Get Ready For An Intergalactic Prison Break In Adventures Of The Super Sons #7

Robin and Superboy are trapped on the prison planet Takron-Galtos alongside Rex Luthor, Joker Jr and some of the worst juvenile delinquents this side of the Milky Way. It’s only been a week and their lives have already gotten worse. They were separated early on with Jon being thrown in solitary until his powers wore off. Meanwhile, Robin has been patrolling, showing everyone that he’s the toughest one around and they need to get in line.

Adventures of the Super Sons #7 has some predictability to it. There are a few repeated sequences from Jon’s perspective that literally show a ray of sunshine beaming through from the darkness. These help underscore the frightening situation Jon is in, but it’s a foregone conclusion that he’s going to bust out of there. I have to wonder if his psyche will be damaged after spending a week in solitary confinement.
As with some other elements of Adventures of the Super Sons to date, writer Peter J. Tomasi is building characters and entire worlds. There’s an epic scope to this story that has taken these kids way out into the stars. Unfortunately, we don’t get a ton of time with each of these new additions, so it’s tough to get invested in them. For example, Tommy Tomorrow was introduced in the previous issue and he is really only in this one to deliver exposition, explaining the rules of the prison planet and then leaving. He might come back around by the end of the story, but it seems like his portion is done.

Similarly, the Super Sons’ tenure on this planet is probably short-lived, but we meet a Green Lantern recruit that could be a nice addition to their pint-sized club. It’s a “blink-and-you-miss-it” kind of scene, but I’m dying to know more about this character.
Much of the focus is on Robin in this issue. Artist Carlo Barberi makes the Boy Wonder look a lot like his father for many of these scenes. His cape billows out behind him, casting a dark shadow nearby as he descends on his targets to punch them in the mouth and deal out some justice.

There’s a great shot of Robin bursting through a window. Shattered glass surrounds him as he stares down his enemies with a fierce expression. Letterer Rob Leigh adds some additional impact to Robin’s only word “Villains!” which appears in a big, bold font. It’s quite an entrance.
As Robin has been making his way through Takron-Galtos, Rex Luthor has been doing the same. They represent rival factions in this prison system and it’s clear that Rex is capable of some pretty heinous stuff. We’re building to a big faceoff between the two and I’m excited to see how it will pan out.

Colorist Protobunker never lets you forget that we’re on a foreign world throughout this book. While we can’t see the far reaches of space, the setting is very much sci-fi. It’s like something ripped out of Blade Runner with bright lights and a certain level of grime.
While we could see the end of Adventures of the Super Sons #7 coming, it was still an enjoyable ride. This is a crazy space adventure and Robin and Superboy have a long way to go before they get home. First they’ll have to bust out of prison and stop Rex Luthor if they hope to survive.
Adventures of the Super Sons #7 from DC Comics is currently available at your local comic shop and digitally through ComiXology and Amazon Kindle.