Adventures of the Super-Sons #6 – Peter J. Tomasi, Writer; Scott Godlewski, Artist; Protobunker, Colorist
Ratings:
Ray – 6/10
Corrina: Needs More Wonder
Ray: Halfway through, it doesn’t feel like Adventures of the Super-Sons really has a strong central plot yet. That’s not entirely a surprise – this is a year-long series set in a past continuity when at least one of the two lead characters has already evolved past this status quo dramatically. Thus, there’s a sense of irrelevance to the story that could be overcome if it was fun enough. Unfortunately, it only has moments of that. Damian and Jon are still stranded on an alien planet in Adventures of the Super-Sons #6, and as the issue kicks off, they’re trying to figure out how to survive. When the berries Jon has been harvesting are stolen by a weird monkey-like critter, the boys engage in a chase. I did enjoy this segment a good deal – they’re acting like kids, and the banter between Jon and Damian is less caustic and more playful than it usually is. Maybe the presence of an animal makes Damian just a bit softer? He loves his pets.
Unfortunately, it’s not long before Rex Luthor shows up again, and with him, the tone of the series takes a dive. Having a legit threat in a title like this is fine, but the problem with Rex and much of the rest of his team is that they’re just overtly sadistic. Rex, in particular, gets an extended segment where he talks about his plans for killing them, then killing their parents, then betraying the earth villains and killing them too. They’re eventually bailed out by space bounty hunter Tommy Tomorrow – who looks a lot like a certain Guardian of the Galaxy. He instantly distrusts them and captures them to take them to Takron-Galtos prison, assuming they’re Earth criminals. So it’s off to another fix for Jon and Damian, as this series seems to resemble nothing more than a slightly scattered road trip. How much you enjoy this series likely depends on how tolerant you would be towards being stuck in a car with Damian Wayne.
Corrina: Even from the start of the original Super-Sons series, the stories have suffered from weird tonal shifts that are also evident in this issue, shifts that make the stories a little less all-ages.
As Ray notes, the beginning is fun, with the boys trying to find dinner on an alien world. And then it’s switched to a grimmer tone, as they kids are scooped up and sent to the worst prison in the universe. Super-Sons inside a grim prison story hardly goes with the sense of fun and wonder that I’d hoped for in a universe-hopping tale.
This is a terrific concept but I’m not sure why it keeps throwing such adult situations, presented in an adult tone, at our heroes.
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Disclaimer: GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
