Filed under: Comic Reviews, DC Comics | Tags: DCNew52, H'El on Earth, R.B.Silva, Rob Lean, Superboy, Supergirl, Superman, Teen Titans, Tom Defalco
After a strong prelude to this DC crossover featured in Superman #13 and crossing the Super books in the New52 – would this issue help build the momentum achieved?
The short answer is yes and having lost interest in many of the New 52 titles after the initial arcs – the crossover events being rolled out by DC could well have been seen as a marketing ploy….instead,I’m inclined to save making that judgement call until we’re through these events or at least further involved in them. Where the prelude merely hinted at the presence of the strange watcher focused on Superman there’s much more of a definite presence in this issue. With an opening that submerges in the Teen Titans dynamic we’re dropped in the middle of their team-mate jibes and the dialogue portrays that air of normalcy in a much more effect way than first expected.
Allowing us to relate with the team members more than we would be if they were dropped in midway through an action sequence. Now where Superman couldn’t see the strange figure watching his every move – our clone can see him just fine and when he confronts him the rest of the Titans think he’s finally lost it. This all gets a bit more real as a confrontation between Superboy & our mystery figure soon brings the full roster of Titans to his rescue…..well….they try anyway.
The bottom-line in this issue is that Superboy is outclassed with ease as the mystery figure reveals himself to the Titans just in time to let them watch him disappear with an unconscious Superboy in tow. The writing from Tom Defalco is simple and effective as the co-dependency of the Titans in the developing situation and the bravado of some of its members is captured well – all while capturing the real head-to-head events between our watcher and Superboy.
I like the art too as penciller R.B. Silva and inker Rob Lean offer us a quirky approach to the facial expressions and emotions of our main characters while trying to hold our attention with the fighting scenes that develops in the story. That all being said, I still think that if this hadn’t been part of a crossover event, I wouldn’t have returned to the title and even reading this issue I could see that Superboy seems to have crossed over into the Teen Titans and the Ravagers multiple times in the last 13 issues….so I’m not sure whether Superboy is a bridge character between the other, more popular Super titles and the others I’ve mentioned. The big question that brings is whether or not Superboy is a strong enough character in his own right.
As a part of the H’El on Earth arc this issue is helping to build my interest but only in terms of how Superman or even Supergirl will deal with the inevitable attack from the same foe, as for rekindling my interest in Superboy….I can’t help but feel the character lacks a hook that would see me sticking with it beyond the few issues that are involved in this crossover.
7/10
G-Man
Leave a Comment so far
Leave a comment
Comics Anonymous 