Review: DC's Terror Through Time

Hat tip, as usual, to friend Mart Gray for pointing out a delightful Super Sons story in the DC's Terrors Through Time anthology which came out earlier this month.

Peter Tomasi has always had a great handle on the tween versions of these heroes. I loved all his series of Jon and Damian learning to be heroes and friends. Their methods and outlook were different enough to bring out contrast and friction. But they grew and influenced each other. There was super-heroics. There was humor. It all worked.

All that has unfortunately evaporated with the aging of Jon to late teen. I still think that was a bad move by DC, robbing us not only of these Sons stories but any true 'Superboy' tales. I would love to hear if DC regrets it. Given the recent promotion and changes to Jon, it is unlikely we'll ever get a de-aging. 

Thankfully, these 'lost tales' continue to pop up now and then. Here, writer Sholly Fisch hits it out of the park. This is a Halloween story. It's a humor story. And it has the classic interplay between our heroes. Throw in the JLA and some of my favorite classic villains and this is a win.

I'll also say that these stories for the most part land excellent artists. In this story, Luciano Vecchio brings a nice style to this, stylized without over doing it. 

On to the story.

Review: Challenge of the Super Sons #7

Challenge of the Super Sons #7 came out last week and ended the mini-series. I am sad to see it finish.

I don't know if these are the best stories. But they are a ton of fun. They are very entertaining. And they are a throwback to simpler comic stories. Where action reigns supreme and characters grow and it is escapism.

Peter Tomasi has always had a great handle on these tween legacy characters. He knows that these are the sons of heroes who have different upbringings and different values. And that friction, as well as the growing respect they have for each other, is really what fuels these stories. That is front and center in this issue. The ending of this time spanning story comes quickly. But it is the journey not the destination.

Max Raynor is back on art and brings the same energy he brought in the earlier chapters. I said before that I hope that Raynor gets a regular gig soon. I like his stuff.

Both Jon and Damian are very different characters right now than the ones we see here. I will miss these versions greatly. But given all that is going on now, I fear this is the last time we will see the super sons like this.

On to the book.

Review: Challenge Of The Super Sons #6

The Challenge of the Super Sons #6 came out this week, the penultimate issue of this fun mini-series. This is before Jon was aged. This is before Damian went even crazier. This is when two tween heroes could just have some silly fun. 

Writer Peter Tomasi has had a great understanding of these two boys, making me laugh as they bicker and joke their way through their adventures, inspiring each other along the way. This issue has all of that as our heroes escape from the distant path to get back to the 'present' day. I do think this mini-series could have easily been 6 issues, not seven, This side adventure in the past has gone on for maybe just a little too long.

Some of that feeling might come from the art in the last few chapters. Evan Stanley has a nice, fun, cartoony style. But it is hard to jump to that after getting more standard superhero fare from artists like Max Raynor. I wonder how I would feel if the whole book was done in this sort of style. 

Still, there are a couple of great moments in this issue that makes me once again know I will miss it when it is gone. I know I will definitely miss this Jon.

On to the book. 

Review: Challenge of the Super Sons #5

Challenge of the Super Sons #5 came out last week and was another fun chapter in this all too brief mini-series. As always, writer Peter Tomasi has a great handle of the interactions of these two characters at this stage of their lives. Just as fun is the way people react to them at this time period too.

We get another mini-adventure as they, sight unseen, rescue a Justice Leaguer from the curse of the Doom Scroll. That side of the issue also has a very nice cliffhanger/plot twist. I am very interested to see where that leads. The art on the front half is done by Max Raynor who has brought an incredible style and energy to the storyline. I can only hope that DC gives him regular work somewhere. His stuff is electric.

The back half is in the distant past (you might recall that the boys were teleported to ancient time and faced off against Felix Faust and Vandal Savage there). In this chapter, Rora shows her true colors and says how she has been inspired by them to be a hero. The art here is by Evan Stanley and has a very cartoon, almost My Little Pony feel to the proceedings. It is a little jarring to go from Raynor's classic comic book action to this. But it is a feel good chapter so the art seemed to complement the story.

On to the book.

Review: Challenge Of The Super Sons #4

Challenge of the Super Sons #4 came out last week and I continue to be tickled by this book. 

Writer Peter Tomasi has a good handle on these young characters, having written them so long. As always it is their interactions, showcasing how they are different but can still work together, that brings the juice. 

The overall story is a hoot too. Superboy and Robin have to secretly save Justice Leaguers from a cursed magic scroll. So they have to put one over on their elders ... all for a good cause. That adds a little extra wrinkle of fun to the proceedings. On top of that, the scroll was activated by Felix Faust and Vandal Savage who are hunting the boys through time. That is a solid foundation.

Now some of the details are a bit preposterous. But this is a book that wants the reader to remember thrilling comic adventures of yesteryear and smile. So I don't mind a little zaniness.

Max Raynor is on both parts of the issue and I have become a big fan of his work. Our heroes look like kids. And the action looks great. I love his Jon, a mix of earnestness and anxiousness to get down to it.

On to the book.

Review: Challenge Of The Super-Sons #3

Challenge of the Super Sons #3, the print version of the digital first comic, came out this week and continued to be a glorious romp of a story. As always, the juice of the story is the interaction between the young Bat and Super, who are very different and also close friends.

Writer Peter Tomasi has had a good handle on these characters for some time now so I am no longer surprised when I grin while reading. He gives Jon an earnest 'aw shucks', 'we need to be the best we can be' enthusiasm to his heroics. Contrast that to Damian's hard-nosed, occasional 'ends justify the means' approach and you have fertile character soil to be mined.

What I like about this book right now is that the characters are involved in two mingled storylines, one in medieval times and one in the present. Of course, to them it is one timeline but for me the varying locales keeps the book fresh.

Art on this books is done by Jorge Corona and Max Raynor. Both have a style which is befitting the action of the title. I feel like Corona is a mix of Jorge Jimenez and Ken Rocafort. And that stylized approach is perfect for the shenanigans of the action. Raynor is a extremely polished visual storyteller and his work with the other JLA members in the book is stunning.

On to the book.

Review: Challenge Of The Super-Sons #2

Challenge of the Super Sons #2 came out last week and continued a fun romp with the title characters before Jon was aged for the Legion. 

As usual with the print issues we have two stories, both written by Peter Tomasi.  

The first is a straight continuation of the Sons mission to save heroes secretly from a fate predicted on the Doom Scroll. This story features Wonder Woman being unknowingly stalked by a minotaur. The sons do their magic to save Diana all while quipping back and forth. This is pure entertainment with some standard friction and admiration between the two. Max Raynor is on the art here and his stuff is glittering. Last time I talked about Raynor I said DC needed to put him on a Batwoman book. Now I think I'd like to see him fill in on a Wonder Woman issue now and then.

The second is a flashback setting up the premise for the arc. Superboy and Robin are thrown back in time to meet the real villains of the piece, Felix Faust and Vandal Savage. I think I will definitely get a time travel story headache from the proceedings given the premise. The art is by Jorge Corona, a new artist for me. His work is a bit more stylized than Raynor's. 

This book is fun and breezy and I love it. On to the book.

DC Comics July Solicits

The July solicits for DC Comics came out last week and they were certainly interesting. Here is a link to all the books as posted on Newsarama: https://www.gamesradar.com/dc-july-2021-solicitations/

DC has decided to revamp and reinvigorate the Super-titles again and I am both fascinated and a little bit dismayed. You have to hand it to DC, they certainly know how to confuse and confound their fans.

But most of all, it seems like the '5G' reboot which was going to happen, then wasn't going to happen then sort of happened with Future State is actually slowly but surely going to happen, in some sense. 

Jon is Superman. Clark is on Warworld. it is all coming to together ... I guess?

Let's dive into the books, starting with Supergirl.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #2
story by Tom King
art by Bilquis Evely
cover by Bilquis Evely
variant cover by Lee Weeks

After the shocking conclusion of last issue, Supergirl and her new friend Ruthye find themselves stranded with no way to pursue Krem, the murderous kingsagent. Each moment this fugitive roams free, the more beings become dangerously close to dying by his hand. There is no time to lose, so our heroes must now travel across the universe the old-fashioned way…by cosmic bus!
Little do they know, their journey will be a dark one filled with terrors that not even the Maid of Might is prepared to face! Can Kara Zor-El lie low long enough to ensure their safe passage?

A startling ending to the first issue? The name of the villain is Krem? Perhaps he will be the Creme de la Creme? A dark journey filled with terror? I keep trying to be hopeful. But will this end up being just another King deep look at pain and stress? I'm going to remain hopeful.

One thing I do know without a doubt, the art is going to be beautiful. Evely is going to kill it here.

Review: Challenge Of The Super-Sons #1

While it has been out digitally for some time, Challenge of the Super Sons #1 came out as a true issue last week and I was eager to pick it up. From the initial monthly to the 'Adventures of ...' mini series, writer Peter Tomasi has always swung for the fences with high energy, amusing, and often touching stories of Jon and Damian. And Tomasi has had the luck of being teamed with some of the best artists in the business on these books.

Challenge of the Super Sons #1 maintains that vibe, a perfect palate cleanser from the dark and 'true to life' comics of the modern age. I always smile when I read this book and goodness knows we need more smiles in this world.

For me the juice of the book is the interaction of the characters. Damian is young, vicious, jaded 'son of assassins' who is just starting to soften at the edges. Jon is high energy, brash, good to a fault, and sort of naive. Seeing these two pick up each others better traits and learn to be friends has always been special. This time they are caught up in some crazy super-heroic hijinks that make no sense other than to be fun. I'm all in.

This time the art is by Max Raynor who I recently praised for doing a spectacular arc in Batman/Superman. His art has a little more whimsy to it this time. 

I'll say it again, I miss these guys. I am glad DC is letting Tomasi tell us 'lost stories'.

DC April 2021 Solicits

The DC Comics solicits for April came out last week and I just get the sense that DC is in a sort of transition period for the Super-titles.

I have listened to interviews with Phillip Kennedy Johnson and he doesn't sound like someone who is on a long run on the Superman titles. We are coming out of Future State and it looks like some of the stories there are being touched upon now. And it seems like he is moving away from the Metropolis-centric Bendis feel to these titles.

Also, Supergirl isn't mentioned pretty much anywhere so I think Kara is on a bit of a hiatus.

For those interested, here is a link to all the solicits:
https://www.gamesradar.com/dc-april-2021-solicitations-and-covers-revealed/ 

 On to the super-books.

Action Comics #1030
written by PHILLIP KENNEDY JOHNSON
art by DANIEL SAMPERE
backup story written by
BECKY CLOONAN and MICHAEL W. CONRAD
backup story art by MICHAEL AVON OEMING
cover by MIKEL JANÍN
card stock variant cover by JULIAN TOTINO TEDESCO

"Warworld Rising" starts here! A new chapter in Superman's life begins as the challenges of Dark Nights: Death Metal are causing Clark Kent to feel...a change in his powers. Is it possible the Metropolis Marvel could be losing a step? His struggles in taking down the creatures from the Breach would suggest as much! If he's going to continue to protect the people of Earth, he'll have to adapt—especially with threats like Mongul out there waiting to launch their biggest attacks on the Earth yet. That's right, those are Warworld battleships just outside our orbit, and they are heading straight for us!
Meanwhile, in the Midnighter backup story, the bad boy of the Authority has to figure out what Andrej Trojan is up to in the present if he ever wants to get back to Future State and swap places with the Midnighter of 2021, whom he left stranded on Warworld.

We have had Mongul show up a couple of times back in the Bendis run. When Superman was named the Earth rep for the UP, Mongul showed up. So it is interesting that we are heading back to that ground. Now I don't know anything about Death Metal. So is Superman depowering? Or changing his powers.

I am not a huge Midnighter fan but seeing the name Andrej Trojan, the implied baddie in FS Superman of Metropolis, is a nice hook. I don't know if Future State considered the future or a possible future. But I am glad some of the ideas will be played out in the current books.

Review: Superman #16

Superman #15 came out last week and was a wonderful issue giving us a little coda to the Super Sons team of Jon and Damian. The Super Sons was one of the unfortunate pieces of collateral damage when Brian Michael Bendis came on. Jon was aged up to join the Legion. That meant the tweener team written by Peter Tomasi had to go away. And that was a shame. I loved that book.

In this issue, Bendis shows how this friendship isn't going to be affected by the age jump. This was something of a wild romp akin to the Super Sons book. He also shows that he understands the personalities of these two and how they interact. I laughed out loud more than once when reading this. That's always a good sign.

And we also get a touching ending, the perfect capstone to Jon's adventures in the present day DCU.

Art is by David LaFuente and he brings a style akin to Carlo Barberi and the other Super Sons artists. There is a little chunky, Saturday morning cartoon feel to things. But it just works perfectly with the characters and the tone of the story.

I am sad that the original idea of the Super Sons is going away. But I think this issue showed it can still kind of work.

On to the book.

Review: Adventures of the Super Sons #12

Adventures of Super Sons #12 came out last week, the end of the maxi-series and the end of the sons as we have known them.

This is the end ...

Or is it?

Writer Peter Tomasi has been sending the boys through a warped tour of DC's Silver and Bronze ages in this book as Jon and Damien fight Rex Luthor and his Gang. And now that Jon is 17ish and presumably about to join the Legion of Super-Heroes, we won't be getting more tween adventures of this next gen World's Finest. And that makes me more than a little sad. The boys have brought a lot of joy into comics and heaven knows I need as much fun as possible.

Artist Carlo Barbieri has also brought a sort of whiz-bang quasi-anime feel to the book which has really given it a ton of energy.

But anytime a book or concept like this ends, I have to wonder why. Certainly there were more stories to tell. And while I know I only need go back to the longbox to reread these stories, I'll always wonder what might have been.

Still, there is a little bit of light peeking through the darkness of this ending. Maybe there is more?

Review: Adventures of the Super Sons #11

Adventures of the Super Sons #11 came out this week, the penultimate issue for this maxi-series and therefore the penultimate issue of the tween Jon Kent Superboy. In the main Superman books, Jon has been aged and is now a true teenager. So enjoy this romp while you can. We are about to see the end of this incarnation of the Sons and their fun escapades.

Writer Peter Tomasi has truly taken advantage of the space he's been given. He has given us a healthy dose of the Damian/Jon dynamic which is really the straw that stirs the drink of this series. But we also have seen a sort of warped buffet of the DC universe, sampling the Silver Age, horror comics, science fiction, and straight up super-heroics.

The book, and this issue, has been aided by the art of Carlo Barberi. This is a super-hero book, but it is also a fun super-hero book, light-hearted in a way you would expect the adventures of adolescents to be. And Barberi's dynamic style, the perfect mix if anime, cartoon, and standard comic art complements the story perfectly.

This book does just what it should do as the 11th chapter of a 12 chapter story. The boys are close to being back home. Most of the villains have been taken care of. We have a great cliffhanger. And we know that a final showdown with Rex Luthor is around the corner.

Hopefully, lots of people have been loving this book as much as I have.

On to the details!

Review: Adventures of the Super Sons #10

Adventures of the Super Sons #10 came out last week. We are officially entering the home stretch for this comic and I for one will miss it tremendously.

Much like the prior books, this issue showcases the differences and similarities between Damian and Jon. It also has given writer Peter Tomasi a chance to look at some of the Bronz-ier areas of the DCU and either lavish homage or poke fun. Sometimes it is a little bit of both.

I also like the 'How I Met Your Mother' opening, a motif Tomasi has used before in the prior monthly Sons series.

Truly, this issue was a ton of fun and I'll get you to my favorite moments in a second.

Carlo Barberi is on art again and brings that crazed energy to the proceedings. We border on anime here, His style really leaps off the page and has brought some youthful vim to the pages. Barberi is really the perfect choice for this book.

So here we go. Buckle up your chin straps. On to the story.

Review: Adventures of the Super Sons #9

Adventures of Super Sons #9, written by Peter Tomasi with art by Scott Godlewski, came out this week and was another fun issue. As usual, writer Peter Tomasi uses this book to take a dive into the DCU as well as touch on some pop culture references. I am sure I sound like a broken record but the best part of this Sons pair is how they have played off on each other. They are clearly different. But they also have rubbed off on each other. It is the interaction between Jon and Damian that is the best part of the book.

This issue decides to dive into both the Westworld phenomenon as well as take a swipe at Jonah Hex. So suddenly the boys are on a world based on the Wild West, filled with cowboy robots with strict programming. But seeing our main characters adapting to this new environment is hysterical.

Scott Godlewski pitches in on art, as he has done earlier in the book. He doesn't bring quite the same zing that Carlo Barberi does. But the art is still slick. And certainly it is close enough to Barberi that the book has a consistent feel.

We only have three issues left. So buckle your seat belts!

June 2019 Solicits

The June solicits for DC Comics came out last week and are available for perusal in the usual places. Here is a link to Newsarama and their coverage: https://www.newsarama.com/44329-dc-comics-june-2019-solicitations.html

It is a wild month filled with hope for the ending of a story, the excitement of the beginning of a story, a story I didn't know about that I will be getting, and a big name story I knew about that I won't be getting. Did you follow all that?

Hopefully this is something of a turning point for the super-books, storming into the summer on a roll.

SUPERGIRL #31
written by MARC ANDREYKO
art by KEVIN MAGUIRE and SEAN PARSONS
cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
variant cover by AMANDA CONNER
The House of El is united in this SUPERMAN/SUPERGIRL crossover! The Superman Family must unite to banish Rogol Zaar once and for all! But little do Supergirl, Superman, Superboy and Jor-El know, Rogol Zaar has brought some friends of his own…from the Phantom Zone! Supergirl not only has to make sure that Rogol Zaar doesn’t unite with his ax at all costs, but also has to deal with how the 10-year-old Superboy is now her age! This is the start of an intergalactic war you don’t want to miss!
ON SALE 06.12.19 

For some time I have been calling for the end of the Supergirl in space storyline. It just hasn't felt like a Supergirl story. The characterization of Kara has seemed off. And I just enjoy her more on Earth, with a supporting cast, learning to be a hero on her adopted world.

So when I saw this solicit, trumpeting a Superman crossover and some resolution to the Rogol Zaar storyline, I smiled. One, I like when the super-family acts like a family. Second, maybe this means Supergirl is back on Earth and will stay on Earth.

Nice Conner cover.

On to the rest of the books.

Review: Adventures Of The Super Sons #8

Adventures of the Super Sons #8 came out this week and was a sort of pause in the action issue, a way (I believe) for writer Peter Tomasi to turn the last corner of the title of the corner and head into the home stretch. With older, scarred Jon in the Superman books now, we are down to 4 issues with these two like this so let's enjoy it.

 It was filled with the standard fun moments. There is the usual friendly friction between Jon and Damian. There is a nice moment where you see how the sons have inspired someone. And there are the usual tangential takes on some classic DC tropes. Tomasi has treated this like a blurry, whirlwind tour through DC's Bronze Age. This issue plugs in nicely to the series as a whole.

Carlo Barberi is on art and, as I have stated many times before, his style is perfect for the series. There is a bit of exaggeration, a hint of anime, and some cartoonish flourishes that complement that story very well. I wouldn't mind seeing him be the designated fill-in artist on Young Justice should Patrick Gleason ever need a break.

But as with each month, there is a pang of sorrow. I loved the original Super Sons series and I love this maxi-series. It is a shame our youthful, overly optimistic Jon had to be grimmed up.

On to the book.

May 2019 Solicits

The May solicits for DC comics have been released and there is a whole heck of a lot of news to cover. To see all the books on sale that month head here:
https://www.newsarama.com/43979-dc-comics-may-2019-solicitations.html

First off, the Supergirl solicit (after the cut) doesn't sound like anything is being pushed forward in any significant way. In fact, there is a line there that just makes me think that the creative team is treading the 'will Supergirl cross the line' story which never seems to work.

May brings us the end of Heroes in Crisis, a book which hasn't caught the world on fire. I wonder if this would have been better received if DC hadn't hyped it as the end all, be all. It also is the beginning of DCEASED, a DC zombie event written by Tom Taylor. I love Taylor but loathe zombies. And that feels so 2005. And, in theory, Doomsday Clock #11 is on the list.

But the big news for super-fans is buried in the Leviathan special solicit below. That news should make people smile broadly!

On to the books.

Review: Adventures Of The Super Sons #7

Adventures of Super Sons #7 came out this week and continued an almost frivolous romp through the DCU. This series has been a tour through Silver/Bronze Age DC with issues running through horror comics and silly sci-fi stuff. This issue seems to marry two of my favorite things: DC Legion lore and 1940's film noir. There is nothing like an old school prison break film! Chuck the sons of Batman and Superman into the mix and you have something transcendent.

Writer Peter Tomasi brings a Philip Marlowe feel to these proceedings as Robin, thrust into the role of prison warlord, gives voice over narration that would make Bogart blush. The story here is aptly titled Noir Town, leaning into the film noir conceit. And these pot-boiled words and swift violence all sounds so natural coming from Damian.

Despite that particular flourish, Tomasi does his usual excellent job of littering the story with name drops, homages, and even tips of the hat to creators that makes this a treat for grizzled readers like me.

After a couple of months off, Carlo Barberi is back on art and brings his stylized elan to the proceedings. His work fits the material so well. But there is one panel which made me smile wide as near perfection. More on that soon.

If there is one downside, it is that The Gang, the alien adolescents obsessed with Earth super-villains, remain the glue holding it all together. I'm a little fatigued of them. That said. as always, I'll miss this book and this version of the sons when it goes away.

On to the book.

April 2019 Solicitations

Last week, the DC solicits for April were released. You can head to the Newsarama and other sites to review the entirety of the DC line. Here is the link:
https://www.newsarama.com/43570-dc-comics-april-2019-solicitations.html

It's hard to believe but April marks a year of the Bendis-ification of the Super titles. Last year at this time, we saw the solicits for Action Comics #1000. We then got the weekly Man of Steel in June. And we have been off to the races since.

Of course, this impacted Supergirl as much as anyone. So while April marks the year mark of this redirection, we are only 9 issues into Supergirl's solo title reflecting it. I am starting to hope this 'Supergirl in space' storyline will wrap up soon. I want her hero-ing on Earth.


SUPERGIRL #29
written by MARC ANDREYKO
art by EDUARDO PANSICA
cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
variant cover by AMANDA CONNER
The sins of the Circle—revealed! With a galaxy-wide bounty on Supergirl’s head, she, Krypto and Z’ndr must hide out at an abandoned planet until it’s safe enough to continue tracking the Circle’s trail of misdeeds. Unbeknownst to Supergirl, this planet is where the last crystal of Appa Ali Apsa was left to be found for the hidden messages in her other collected crystals to be revealed! Who killed Appa Ali Apsa? What other deeds happened at the hands of Rogol Zaar? Find out here!

Maybe this is a good sign. We are learning secrets. We are getting history of Appa Ali Apsa and Rogol Zaar. So let's bring it on home!