Super Sons #6 (September, 2017)
"Planet of the Capes, Part 1: teen beat"
Writer - Peter J. Tomasi
Artist - Jorge Jimenez
Colorist - Alejandro Sanchez
Letterer - Rob Leigh
Editors - Paul Kaminski & Eddie Berganza
Cover Price: $3.99
I talked a lot of guff about the Rebirth-era Teen Titans yesterday... claiming that Super Sons was everything that comic ought to be. Well, if we go back a few months we can prove (or disprove) that sentiment. Let's see the Super Sons take on the Teen Titans.
Was I right yesterday, or simply talking out my backside? Let's find out!
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We open with a brief introduction to an old (and arthritic) sculptor. He promises that his life's work will never be forgotten. From here, we shift to Metropolis where Jon Kent is getting ready to go out on the town as Superboy. Feels weird to see Lois and Clark totally okay with this... feels like just a few months ago he was like five years old. Anyhoo, Lois packs his lunch and he heads outside to meet up with his pal Damian.
Robin seems to have some different ideas about the purpose of the evening... he's looking at it as having to train Superboy, while Jon just sees it as a night out to help people in need. Their approaches to do-goodering are pretty different. We get a bit where Damian bites the head off a jaywalker... which leads to a Super lecture, in which Jonathan really sounds like his dad! From here, Superboy saves a cat... and Robin changes a tire. Normal everyday do-goodery stuff. Gotta say, Damian looks adorable changing a tire.
The boys head off to relax, and Damian makes a phone call. He's trying to get a hold of his team... but they appear to be ignoring his calls. Suddenly a bright green cat approaches, which really freaks Jon out. It's obviously Beast Boy... the Teen Titans have arrived!
Turns out they were out looking for Damian anyway. Something's afoot and they need his help. He immediately goes into "field commander" mode, dispensing orders and going over strategy. He sends Superboy home since this is "Titans Business"... and ya see, Jon's only 10. Damian sure is a stickler for semantics, ain't he?
Jon leaps and bounds back home, and arrives one minute before curfew. Lois is getting ready to head out on some Daily Planet business, and Clark is out with the Justice League. Jon plops down in front of the TV.
Back with the Titans, they are following the aura of an energy surge. They track it to a crummy part of town... and they find themselves attacked...
... and very easily taken out. When Damian's the last Titan standing, we meet our big-bad... the Time Commander. Robin hurls a 'rang in his direction, but the baddie stops it in mid-air. He then wriggles his fingers at the Boy Wonder...
We wrap up back at the Kent-house, where Jon is awakened by a sorta familiar voice. He heads to the balcony where he finds... Old Man Robin?!
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I think this is the first time I've read a story featuring the Rebirth-Teen Titans and haven't wanted to hurl a brick through my... er, comic book.
The characters all felt natural... not the "cranked to eleven" versions we get in their home title. Like here, Gar's a wiseacre...but not to the point where I actually want a villain to smash him into a green puddle. Jackson is tentative... as the "new guy", that's totally understandable... but he's still shown to be ready for action. Over in Teen Titans, his only character trait is that he's "the new guy".
Starfire and Raven do like they normally do... and don't get a whole lot of panel time. I was wondering why they're even a part of the team before I remembered the Teen Titans have a cartoon where they are prominently featured... then again, Cyborg's on that team too... so, what do I know?
Brief tangent... when we arrived at our hotel in Pennsylvania this past weekend, when I turned on the TV, Teen Titans Go! was on. I stayed there for a couple of minutes... remembering the Titans toon from the early 2000's. Only caught it on occasion, but I recall it being pretty good. Pretty loose adaptations of classic Teen Titans tales, but inoffensive... and had a really good voice cast. I assumed that this would be more of the same (albeit with a somewhat different art style)... boy howdy, was I wrong. This felt as though someone was shown the most annoying 10 second anime clip and was then asked to replicate it using the Teen Titans. I feel bad harshing on a kids cartoon... but, I gotta say... I'm happy I wasn't a kid during this constant "lol random" take on comedy.
Back to the book...
This was probably the best Teen Titans story I've read in some time. Sure it wasn't completely focused on them... but the bits in which they appear didn't annoy me... and sometimes, that's all you can ask for. I think what bugs me the most about the actual Teen Titans book is that there's so much potential there. Some great classic characters... some interesting newbies... but nothing ever happens! The characters constantly bicker in that snarky passive-aggressive Millennial way... and every storyline has to do with them adding... or removing a team member. Just when you think we're about to actually go somewhere, the next-issue blurb informs us that "Next: The Return of Kid Flash (again)" or some similar nonsense.
This issue of Super Sons actually worked as a Titans story because... the Titans actually went on an adventure that had nothing to do with messing with their roster! We don't have to worry about Damian firing someone... or someone returning from a five-second hiatus. This is just an adventure... and it's so much better off for it.
I think Jon should eventually join the Teen Titans... even though I'd be scared that they'd cancel this book if that were ever the case. Jon seems like he could be that character to finally give the Titans a "heart". This was never a problem during the Wolfman days... all of the characters were likable and felt like they belonged. Now, none of them do. Now, they need a heart... and that might just be a job for Superboy.
Overall, I was quite pleased with this issue. Jon and Damian's relationship is a lot of fun... they feel like real kids. Timeless kids. Regardless of fads in technology and social engagement, their relationship feels genuine. Their back-and-forth doesn't feel like anything the people of the future will cringe over, and be like "Did we really talk like that?". Also, the art... is really really good. It feels like there's definitely a manga influence in Jimenez's work... but it's still grounded in western comic art. It's a really awesome meshing of styles, I really enjoyed it!
So, if you're like me... a long-time Titans fan who hates the fact that they don't make books like that anymore... give this one a try! I think you'll be happy that you did.
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Super Sons #10 (January, 2018)
"One Fine Day"
Writer - Peter J. Tomasi
Artist - Jose Luis
Inker - Scott Hanna
Colorist - Hi-Fi
Letterer - Rob Leigh
Assistant Editor - Andrea Shea
Editor - Paul Kaminski
Group Editor - Eddie Berganza
Cover Price: $3.99
Man, after spending twenty years in Phoenix, it was incredibly strange to wake up and have to knock snow off a car before I could head out!
Just returned from our jaunt back east for Papa's 90th... seems we have a knack for picking the most inopportune days insofar as weather is concerned. Had a great visit, and the travel wasn't nearly as bad as I feared. Flights were on time (ahead of time, even!) and the streets were, for the most part, pretty clear.
Also, got to stop at a White Castle for the first time in about 20 years. That Chicken and Waffle Sandwich was ridiculously good! It sucks that in my neck of the woods the only regional niche fast food joint is In-and-Out Burger... and, if ya ask me... that ain't all that great.
I'm happy to be home, but still happy that we decided to go. That having been said... I'm still quite exhausted, which as far as the blog is concerned means, we look at a new book. Because... ya know, new books only take about five minutes to read. In fact, I think I've spent more time babbling through this preamble than it took me to read the story.
So, was it a fun five minutes? Let's find out...
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We open with a countdown... and Jon demonstrating his newfound ability to fly for Clark and Bruce. No longer limited to the "leaps and bounds" approach, Jon is now nearly as fast as his old man when it comes to flyin' the unfriendly skies. While in the air, Jon spies a Big Belly Burger being robbed over in Gotham... Clark defers to Bruce, since it is "his city", and Wayne gives the thumbs up.
With Jon out stopping the crime, Bruce turns to Damian and asks if Superboy has demonstrated any other new powers of late... and mentions their recent adventure alongside the Teen Titans. Damian plays dumb... which is probably not the best thing to do when you're talking to Batman.
Jon returns, landing in the back of the pickup truck... gotta say, it's pretty weird seeing Bruce Wayne drive a pickup. Anyhoo, Damian joins him on the outside and grinds his gears about spilling the beans on the Titans romp. Jon dismisses it by mentioning his mother's super-hearing and super-mind reading, which is pretty cute. From here they pretend to fly on the roof of the truck... and gotta say, this is such a joy to read. Can we get Tomasi on the actual Teen Titans book?
A brief "intermezzo" follows... and features a future Batman rising from the flames in future Gotham City. Going to assume this is Damian Wayne as Batman, as he's wearing the same high-collared belt-pouchy costume he did back in Batman #666 (2007).
Back in the present, we shift three weeks later. Both Jon and Damian are awakened from bed by their fathers, and are told to "suit up". In a pretty neat touch, there appears to be a 90's era Kon-El Superboy poster in Jon's bedroom.
We next join the Super Dads and Sons at the boys' new underwater headquarters! Or the... ahem, Fortress of Attitude. Yikes, that's pretty lame... hopefully Damian gets full veto power over that. The place is completely decked out... it even has a 3-D Printer for Damian to print Batarangs on-demand!
Now, anyone who's ever gotten a really generous gift knows... there are often strings attached, and this is no different. If the boys wanna continue to fight crime together... they're also going to have to go to school together. Turns out that Jon recently started attending the West-Reeve Private School in Metropolis (I understand that reference!)... and he's about to get a new classmate! Any unexcused absences will result in Damian hanging up the Robin costume.
With the rules laid out, the Super Dad's leave the boys to their underwater treehouse. Suddenly they are alerted that Chemo is running amok in Metropolis... and we close out with the World's Funnest taking care of business.
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Is it already a cliche to refer to this book as a lot of fun? Because... it really is. Fun, that is. This is really everything that Teen Titans ought to be... and more!
I really don't understand how DC has been dropping the ball on the Teen Titans for so long now, when they also have a book like this on the racks. This is an absolute pleasure to read... and shows Damian and Jon as kids... but not petulant Millennials. Those Teen Titans stories are almost immediately dated with their constant dependence on playing to the "Hey, what are kids into?" mentality. Super Sons, on the other hand has a timeless quality and feels like something that could be read in ten or twenty years and still feel relevant. The teens of today won't be reading this in "full cringe" mode remembering just how irritating they were... or how irritating the writer depicted them to be.
This also gets points for being a "one off" and a "day in the life" story. Full disclosure... I have not been keeping up with much of the Rebirth line (outside of the Superman books and Teen Titans). It's a mixture of indifference/disinterest, being absolutely overwhelmed by the bi-weekly deluge, and reading other stuff for the humble blog that I haven't been able to keep up. When my to-read pile was only a few inches tall... it still felt doable, and even somewhat "urgent". At this point, however, I'm so far gone that it doesn't even matter anymore. Super Sons was, unfortunately, one of the books in the now "to-read longbox"... so I haven't really been following it all that closely. This issue really caught me up... and didn't make me feel like I was "out of the loop" on much. This series feels like one that I can "pick up and play" without feeling like I need to do a whole bunch of pre-work.
The art here was also pretty fantastic. Not sure where this Jose Luis came from, but... damn, he cranked out quite the beautiful comic book.
I really can't recommend this enough... I mean, there's history and nods to the past... if you want them. If you never read 90's Superboy or Batman #666... you're not missing out, however, if you did... these additional touches are just awesome to see. This is a book with a massive heart... something I complain about so much of the current line lacking (Teen Titans in particular). I dare you to read this and not smile.
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Super Sons #1 (April, 2017)
"When I Grow Up..., Part One"
Writer - Peter J. Tomasi
Artist - Jorge Jimenez
Colorist - Alejandro Sanchez
Letterer - Rob Leigh
Associate Editor - Paul Kaminski
Group Editor - Eddie Berganza
Cover Price: $2.99
When DC Comics' Rebirth initiative was first announced... yeesh, over a year ago (where does the time go, anyway?), one of the books many of us were most excited for was, well... the one we're going to discuss today, Super Sons.
I know there was a bit of disappointment when the title was not among the initial wave of books... however, I gotta say, I think waiting to release this was the right move. When I think back to The New-52! I can't help but think that books like Teen Titans would have been best served to be part of the second (or third) wave of books released. DC could have used the first several months to introduce the new versions of the characters... establish them in the new landscape... then organically assemble them into a team.
Well, was Super Sons worth the wait? Let's find out...
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We open with a strange prologue involving a family on a film set. After some chatter, one of the children forcefully calls for a group hug. Kind of reminds me of that episode of the Twilight Zone where Billy Mumy sent his poor terrified family members to the cornfield... though, I'll concede I might be reaching here. We immediately shift to the present where Superboy and Robin... or is that Robin and Superboy, are dashing through a jungle infested with robot simulacrums in their likeness.
Two days earlier, we join Jon Kent as he hops on the school bus for his morning ride in. He notices that his normal bus driver is out today. During the ride, Jon witnesses a bit of bullying and when he attempts to quell the event, he receives a face-full of spitwads for his troubles.
Upon arrival to the school, the kids decide to take advantage of the snow-covered ground and settle their differences with a snowball fight. One of Jon's friends gets whacked in the side of his head with a whopper... it seems the other team is packin' their balls with rocks!
Jon considers using his heat-vision to even the odds, however, before he can... a giant snowball falls from above and clobbers the competition. Jon looks up to see the substitute school bus driver was the culprit of the packed-flurry. Of course it wasn't really some mild-mannered older fella... it's actually revealed to be Damian Wayne in disguise!
After a bit of witty chatter, we shift scenes to later that evening at the Batcave. Damian is preparing to head out for the evening with his father... but it's not to be. Papa Batman calls him on blowing off his studies... and until that's settled, he's staying home.
Next stop the Kent... White... Smith... farm, where the Super-family is playing cards and chatting about their day. Lois and Clark express pride in their boy for not letting loose with his powers during the snowball fight. After Lois wins yet another hand, Clark gets called off on some Justice League business.
Jon is sent to bed for the night, however, just as soon as he puts his head down he is interrupted by... Damian! After some good-natured boyish ribbing, Robin tells Superboy about some hacking occurring at Lexcorp that he'd like for the two of them to look into.
And so, they head out. It looks like these two might just be in over their heads...
--
I think the word most reviewers are using when they discuss this book is "fun"... and ya know, there's a pretty good reason for that.
This book is, so far, everything I would've hoped for... even (silly as it may sound) down to the return of the Superman/Batman logo from the pre-Flashpoint DCU. Love it!
Now, we've already seen the first meeting between the Super Sons, so we get to skip the normal "heroes fight before teaming up" trope. I appreciate that we open this series with the kids already being acquainted. Their banter is humorous, without feeling forced. This isn't that rapid-fire Bendis-esque dialogue... this feels more natural, and innocent.
The inclusion of at least a little bit of their disparate family lives was great to see. I dig how we can see that the Kents and the Waynes can be so similar... and so different... in their goals, methods, and perspective on justice... which, is probably the point of it all, right?
Jorge Jimenez's art here feels completely appropriate for a book of this type. It's got a bit of a manga feel, however, keeps enough "western" sensibilities as to not completely cross into that style. This is a clean, and vibrantly colorful book... kinda the way comic books ought to be, right?
Overall... well worth your time. Being a new book, it's obviously available digitally... and is very likely still on the shelves at your local shop. Super Sons is a bright point in an already stacked DC Rebirth line-up.
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