Superboy #20

(w) Justin Jordan     (a) RB Silva, Rob Lean, Kenneth Rocafort, and ChrisCross

There exists, in the comic book industry today, a debate over systematic ageism. Jerry Ordway’s now infamous rant detailing his experience of being a comic book writer after his prime has become a sort-of galvanizing point to those who believe middle-aged and older writers are being pushed to the side to make way for younger talent. Ordway waxed poetic about ideas he’s yet to see happen, that he still has a lot to offer story-wise, and that he isn’t ready to be pigeonholed as a commission artist at conventions. On the intimate level Ordway is trying to reach his fans upon, his talking points sound fair and legitimate. Why take a risk on inexperienced, young writers when there’s a gamut of veterans waiting for a call from the Big Two?

What Ordway seems to forget is that it was his generation of ‘Young Turks’ who blew onto the scene in the mid-80s and ‘stole’ work opportunities from creators who carried DC and Marvel through the Silver Age of comic books. The reasoning behind this was simple: comic books were changing, readers were changing, and the industry was changing. Established writers from the 60s and 70s were having a hard time keeping up with the demands of the then-current pop culture zeitgeist, which prompted companies to find writers that understood how to connect to current readers.

It's no different today, yet DC has fallen behind in this way while Marvel has been stacking their talent pool with a diverse group of younger writers whose voices have raised up the company's marketshare and earned critical accolades. DC still has Bob Harras, who likes to hire his friends who all happen to be middle-aged, worked at Marvel in the mid-90s under Harras, and who now produce only echoes of their most popular work.


** SPOILERS AHEAD **


Scott Lobdell spent 20 issues of Superboy trying to make the character's concept new and exciting, and only succeeding in driving the Boy of Steel into the ground. Nothing was the same, and that was a problem. This new Superboy shares no similarities to the pre-relaunch one other than his Kryptonian DNA harvested from Superman, and the title of 'Superboy'. Quite frankly, it was maddening, and if you look back at old entries I've written on issues of Superboy, you'll find a consisten pattern of frustration and anger.

Justin Jordan takes over with Superboy #20, and even though he's inherited yet another ridiculously convoluted Scott Lobdell excuse-for-a-plot, this is the best issue of the series to date, hands down. And it's because Jordan moves away from what made Lobdell's runs o frustrating: valuing action and lore over character and organic plot flow. Even though he's appeared in two issues prior to this, I really had no concept of who Dr. Psycho was until this month. Perhaps it was designed that way, but history shows that Lobdell tended to forget what he started or tried to mask the fact that he didn't have an ending by awkwardly segueing into some new story.

Superboy #20 is great because it feels natural. I wasn't a fan of Jordan's work on Team 7, but that was less about his style and more about the series' base premise being somewhat underwhelming. Here, Jordan finds a voice for Kon-El that makes him come across as a real person and not just a prop in an ongoing narrative that feigns a greater purpose, yet never delivers. A line like "Now I'm pissed. I don't have enough clothes to waste them like this." is so much better than a character thinking this sentiment within the ever-constraining thought balloon.

Scott Lobdell often fails at writing good comic books because he's trying to hard to make everything accessible/easy to read/pick-upable. It attempting to cater to everyone, he caters to no one because how he writers is condescending to readers. Justin Jordan's style is a breath of fresh air and a welcome change for Superboy, who still has one of the foggiest and least-memorable origins of any 'New 52' character. Now, I actually want to read Superboy.

GRADE

8.5/10

REVIEW: SUPERMAN #15

(w) Scott Lobdell
(a) Kenneth Rocafort

One of the biggest identifiable problems with the 'New 52', thus far, has been consistency in characterization between titles. Often, a character will act a certain way in a team setting, and a completely different way in his or her solo title. Unfortunately, both Superman and Superboy are at the top of the list when it comes to broken character development. Superman as portrayed in Action Comics has been vastly different from the Superman seen in the eponymous series and Justice League. Similarly, Superboy is written as an emo kid just trying to figure it all out in the pages of Superboy, but here, in Superman #15, Scott Lobdell has turned Kon-El from an antisocial basket case into a cheesy kid sidekick who wouldn't be out of line saying something like, "Aww, shucks, Superman! What're we gonna do now!?"

Superman #15 really stretches the whole "He'l on Earth" tie-in label because H'el does not show up at all. We get to see him in two panels, in flashbacks, in the background both times. It's not out of line to want to have some sort of interlude that deals with side issues, but Lobdell basically uses the entire issue to focus on Lex Luthor. And really, it's for no reason at all. Superman claims that he's come to Luthor looking for help, but in reality, as Lex puts it, "You would have figured out H'el's plan the instant he made his way into the fortress and got his hands on the artifacts you keep there." So why does Superman take the time to visit good old Lex? He's there to make himself angry. H'el is the most powerful adversary Superman has ever faced, and now he needs to give himself motivation to take on this new threat with everything he has. Beyond his meeting with Luthor, Clark seems to be taking a rather militant and stoic approach to his relationship with Superboy, speaking in short, curt sentences and generally not being very helpful before scolding Superboy like a father figure.

Now let's talk Superboy. Why has he turned into a Boy Scout all of the sudden? For over a year, Kon-El has done nothing but disregard orders, chastise those of authority, and generally do whatever he wants. Now, because Superman has lent him the Kryptonian armor for medical purposes, Kon has turned into some weird 1950s version of himself. "Man you are hardcore!", uses only four words to disassemble an air of sophistication Superboy has been trying to build since he first woke up in Superboy #1. Then "...if we're trying to get H'el the hell out of our your house, what the heck are we doing here?" reminds me how little regard Lobdell has for the green line when writing in MS Word. From a literary standpoint, there's no reason to craft such awkward sentences. 

Don't even get me started on, "You're still recovering from H'el nearly splitting you genetically in two". The first of the two examples could just have easily read as, "Why are we here if we're trying to get H'el out of your house?", while the second example could quite effortlessly be revised as, "H'el nearly ripped you apart at the genome, and you're still recovering." These obviously aren't the only ways to rewrite these sentences, but it just shows how easily good grammar and effective syntax can be.

Superman #15 is an interesting read if you're curious about Lex Luthor in the present day. Other than that, Superman and Superboy are not written as themselves, and it's very off-putting. As much as I disagree with how Kon-El has been handled up to this point, it's even more frustrating to see all the character development go out the window in the name of a shaky crossover. I usually like Kenneth Rocafort's artwork, but here, even his beautiful pencilling gets dragged down by the weight of the dialogue. For an event that's felt rushed and half-asked since it started, Superman #15 hits the brakes hard and provides more of an interlude than anything else. It's not terrible, but there's simply not a lot going on.

GRADE

6/10

REVIEW: SUPERMAN #13

This review was originally published on PopMatters.com.

(w) Scott Lobdell
(p) Kenneth Rocafort

There’s something different about Superman in the ‘New 52’. I’m not just talking about the new costume or back-story, or the fact that Grant Morrison is handling his early days in Action Comics – DC has fundamentally shifted the Man of Steel’s position in their mindset, and it basically amounts to a downgrade for the Last Son of Krypton.

Hear me out.

In recent years, Batman has become not only DC’s most popular character, but also arguably the most popular comic book character, in general. Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight” trilogy framed Batman for a modern generation and it became a huge success. Hence, DC has focused a lot more of its comic book efforts on Batman. The ‘New 52’ features 13 different Batman-related titles each month – five of which focus on Bats exclusively or with a partner – while there are only four dedicated to the Superman Family. For as long as Superman has been around, he’s been DC’s poster boy and, frankly, the most iconic superhero in the world – until now.

Of the Superman-related titles, two of them focus on Clark Kent’s alter-ego. Grant Morrison has been guiding Superman through his early years in Action Comics to varying degrees of success, while the character’s eponymous book has been caught in a flurry of creative switch-ups, editorial tightening, and overall dissonance concerning the direction the title should be moving. George Perez publically left the title after revealing a number of woes concerning management at DC dictating creative choices, leaving Superman to flounder for a bit. With no solid course or focus, the title has been lacking. Last month, Scott Lobdell was brought on board for Superman #0 to lead the series into the upcoming “H’el on Earth” crossover between Superman, Superboy, and Supergirl.

I have a rather tumultuous personal opinion concerning Scott Lobdell. While I absolutely hated his runs on both Superboy and Teen Titans, I find Red Hood and The Outlaws to be one of my favorite titles month to month. I can’t really explain it, and at this point, I don’t know that it much matters. Superman #13 affirms that Lobdell is bringing the best of what he brings to Red Hood and The Outlaws – including series artist Kenneth Rocafort – to his interpretation of the Man of Steel. All the stiff dialogue, convoluted plot, and unrealistic emotional drama that littered the pages of TT and Superboy are absent here, replaced by a surprisingly solid handle on Superman as a character with a clearly defined and structured narrative path.

Superman #13 almost acts as a reset button for the series. While events in previous issues are mentioned, it’s mostly to set the scene. The only real thing any new reader would need to know going into this issue is that Clark Kent has been frustrated working for the Daily Planet for some time. Clark’s grand Network­-style exit from the hallowed halls of journalism are quickly (and humorously) tamped when “fashion-obsessed, self-absorbed bobblehead” Cat – a fellow journalist – walks out after Clark and explains how she was inspired by his speech. While Cat wants Clark to feel better about what he’s done, the fact that she came and no one else did points to Clark’s all-around attitude concerning the money-grubbing entertainment conglomerate. It’s a sly move on Lobdell’s part, giving both Clark and Cat more depth as characters with little more than a tactical conversation.

The beginning of the issue heralds a new character, Dr. Veritas. She’s a rather utilitarian-looking figure with a lab coat draped over what looks like body armor. Of course, the more obvious explanation is that Kenneth Rocafort’s penciling style just makes everyone look badass like they’re wearing battle armor. If that’s the case, awesome, if not, then there’s got to be a reason for her unexplained militaristic get-up. Either way, Veritas is already an interesting character because Superman knows who she is and we don’t. Oh, and she has a lab with a machine that can exert the weight of the planet for Superman to bench-press. The machine’s amazing capabilities aside, the fact that it exists and that this woman owns it is incredibly fascinating. I found myself wanting to know more and more about Dr. Veritas and her relationship with Superman the entire time I was reading.

Scott Lobdell is a curious writer, for sure. Some of his work falls so terribly flat I want to go back and save the paper and ink used to make the issues he’s written, and some of goes on my “Must Buy” list for the month. Superman #13 reads fantastic and looks fantastic thanks to Kenneth Rocafort and his chiseled feature-heavy style that compliments Superman so well. I was starting to get annoyed by how frumpy Supes was looking as drawn by Jesus Merino and later Dan Jurgens. Not only does Lobdell start an excellent new chapter in Clark Kent’s life, but he also builds directly up to next month’s start of “H’el on Earth”, featuring the other last survivor of Krypton’s death. Basically, if you were reading Superman and got disappointed each month, stick with it. If you haven’t read this series up until now, start here.

GRADE

8/10

SUPERMAN #0

STORY: Scott Lobdell
ART: Kenneth Rocafort

"What started out as mild scientific curiosity has become a matter of life and death!"

Oh my god, Scott Lobdell.

Scott Lobdell, oh my god.

The above quote might possibly be one of the absolute worst lines of dialogue I've ever read in a comic book. That's saying something with the sheer amount of content out there. Then again, Scott Lobdell is not one for subtlety. In fact, he seems stubbornly against the idea that he should write as if a normal person were speaking, instead content to pen words that feel like an old man - obviously out of his comfort zone - trying to be witty, retro, and modern all at the same time, only to come up short in every department...oh, wait.

Honestly, I don't know what Scott Lobdell should be writing. His penchant for writing inexplicably blunt and wooden doesn't seem to have a place in modern comic books outside throwback stories meant to resemble books from the 1950s and 60s. He certainly shouldn't be writing Teen Titans, Superboy, or Superman, the first two of which he helmed for the past year, and the latter of which he's just been given.

Superman #0 is painful. So painful, in fact, that I found it hard to actually read the entire issue. Lobdell had a chance with this prequel issue to start things off right with his run on Superman, and he squanders it just as badly as he did with Superboy and the Teen Titans (but, strangely enough, not like Red Hood and The Outlaws, which has been uncharacteristically good under Lobdell's watch). Superman's parents are part of the Kryptonian elite, a class that resembles our own humanly aristocracy from the Victorian era through the early 20th century. I get what Lobdell is trying to do, but in trying to write the citizens of Krypton like upper class snobs, he's made them all read like morons who just learned the finer points of diction and syntax and decided to have a field day. "So pensive you are tonight, Jor,", "...everyone within a three-arc radius of the CRC are, simply put, no more," and, "I would like to think that our days spent discussing continuum particle theory and our sweat-soaked nights spent on the magma cliffs of Corga had a...lasting impression," are just some of the outlandishly terrible lines littering these pages.

One of the biggest draws to Superman #0 was the supposed reintroduction of Oracle, the moniker taken by Barbara Gordon when she was paralyzed by the Joker and confined to a wheelchair. But of course, Lobdell makes readers froth at the mouth for nothing, and gives us some alien behemoth capable of blowing the weird extraterrestrial horn first seen in Superman #1. Sure, it gives a bit more credence to the horn's significance in the greater DC context, but as a 'cool twist' at the end of this terrible, terrible issue, it's so much more of a letdown than anything else. The only saving grace for this issue - and I'm assuming subsequent issues - is Kenneth Rocafort's art, which has always been good in Red Hood and The Outlaws, and continues to be quality work here in Superman.

I don't even want to keep writing about this issue. Such a fail.

GRADE

F

(COMIC) LAST WEEK'S 4-SENTENCE REVIEWS!

Hey there, everybody. This past weekend, I took a road trip to Washington D.C. with a friend of mine and didn't prepare for my absence at all. Honestly, I should have written these reviews earlier in the week and scheduled them throughout the weekend. But them's the breaks. To make up for that, I've written some '3-Sentence Reviews' for some of the issues that I missed while hanging out in the nation's capital.


Saga #3
STORY: Brian K. Vaughan
ART: Fiona Staples

Saga continues as Marko and Alana face the Horrors of the night, and it turns out, they're not so scary after all! With her husband unconscious, Alana must deal with the ghosts who are stuck on the planet Cleave and simply want to interact with the living. Forced to team up with a ghost named Izabel, Alana must get Marko to snow before he dies. Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples continue to show the rest of the comic book industry exactly what good writing is.

GRADE: A

AvX: VS #2 (of 6)

STORY: Steve McNiven and Kieron Gillen

ART: Steve McNiven, John Dell, and Salvador Larroca

After a fist issue that couldn't really make up it's mind about whether there would be actual "winners" to these extended fights, AvX: VS #2 simply gets lazy. Captain America vs. Gambit is a ridiculous bout - that no on actually wanted - that goes in Cap's favor for the sake of narrative instead of their supposed power sets. Colossus vs. Spider-Man was totally, completely unnecessary...and then Spidey runs away making Colossus the default winner. I'm sure I'll continue checking out AvX: VS simply for the art, but beyond that, this mini-series has showed that there's little value to it's $3.99 price point.

GRADE: D

Red Hood and The Outlaws #9
STORY: Scott Lobdell
ART: Kenneth Rocafort

Probably one of the best "Night of the Owls" crossover issues, Red Hood and The Outlaws #9 introduces Mr. Freeze back into the 'New 52', as well as gives readers one of the most compelling Talons yet. The gang splits up with Starfire and Roy attempting to stop Mr. Freeze from controlling all of Chinatown, while Jason runs off after the Talon who was after Freeze in the first place. Scott Lobdell usually falls on his face, but in RHatO, his writing has been golden; the discussion between Jason and the Talon is touching, moving, and actually makes the reader empathize with the undead assassin. Mr. Freeze will be featured in this month's Batman Annual #1.

GRADE: B+

(COMIC) RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #8

STORY: Scott Lobdell
ART: Kenneth Rocafort

Welcome to the first post of coverage for Red Hood and The Outlaws. Like many titles I don't regularly cover here, I've been reading about Jason Todd, Roy Harper, and Koriand'r since DC's 'New 52' relaunch. When I originally made decisions about what to cover for "The Endless Reel", I decided against RHatO because it technically stands as a Batman-related title, and I didn't want to overload myself - or readers - with Bat-related material. Of course, after seven months of reading the increasing odd exploits of these three non-team-members, it's pretty obvious Jason's connection to Batman simply serves to set a base for his personality and place in the world. And so - coincidentally enough - does this issue of Red Hood and The Outlaws serve as a set-up t next month's tie-in to the "Night of the Owls" event.

Scott Lobdell's work on RHatO is similar in both style and scope to Dan Abnett's Resurrection Man. Both titles are about fun, comic book-y issues that (may) eventually tie together, but mostly stand on their own as well. This month, Jason, Roy, and Kori go after Suzie Su, a new character created by Lobdell who has a history with Jason that ended with Jason killing everyone in her father's gang. Seeking revenge, Suzie wakes up out of the coma Jason put her in years earlier and takes a wing of the hospital hostage until the Red Hood shows himself.

Suzie is being treated in a hospital in Gotham, so when she wakes up and takes hostages, Jason & Co. are forced to travel to Gotham as well, giving them a reason for being in Bruce Wayne's city on the night that the Talons attack. It's definitely a little forced, having the Outlaws show up just in time to help Batman and the others contain the Talon insurgence. But seeing how far removed Red Hood and The Outlaws is from the regular Bat-canon, it makes sense to use a rather unsubtle means to bring Jason and his team to Gotham.

The flashback cameo from Red Robin was great and was a fantastic way for Lobdell to create a more cohesive world between Teen Titans, Superboy and Red Hood and The Outlaws. In events that took place about a month prior to the confrontation with Suzie Su, Jason and Tim meet to bring each other information. Jason informs Tim about "Wonder Girl", and Tim give Jason the info about smugglers coming into Miami (from RHatO #1!). Seeing Lobdell make connections between his three titles for the 'New 52' is awesome, and it's something DC has needed for a while.

Next month, I'm sure I'll have a whole lot more to write about than a 'prelude' issue, so don't miss out on the coverage for "Night of the Owls".

GRADE:

B-