Superman and Robin Special #1 – Peter J. Tomasi, Writer; Viktor Bogdanovic/Daniel Henriques/Scott Hanna/Matt Santorelli, Artists, Ivan Plascencia, Matt Herns, Colorists
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: Before Jon Kent was coming out as bisexual and fighting to save refugees and the environment, and Damian Wayne was coming of age in a supernatural tournament, they were the Super-Sons. It was a simpler time, filled with wacky adventures, and they were all written by Peter Tomasi—who has returned for one more adventure as the two boys reunite amid a lot of changes in their lives. Jon is still settling into being back on Earth and being on the cusp of adulthood, as we see in a touching segment where he talks to his mother about growing up too fast. I do think some of the harsh edges of how he aged have been retconned away, thankfully. But it’s not long before Damian shows up—and brings chaos with him.
One of the things about the original Super-Sons that I always couldn’t quite vibe with was how nasty Damian seemed to Jon sometimes. His rough edges haven’t really changed—but the difference is an older Jon can really give as good as he gets. The two snark at each other before it’s revealed that Damian is there to get Jon’s help with a crisis at the Fortress. Something’s loose in Superman’s secret lair, and it’s setting off all sorts of alarms. Once they get there, there’s some bumbling around and a reveal about the bottled city of Kandor that’s very welcome—but it soon becomes clear there’s a monster loose in the Fortress, and while it may not be evil, it’s causing no shortage of danger.
The Super-Sons adventures have always been sort of silver-age accented, and this issue definitely keeps that influence. Tomasi has been writing both these characters for a long time, so it’s no surprise that he both has a good handle on them and calls back to some pretty deep cuts from continuity. In fact, the main conflict in the back half of the issue ties back to a story from the first year of Rebirth Superman comics. It’s a fun book that definitely pays tribute to one of the DCU’s best friendships in the last few years. I think what works against it slightly is that both these characters are in the middle of all-timer character runs, but for those who preferred the younger versions, this is a great tribute.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
