The Return of Superboy?

Superboy, pre-DC's New 52

As I've intimated probably way too much on this blog, I haven't been very happy with the Superboy in DC's New 52.  I think Conner Kent became one of DC's best creations (mostly thanks to Geoff Johns in his revival of the Teen Titans in 2003), killed him, resurrected him, and then retconned his entire existence.

With the most recent issue of the Teen Titans, the new Superboy is finally starting to look like himself.  Er, old self.  

He's no longer the scrawny guy who crawled out of a lab.  

from Superboy #1 (2011)

Or the guy wearing a rejected costume from the movie Tron.

Superboy (2012)

The boy has finally got some muscle.  He's also sporting a tank top and jeans. 

There's even a jacket now, reminiscent of his beginnings in the early 1990s after Superman's "death."  

Superboy #1 (1994)

Let's hope that DC is realizing their mistake and recreating the three-dimensional Superboy that once was. 

Superboy Takes Flight...Again.

When I stopped reading comic books in 1994, Conner Kent had just come on the scene and was this arrogant little twit with an awful haircut, sunglasses, leather jacket, and Chachi leg band.  He was one of four new Supermen who appeared after the famous "Death of Superman" saga in which Doomsday supposedly killed the Man of Steel. I really didn't think he'd last. 

When I started reading comics again in 2007, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Conner Kent had not only stuck around, but that he'd matured, changed to a much simpler costume, was kinder and more respectful of others, and gotten a whole helluva lot more sexy.  He had suddenly (13 years later) gone from one of my least favorite characters to one of my all-time favorite characters. 

So when I heard about DC Comics' new reimagining of their entire universe now in 2011 and saw the cover of Superboy #1 from the New 52 collection, I was, naturally, a bit scared.  Gone were the casual T-shirt, muscles, and tight-fitting jeans.  Conner now resembled a cross between Tron and the New Mutants' Warlock. 

I bought and read the new #1, and...it didn't suck.  For once, the art on the interior (by R.B. Silva) was better than the cover art.  (It's usually the other way around.)   The story was pretty interesting, too, but I have to try to forget everything that Conner once was.  While sad that Conner was once again scrawny looking, I was relieved that he wasn't mechanical, as the cover implied.  He's this naive human-like construct, living in a "Truman Show" world.  He was created from half Kryptonian DNA and half -- shhhh!  Supposedly, it's a secret.  Unless it's something different than Lex Luthor's DNA this time around, it's not going to be much of a surprise for those of us already familiar with Conner's origins. 

I look forward to seeing where DC takes Conner this time around.  Let's just hope that on the way, he swings by a gym and an Abercrombie & Fitch.

Super, boy!

Let me start by saying that I did NOT the arrogant kid who would one day become Superboy (aka Conner Kent) when he first appeared following "The Death of Superman" storyline back in the early 90s.  He sported the then-popular surfer's cut on his head, an earring in one ear, and major attitude.  

However, since then, he has transformed into -- let's face it -- a major hunk (think Abercrombie & Fitch) who sports a T-shirt and jeans as his costume.  I got back into reading comics with Geoff Johns' stint on the Teen Titans.  After reading those issues, Superboy quickly became one of my favorite DC Comics characters.

I was sad when he "died" and excited when he finally returned from the dead a couple of years later.  He was recently given a spotlight story in the revived Adventure Comics and, as of this week, has his own monthly series again, beginning with Superboy #1.

The first issue of this new series was...well, super.  The writing by Jeff Lemire was fantastic, as was the art by Pier Gallo.  Both were simple, yet beautiful.  By simple, I mean that the story took its time.  It showed the "human" side of Conner Kent and not just fighting sequences.  The art was gorgeously drawn and colorfully inked.  The bright colors were very welcoming and created a simplicity to the story, characters, and background. 

In this issue, Conner wrestles with going to high school, tries to avoid Lori Luthor (Lex's niece), helps Ma Kent out on the farm, pals around with Krypto (who I hope is a regular!), and runs into the Parasite attacking Smallville looking for Superman.

I look forward to reading about Conner's adventures month after month and hope that this balance between his personal life and "professional" life continues.

You had me at "hello."

I don't know how to say this, so I'm just going to come right out and say it. {Deep breath} I got a little teary reading Adventure Comics #2. There, I said it. I cried. Maybe it's from the cold meds I'm on, but more than likely, it was from reading the sweet reunion between Conner Kent (aka Superboy) and Cassie Sandsmark (aka Wonder Girl) after, you know, Conner died for a couple of years and then came back to life. Geoff Johns did a beautiful job writing a fantastic, quiet story that was all about character development and not about good vs. evil.

When it was announced that DC Comics was revamping its old series, Adventure Comics, that ended in 1983 after 503 issues, I was excited to learn that Conner was coming back from the dead (yea!) and would be the star. However, I was SO worried that because Conner now had his own comic book series with Adventure Comics (and living in Smallville, KS) and so much time had elapsed that there wouldn't be room in his life for Cassie (who stars in the Teen Titans comic book and lives in San Francisco, CA). By the end of the story in Adventure Comics #2, though, all was right with the world. These two belong together. It's not too often that relationships are done very well in the comic book universe, but the chemistry between these two has always been very strong, and I'm very pleased to see that DC Comics is recognizing that.

So, thank you DC Comics and Geoff Johns. Not since the story "Chalk Drawings" about a young girl's suicide back in Wonder Woman #46 (1990) have my eyes welled up with tears.

Number Ones

Recently, DC Comics has been putting out a lot of number one issue comics, trying to reinvent themselves and bring back some old favorites, as well as introduce some new, but familiar, characters. With comics getting cancelled and reinstated all the time, starting from the beginning, it's a wonder that any comics ever make it to three-digit numbering.

In the past couple of months alone, I've started reading six "new" series: Adventure Comics, Batgirl, Batman and Robin, Gotham City Sirens, Red Robin, and Streets of Gotham. Unfortunately, although I love the characters, the comics haven't all wowed me. When I think of first issues, I think "spectacular!" This is the jumping off point, and it should be a story that really grabs hold of you and forces you to add the series to your monthly comic book order list because it's that good. The majority of these series hasn't done that, but I'm sticking with them because I love the characters.

I was most excited about the return of a Batgirl monthly series, and I was glad that it wasn't going to be about the most recent Batgirl in DC Comics history. That Batgirl, also named Cassandra (I guess someone really liked the name?), wore the mask over her entire face and never seemed to have that "flair" that Barbara Gordon, the original Batgirl, did. She was more like a vigilante/assassin. There was much mystery over who the next Batgirl was going to be. Would Barbara Gordon regain the use of her legs and take up the mantle again? Would it be a new Batgirl under Barbara's tutelage? I'm sad to report that the mystery was solved immediately within the first few pages of issue one. So much for intrigue. I thought DC would draw out the mystery and excite us with further anticipation. Alas, no. We find out it's Stephanie Brown, aka the former Spoiler character from the cancelled Robin series. Yawn. She's like the teenage girl that everyone's annoyed by. Barbara is still in the comic, though, and I hope she maintains a prominent role since her Birds of Prey series was cancelled.

Adventure Comics features the return of one of my favorite DC characters: Superboy. Not Superman as a boy, but the clone made from both Superman's and Lex Luthor's DNA. When he was created back in the 1990s to help replace the void from Superman's death (due to his fight with Doomsday), I did not like him. He was an arrogant punk who wore sign-of-the-times apparel, a surfer's cut, and even sported an earring in one ear. Now, Conner Kent (aka Superboy again now that the licensing battle over the name trademark has been resolved) is a sexy, young adult who's trying to find his place in the world, much like Superman once did. His costume is a T-shirt and jeans. How cool is that? He's like the jock that everyone idolizes, but without the superior attitude. Deep down, he just wants to feel accepted and loved like everyone else. Of all the "restarts," this is definitely my favorite. I've missed Conner since he "died" a couple of years ago. Teen Titans hasn't been the same since his absence. I'm very curious what will happen with his previous budding relationship with Cassandra ("Cassie") Sandsmark (aka Wonder Girl) now that he's returned. After all, she did lose her virginity to him.

After reading the putrid "Batman: RIP" storyline and Final Crisis mini-series by Grant Morrison, I swore that I would never pick up another comic book written by Morrison. But...there I was picking up -- and enjoying -- the new Batman and Robin series. There's never actually been a "Batman and Robin" title, so this is definitely a milestone. The series features Dick Grayson (the first Robin) as the new Batman and, as Robin, Damian Wayne (Bruce Wayne's son with Talia, the daughter of Ra's al Ghul). The relationship between these two is comical, and that's what makes the series enjoyable. Damian is...a smart-ass prick. But Dick deals with it because he's Bruce's son and wants to show him the ropes. I think Morrison must have (finally) set down his joint and started writing something coherent because I've enjoyed the first couple of issues of this new series thus far. And the art by Frank Quitely is amazing. The level of detail harkens back to the days of Kevin Maguire on Justice League International in the 1980s. And, as an aside, I love the title logo for the series.

Catwoman was cancelled and they put her in the new Gotham City Sirens, adding Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn to the roster. I like all three characters, but Catwoman's own series had so much more depth. Thus far, Gotham City Sirens hasn't done much for me. We don't get to see the women as individuals outside of their costumes. Who hangs around together wearing their costumes all the time? Don't they ever have to be washed? And I'm not crazy about the title either. It screams "unsuccessful series" and "cancellation." I'll keep reading it, though, because I like to support female-lead series. They're so few and far between.

Speaking of poor title choices, what's worse than Gotham City Sirens? Streets of Gotham. It's about the people of Gotham who may from time-to-time interact with Batman. The only reason I'm buying this is because the back-up feature is Manhunter, written by the fantastic Marc Andreyko. DC also cancelled her own series and put her here in small vignettes with a $3.99 price tag. I think this will be the first of the new series to go, if only for the series' lackluster title.

Lastly, we get to Red Robin. No, not the restaurant chain that serves up awesome burgers and bottomless steak fries. Red Robin is the new identity of Tim Drake, the former Robin. I find it odd that he'd take on that name when Jason Todd, the former-former Robin, took on that name (and very similar costume) during the Countdown series. It's like Tim's just following in Jason's footsteps every step of the way. And Jason isn't someone you'd want to emulate. Anyway, I'm still waiting for something spectacular to happen with this series since Tim left the Teen Titans and the Robin identity for it. The series is very action-driven, but seems to lack a lot of story-driven quality and character development.

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!

Dear DC Comics,

Thank you for bringing back Conner Kent (aka Superboy). I can't wait to read his monthly adventures, loves, and life in the new Adventure Comics.

Love,

A BIG Conner Fan