This issue opens with the odds stacked against Superboy and Robin. We see the young heroes surrounded by “The Gang”, an army of neophyte alien villains, as they are described in the narration, among their ranks are Brainiac-6,Kid Weather Wizard, Bizarrokid and Doomsdame. They are actually a group of powered individuals gathered together by Rex Luthor for the sole purpose of destroying civilization, one planet at a time. This is such a tried and true comic book trope, such an example of sheer mustache-twirling evil that it can’t miss. Such is the Adventures of the Super Sons; Peter J. Tomasi borrows heavily from the best of the Silver and Golden Ages of caped super heroics to tell his story. Jon and Damian are boys and as boys they see the world through the eyes of a child, with wonder and limitless potential, however their abilities and responsibilities that come with them necessitate a degree of maturity that eludes most of their peers.
Tomasi cleverly weaves glimpses of Jon and Damian in their Golden Years into the otherwise extremely fast paced narrative. As old men the two interact as life long friends, still badgering one another in a way that only brothers and best friends can. The pair of elderly Super Sons regale two youngsters, apparently their grandchildren, the boy possesses heat vision, obviously a Kent , the other appears to be a girl with cascading light brown hair, presumably Damian’s granddaughter. This scene calls to mind the beginning of the series, but more importantly it allows us a glimpse of a possible future for Jon and Damian. Tomasi has developed these characters with such attention to detail that it feels like we have known these elderly versions of them their entire lives.
The main thrust of the narrative centers on Rex Luthor and the Hypercube , a device with the power to transport the holder to any place any time, now in his possession. The Super Sons, now bolstered by a robotic version of Jonah Hex, simply known as Hex and a Green Lantern Corps member called AL-X, but the numbers are still overwhelmingly in the Gang’s favor. The action continues at breakneck speed, unrelenting from this point until the game changing final page reveal. While the majority of the issue is action packed and for the most part battle-centric, Tomasi hits several complex story beats that set up events heading into the penultimate chapter of this limited series. His ability to write authentic dialog for teen-aged characters without having it come off corny or worse yet sound like it was written by a forty-something year old guy is without equal and it really shines in this issue. The chemistry between Jon and Damian is so well crafted that it feels more organic than created. Their friendship is as complex as that of their more famous fathers, but with those childhood aspects that make it so wonderful, like all the best kid movies of the 80’s or if you prefer a more recent comparison, the amazing cast of Stranger Things. The inhibitions that come with are adulthood are absent and with them the obstacles that keep those deeper bonds from forming never present themselves. Tomasi masterfully mines these fertile relationships for narrative gold, but its we the readers who actually reap the rewards of engrossing, engaging and endearing characters.
This issue is another tour de force for artist extraordinaire Carlos Barberi. The action sequences are dynamic and stunningly choreographed bringing a cinematic flair to these scenes. Barberi’s costume designs are gorgeous, full of meticulously executed details and likewise have a big screen sensibility to them. The visual energy matches the pace of the narrative beat for beat filling the pages with verve and exuberance. The intense colors of Protobunker bring the images vibrantly to life while Matt Santorelli’s inks enhance the detail of Barberi’s intricate pencils. The whole shooting match is as exciting as they come. This is what comic books are all about, big action, high stakes and dynamic characters. Although this series is about to wrap up, I strongly recommend getting your hands on the back issues and joining in on the fun. 4/5
[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
Writer- Peter J. Tomasi
Artists- Carlos Barberi
Inker- Matt Santorelli
Colors- Protobunker
Letterer- Rob Leigh
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