With so many heroes out there, sometimes it’s hard for a clone to find a place where he can do some good.  Your Major Spoilers review of Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #1, awaits!

SUPERBOY: THE MAN OF TOMORROW #1

Writer: Kenny Porter
Artist: Jahnoy Lindsay
Colorist: Jahnoy Lindsay
Letterer: Lucas Gattoni
Editor: Andrew Marino
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: April 18th, 2023

Previously in Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow: After the events of Dark Crisis, Conner Kent finds himself in a new reality where he doesn’t feel like he fits.  Even though the rest of the Super-family tries to welcome him, he can’t seem to find his niche.

FINDING A PLACE

Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #1 opens up with Superboy in the middle of a fight with Dr. Polaris. Just as things were getting interesting, Jon Kent and Supergirl show up and take over the situation, leaving Superboy with nothing to do except return home.  Back on the farm with Ma and Pa Kent, he explains how he feels like he’s not able to help, with everyone else saving the day.  He’s then given some advice from his adoptive grandfather and flies to The Fortress of Solitude.  There he searches for ongoing distress signals in the galaxy.  He discovers a planet in the midst of an invasion by The Dominators.  He uses a transporter bracelet to get himself to the planet where he is able to intercept the invading forces. After a drawn-out fight, the tide begins to turn against Conner, when an unexpected arrival changes the outcome of the battle.

LIFE IMITATES ART

In a strange twist Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #1, is suffering from the same plight as its titular hero.  With five other series going on right now that focus on members of The House of El, this title feels a little purposeless.  It’s a pretty standard story, so there isn’t anything really bad about the writing or plot, but there also isn’t anything here that sets it apart from the other titles featuring a member of the Super-Family, with the exception of a leather jacket.  Now, that isn’t to say that there aren’t parts of this issue that rise above the averageness, in particular, the interaction Conner has with the Kents is nice and comforting, also, making Conner younger and a bit more sarcastic, like a Peter Parker-light, is a good fit for the character.  Finally, the choice of villains is a nice decision considering Conner’s own history with cloning and genetic manipulation.  It’s these elements that give the series promise, but this issue doesn’t do enough with those things.

AN APPEALING BLEND

Jahnoy Lindsay’s soft touch on art is always lovely to see.  His characters and settings have an almost pastoral feel to them, which is really fitting in the scenes at the Kent’s farm, or even the quieter moments on the alien planet, not so much during action scenes.  Thankfully, Jahnoy doesn’t try to make this style work for action, instead, they introduce different styles to handle the action, with some moments looking almost manga-esque.  One moment, in particular, stands out: A scene where Conner is taken by surprise there’s a small close-up on his face where Ben Day dots are suddenly used.  It’s a small moment but it sticks out and lends to the dynamic feel of the art in Superboy: Man of Tomorrow #1.

BOTTOM LINE: VERY NICE TO LOOK AT, SOMEWHAT PURPOSELESS

Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #1 is a very pretty book, with a dynamic blending of styles that come together in a coherent and entertaining way.  While the story is fairly straightforward and there isn’t much to complain about there, the book itself struggles to carve out an identity of its own where it doesn’t get lost in the crowd of other Super-family books.  3.5 out of 5 stars.

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Superboy: Man of Tomorrow #1

70%

70%

Fine, but Lackluster

Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #1 doesn’t do enough to set itself apart from other Super-Family books, but it is buoyed by strong artistic showing from Jahnoy Lindsay.

• Writing

  5
• Art

  8
• Coloring

  8
• User Ratings (0 Votes)
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