Review: Superman Father Of Tomorrow #2

Superman Father of Tomorrow #2 came out last week, pushing the story forward quickly. Almost too quickly. I guess if this mini-series is going to tell us the life story of Jor-El on Earth, you can't dawdle. Last issue, Jor-El landed, befriended the Kents, spent years in hiding, and then revealed himself to the world. Looking on were grade schoolers Lois Lane and Lex Luthor.

Writer Kenny Porter pushes us forward at least 2 decades with Lois and Lex adults and friends/colleagues of Jor-El. Jor has allowed the use of Kryptonian tech around the world for good purposes. And between his super-powers and his super-science he is extremely powerful with few weaknesses. There are heroes and villains on this world. But we are dropped right into the action without know how these relationships or characters came about. 

Because we have no background, one of the characters betraying our hero doesn't seem to carry the weight it should. Still, perhaps the rest of the series sits in this time period and we'll learn more. If issue one was just the origin, setting the stage then maybe it will all even out.

Danny Earls brings a sort of rougher take on what could be a stream-lined tech-run world. But given the character interactions and the introduction of magic into the world, it feels right. I like seeing his take on classic villains and heroes in this new world.

Overall though, I felt a bit lost at sea and so I didn't like this issue as much as the last. On to details.

Review: Superman Father Of Tomorrow #1

Superman Father of Tomorrow #1 came out this week, an Elseworlds mini-series that has Jor-El make it to Earth rather than Kal. I have read many Superman Elseworlds around the arrival. Kal in Civil War times, Kal in Soviet Russia, Kal in King Arthur times, the whole family making it to Earth. But I think this is the first time that Jor being the only survivor has been explored.

Kenny Porter is writing the series and I really only know him from the Superboy Man of Tomorrow mini-series, a fun ride with Conner. This is the first chapter so Porter is setting the stage a bit, although we do get a pretty significant event here that is the catalyst for Jor-El to become this world's Superman. I also like how this 'Superman' is not only relying on the super-powers his physiology gives him, but also the super-science he knows. How much should he share? Interesting.

Danny Earls is on art and he is also relatively new to me. I really only know him from some of the rest issues of Phillip Kennedy Johnson's current Hulk run. His art is a little rougher in style than the usual house style for DC but it works here, really making me feel like this is a completely new world.

I do like that the timeline for Kal is basically preserved, meaning characters like Lois and Lex are as old as Clark would be even on this world. That might be the most interesting wrinkle to be explored.

On to the book.

Review: Superboy Man Of Tomorrow #6

Superboy Man Of Tomorrow #6 came out last week, wrapping up the mini-series in a satisfactory way. I wasn't sure what to expect from this book but what I got was a decent nugget of self-discovery for a character who has been in the wind the last decade or so.

Writer Kenny Porter started this book out with Conner wanting to find himself. It ends with Conner happy with his life, even adding a new path to explore. He has had to face a sort of dark version of himself along the way. And he again learned what it means to wear the 'S'. I think Conner is truly in a better place now and the idea of his being a sort of inter-galactic S-shield hero opens up opportunity for the character that the other supers don't currently have. Heck, given the Cosmoteers, it could even be a backdoor pilot for a new Legion book. 

Artist Jahnoy Lindsay brings a nice energy to the proceedings. Things have veered towards a manga feel which has worked. There are some panels which feel like homages to famous manga or anime. And I like the way he draws the younger side of the big super-family. 

But I do have two big gripes with the book. One, there is a big emotional scene with Superman near the end. And in the most emotional section, a word balloon is attributed to the wrong character, squashing the moment, and taking me right out of the book. The creators should not be blamed for an egregious editing error but it definitely dimmed things for me as a reader.

Second, this is also diminished by the unfortunate recent Superboy story by Mags Visaggio in Action Comics #1057. All the progress done in this mini-series is wiped away by the angry 'who am I' Conner in that tale. Heck, the bitter 'let me yell at Ma Kent' Conner in that story even has a red streak in his hair ... akin to the villain here, a clone of Conner, in this story. It makes terrible sense in the big scheme of things. Again, this is a bad editing choice. So I shouldn't let this dull the Porter/Lindsay effort but it isn't easy.

On to this story.

Review: Superboy Man Of Tomorrow #5

Superboy Man of Tomorrow #5 came out last week, the penultimate issue of this six issue mini-series focusing on Conner trying to find his place in a new universe. 

This book has really been a nice surprise for me. I was unsure what to expect. The creative team of Kenny Porter and Jahnoy Lindsay was new to me. But this has been a pretty good dive into Conner's persona. There has been a lot to mull over.

Superboy is sort of struggling between lapsing back into his brash 'Metropolis Kid' mode or move forward and try to become, well, the Man of Tomorrow in the title. What I have liked is how Porter has shown Conner struggle with this personal growth. His desire to be something relevant led him into space. He lapsed into his old self, brash and loud. But now, in this issue, faced with a true evil, he has to basically mature. All that has been handled very well. But what I like is the villain of the piece, Travv, is sort of a Conner through a glass darkly. The ending of this issue drives the point home. Very nice character growth in this series.

Lindsay's art has been a fun mix of manga style and more traditional comic fare. His battle scenes are energetic fun. But for me the best thing is that Lindsay definitely draws a young looking Conner. He looks like a teen, someone who would be struggling with his identity.

One more issue to go! On to some details.

Review: Superboy The Man Of Tomorrow #4

Superboy The Man of Tomorrow #4 came out last week and was a thought-provoking comic for a Conner fan like me. A reminder, this comic is out because it was the winner of a round robin tournament. So to get such a sort of deep dive into Conner's psyche is a bit of a revelation! I'm pretty glad this won and I am reading it. 

Writer Kenny Porter is giving us a good plot of Superboy stumbling onto a Dominator kidnapping and experimenting on youths. Conner joins the Cosmoteers to try and stop this. But there is a more sinister or gray thread here that makes it very interesting. But more importantly for me, it is the character development in Conner that is more fascinating. He went to space to find himself, feeling redundant. He wants to grow. He is espousing the tenets of Superman showing he wants to grow. But there is a feeling of 'been there' here. He is acting like 'The Metropolis Kid' in some ways, young and brash and quippy. Does he want to grow? Or does he want to wallow in this comfort zone.

And as a reader, I am torn. I loved the impetuous Conner and have enjoyed the echoes of the early stuff. But I also like to see character growth. But if he grows too much, is he still Conner? Hmmm ....

Jhanoy Lindsay is on art again and brings his manga-infused insanity which works so well with a Superboy story. From character design to action, this is a kinetic and anime driven story.

On to the details.

Review: Superboy Man Of Tomorrow #3

Superboy: Man of Tomorrow #3 came out last week, the middle chapter of this mini-series, and another fun chapter in this book. 

I have enjoyed this book as a sort of reclamation of the Conner character. After time missing, returning in Young Justice, and sort of struggling to find his place in the new world, this mini-series has really felt like classic Conner. This is a brash, loud, confident, fun-loving Superboy. But he is still trying to live up to the example of Superman. As someone who loved the Kesel/Grummett stuff from decades ago, this feels classic. But it also feels new.

In this issue, Conner is making a name for himself and showing the Cosmoteers just how powerful and charismatic he is. He is freeing the experiments of Dominator X and stopping the Khunds and other villains waging war. He is a leader here. But you can still sense he isn't sure if he is worthy, or doing it correctly, or even moving in the right direction. This is a growing Conner and he needs the lesson of this story to get there. Writer Kenny Porter seems to have captured this sort of dichotomy of Conner, a lost soul trapped in a overconfident body. 

Also, since we are at the halfway mark, we get a sudden plot swerve, one I suppose I should have foreseen. It ramps up the conflict.

Jahnoy Lindsay's art is stylized and energetic. There is a little bit of an anime feel to it but not overwhelming. And there is one stylistic choice I noticed (or maybe imagined I noticed) that really clicked, showing the power of the medium. More on that later. 

This is an entertaining read, a fun read which is perfect for Conner. On to some specifics.

Review: Superboy Man of Tomorrow #2

Superboy Man of Tomorrow #2 came out last week and was another entertaining issue in this solo mini-series for Conner.

As I have said before, I am glad that Conner is getting this issue. He has kind of languished a bit here in the DCU. Now the spotlight is on him. One thing that I find interesting is that in the current DCU, Conner is the young, brash, impetuous member of the super-family. Kara and Jon are long in the tooth, established heroes in comparison. And that sort of unpolished, youthful hero image fits Conner well. 

In fact, one thing that I like writer Kenny Porter is doing is having Conner really strive to live up to the examples of the other super-family. We hear him talking about the other members with respect. He talks about trying to be like them. Or maybe it is better that he is trying to be himself with them being role models. He is applying that sort of example to the Cosmoteers.

Jahnoy Lindsay continues to bring a stylized art to the proceedings. It just leans a little into cartoon, a little into anime, without overdoing it. That sort of wild energy is also perfect for a Conner book as well. 

On to the book. 

Bullet Review (Kind Of): Superboy: The Man Of Tomorrow #1

 Last week Superboy, the Man of Tomorrow #1 came out. 

The book, by writer Kenny Porter with art by Jahnoy Lindsay, won the DC Round Robin a year ago! As such, half of this first issue was released as the teaser for the premise. I reviewed that part of the book back in last May! Here is that link: https://comicboxcommentary.blogspot.com/2022/05/dc-round-robin-2-superboy.html

Doesn't seem fair for me to re-review the beginning. I liked the premise then and I like this book so far. So this is sort of a half review where I look at the back end of the book. As a quick reminder, the book has Conner thinking that there isn't much room for him to be a hero in Metropolis because of the Super-family. There isn't much room on Earth either given the number of super-heroes out there. So instead, he looks into space and finds a peaceful planet being overrun by Dominator mutated super-troops. 

Given Conner's crazy history, being dead, in and out of continuity, and basically forgotten, that feeling of being superfluous makes complete sense. So the theme of the book made great sense. Heck, it's why I voted for it then. 

What doesn't make sense is when it is being released. Now, in Action Comics, there is this feeling of of the super-family again. We've seen Conner hanging with the twins, playing video games with Kenan, and helping out.  Thankfully there is an editor's note to say the mini takes place before Action #1050. It is just too bad that the book couldn't come out before that. Truly, it has been a year since the contest.

But this is looks like it is going to be a fun book. Porter gives Conner a lot of enthusiasm and confidence and heroic drive which I love. There is a whiff of 'The Ravers', a reference I hope is made. Lindsay brings a ton of kinetic energy to the proceedings. It has a Japanese anime feel to it, like Dragon Ball. Awesome.

Looking forward to the rest of this. On to the details!

DC Round Robin 2: Superboy

A tip of the hat to blog friend Mart Gray for telling me about the Superboy The Man of Tomorrow entry into the DC Round Robin tournament. I haven't been following this particular promotion too closely. What I know is that readers vote for which premise seems more promising until finally one is given the cherished 'go ahead' to be produced.

Mart told me I should check out the Superboy entry and I am glad he did. And as a Conner fan, I am glad this one survived and advances.

Times have been a bit tough on Conner. He was sort of shunted off into limbo for a while. (The New 52 did few people favors.) He finally is brought back into the fold by Brian Michael Bendis in the Young Justice Reboot only to have the book get canceled. And with Jon now being Superman Son of Kal-El for the world, there isn't much room for Conner in the DCU. As a fan, I wondered about what the next steps would be or if this Superboy would again fade away into limbo.

Incredibly, that lack of 'space' seems to be the theme of the book. Writer Kenny Porter and artist Jahnoy Lindsay (both new to me) wonder what it is like to be a member in an over-stuffed super family. Maybe the answer is to head into space?

I find a couple of things interesting to comment on before I head into the story proper. One, I like the homage cover here to one of the first images of Superboy from way back in Reign of the Supermen. The title Superboy Man of Tomorrow seems to be akin to the Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow mini which just concluded, another story where a super-family member went into space. But unlike Kara's sob story in her book where she left out of depression and grief, Conner is leaving looking for adventure. Lastly, this take has some resonance with prior Supergirl stories where she wondered who she was in the great scheme of things. All interesting.

On to the book.