Review: ‘Superboy- Man Of Tomorrow’ #1 Is An Uneven But Welcome Bit Of Nostalgia
by Tony Thornley
Conner Kent is a character I’ve literally grown up with. It’s been years since he’s had his own series, and now Superboy: Man of Tomorrow shows what the ultimate child of the 90’s could be today.
Kenny Porter, Jahnoy Lindsay, and Lucas Gattoni bring the kid of tomorrow to today.
Conner Kent is still struggling with his multiversal ordeal, finding family and friends still struggling to remember him. That leads him into an existential crisis and he confronts it in a way that only a member of the Super-Family can, by blasting into space! He quickly bites off more than he can chew though as he discovers himself in the middle of a war!
The classic Superboy series was really my entry into the DC Universe. I loved the youthful hero closer to my own age, his adventures in Hawaii, his unique powers, everything about him drew me in. It was a series that came at a time that I needed something new, and I’ve been hooked to the character ever since. He was taken out of commission in the New 52, replaced with a character sharing some similarities but none of the charm. The creative team here did a lot to bring him back with mixed results.
The art is the strongest part of the issue. Though he does draw Conner a bit on the young side, Lindsay’s able to get a grasp on who he is, how he acts, his mannerisms and body language immediately, particularly in his struggle to figure out his place in the world. It’s drawn across his face, and the issue shines thanks to that. He depicts his powers as unique, and Conner’s foes in the issue are intimidating, all in their own unique way. Lindsay’s colors look great too, adding a seamless flair to the visuals.
The writing is a little more mixed. Porter overall does a strong job, showing a young man struggling with a legacy bigger than himself. When you get into the smaller details, many of them don’t work. Conner’s issues with no one remembering him was resolved some time ago, and to see it come back here is a bit frustrating. The Dominators are written incredibly scary, and Conner’s overconfidence is straight pull from the classic series. It’s still a lot of fun to read, but it definitely needs a bit of polish.
Superboy: Man of Tomorrow #1 is available now from DC Comics.
Overview
I would love to see this series improve and bring back the Superboy of old. Even if it doesn’t, it at least promises a lot of fun, and that’s pretty damn important.
