Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Adventures of the Super Sons #10 Review


Writer: Peter J. Tomasi
Art team: Carlo Barberi, Matt Santorelli, Protobunker, and Rob Leigh
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: May 1, 2019
Cover Price: $3.99
Reviewed by: Jon Wayne

I have been pretty torn on this series. It started off so strong, tapered off in the middle, and while it seemed to rediscover some of the magic last time, I’m not fully convinced we’re back yet. Will Peter J. Tomasi put it all together for the final few issues of his time with the Super Sons? I sure hope so! Let’s dive in and find out.


We open with a narration giving us a brief recap of what’s transpired thus far, and while we don’t really need this, we are brought back to the end of the original super sons book where an older Jon appeared to be telling his (and Damian’s!) grandkids the story of their showdown with the Injustice Gang. It’s a fun callback for those who read the original series, though you might not get the reference if you didn’t read that original series. For someone like me who loves our boys but has thought this limited series treaded water for too long, this is a light-hearted reminder that this book really is just about Jon and Damian, their dynamic, and their shenanigans. While I may have dreamt bigger and wanted more out of it, the scope was probably never that big (it is sandwiched in between the end of Tomasi’s Superman run and the beginning Bendis’ Man of Steel mini).



Things pick up pretty quickly after that, as Rex readies his army for an invasion of earth. He used the ideas of someone on the prison planet to harness the power of the hypercube to create a Nether-Dimensional Portal (presumably to transport his army to earth?) That’s not really explained before the Super Sons (and friends) drop in on Rex. We spend a few panels catching up with Robo-Hex and Al-X before cutting to a smackdown moment between Jon and Rex very reminiscent of fights between Superman and Lex. They even make a few jokes about it.

The art progression gets a little confusing around page 12, where we see Robo-Hex shoot Al-X and then quickly cut away to Robin evading Doomsdame. In the meantime, Robo-Hex has brought down the train they all rode to the showdown... and then Al-X reappears as a fully decked out Green Lantern?! Yep that’s what happened. And I really couldn’t follow the art’s progression here at all, which is irritating. Not gonna spoil the ending, but I will say your mileage will vary depending on your thoughts of the series. If you’re loving, you’ll probably love the last minute reveal. If you feel like the plot meandered in the middle, you probably won’t care much for this.



The inconsistency with the art progression is a first for this book as it’s been one of the stand out aspects for the whole run. Whether it’s been Carlo Barberi or Scott Godlewski it’s been on point. Maybe it’s just me, but things got confusing and I couldn’t really keep up with what was happening to each of our main characters.

Bits and Pieces:

This was a fine issue, continuing the rebound from the last issue. I still want more out of it, but I think I’ve restructured my expectations now. This is a good book for what it is. I just wanted - and still want - more from it.

7/10


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