens turned into Babes and Hunks, and started getting all grim and matrimonial. For a series set in the future, and therefore not bound in any way to real time, this is absolutely absurd. But, of course, it's hard to draw realistic kids, and much more fun to draw chicks with big hooters.'

Source: http://www.byrnerobotics.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?PN=1&TID=13027&TPN=2&#365038

Why do you think he didn't care that he was wrecking the Legion's history when he erased Superboy from continuity?

"They were the series that started my slide in opinion on Byrne as a creator, and if you can somehow nerf the good of Dark Phoenix Saga or Man of Steel with a work, you've done something wrong."

To be perfectly honest, I think he was past his prime when he wrote "The Man of Steel".