Some much-needed backstory.
Creative Staff:
Story: Brian Michael Bendis
Art: Ivan Reis, Brandon Peterson
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Letterer: Josh Reed
What They Say:
It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for: the shocking return of the son of Superman! A year spent traveling the stars changed Jon Kent. Are parents Clark and Lois ready for the all-new, all-different Superboy? Secrets are revealed, a new look debuts and Superman’s world is changed forever!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The return of Jon the last time around was certainly fun and it was something that I didn’t think we’d have to wait that long on overall. The science of space travel and comic books always allows for some twists like this and Bendis bringing back Jon with seven years having passed for him circumvents a lot of problems. That, unfortunately, means we lose a lot of time with young Superboy and there’s a mistake in that I think. That said, here we are with a late-teen Superboy who as we know will end up with the Legion soon enough. This issue takes us through some interesting backstory with what went down out there and Reis and Peterson put it all together beautifully.
The humanity of Clark is at the forefront here as he’s clearly not letting go of his son as his mind races through all the things that could have aged him. Jon’s mild protestations to the contrary are amusing but it’s a natural reaction for Clark to have knowing what he’s faced himself before. Lois is much the same when they return home, though that has some really hilarious material on the parental side first. Lois wondering the same questions is just as natural as her lament over her missing his important years and his missing them on Earth with friends as well. There’s a complicated aspect to all of this that I hope gets explored a little bit on all their counts. Jon’s retelling of the tale works well here and I do like that he makes it clear that Lois’ coming back was a good thing and that it happened when it did, as he tries to absolve her of some of the guilt.
The time they two spent out there at first is certainly interesting as we see the size of Jor-el’s actual ship. And I’m a dork in that I love that Lois gets to wear a Superman outfit for a bit to help protect her against things. She looks great in it and Peterson’s take is fantastic. The problem is that as they get out into the galaxy more she realizes what the “family” name means and how they view Superman and his family as being able to help save them from anything and everything. It’s an overwhelming moment for her and kind of humbling as well as she realizes what Clark goes through. Jon is pretty much on school field trip mode here and doing well, excited to play among the galaxy. That he and his grandpa deal with a group of Dominators angled toward Earth so easily is one thing, wiping out a group of Khund that are dealing with enslaving a people shows Lois just how powerful her son is and that Jor-el may really be what he needs, hence her leaving. But learning in the here and now that grandpa may be insane? There’s trouble ahead.
In Summary:
A lot of what’s going on with Jon and his aging is a shortcut for bigger things to come and I dislike that it undercuts his growth as a character in the books that could have gone on for several more years. That said, I like what we see of his journey here so far, the way Lois has to deal with it, and the touches of the galaxy that we get some time with. It’s a smooth and engaging read with some fantastic artwork to drive it all home beautifully. While I have issues with aspects of the story I’m also just seriously enjoying the whole concept and actual forward momentum with real changes being made. Definitely glad to be catching up on these books, albeit slowly.
Grade: B
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: DC Comics via ComiXology
Release Date: January 16th, 2019
MSRP: $3.99
