Writer: Kenny Porter
Art: Jahnoy Lindsay and Lucas Gattoni
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99
Release Date: April 18th, 2023
Conner Kent takes center stage as Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #1 by Kenny Porter kicks off! After the events of Dark Crisis, Conner feels out of place with the rest of the hero community. He doesn’t fit in with the rest of the Superman Family, and the rest of the world doesn’t really need him with so many Supers in Metropolis. He doesn’t want to rely on Tim, Cassie, and Bart, so Conner looks to the stars as a place he might be able to call his own and carve out his own path. But what lurks in the great unknown? Are bravado and swagger enough to help Superboy find his new calling?
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THE DISPATCH
Do you guys remember DC’s Round Robin #2? Well, if you did, you’d remember that Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow was one of the finalists which ultimately led it toward its debut today. And let me tell you, I can see why Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #1 made it to the finals. Readers can see the passionate love for the character and the emotion infused within this story. There is no doubt Conner Kent fans will be pleased after reading this issue due to the fact that Superboy finally gets his opportunity to shine. From his full power set being on display to the incredibly gorgeous illustrations reminiscent of the 90s Superboy fans have grown to love, Superboy aficionados will leave Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #1 clamoring for more.
Clear as crystal, fans will figure out the tone and emotional cords within the first three pages of this story. Conner feels left out and is in dire need to find out where he fits in the universe. Ultimately, he’s been written out of comics since DC Rebirth. Sure, he was sprinkled back in during Young Justice, however, nothing much ever came from that… until now. I mean, let’s be honest. Jon Kent became Superboy and then aged up to Superman during most of the time he was gone promoting almost this slap to the face for Conner as well as all his fans. So, where does that leave the OG Superboy who ultimately deserved to become the next Superman?
Quickly, Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #1 sets up those feelings and emotions in order to push the narrative forward. And does so in a way that doesn’t beat a dead drum, which I appreciated. If the opening issue was to focus on a long, drawn-out, emotional rollercoaster from Conner, I feel like fans would have lost interest in the comic immediately. So, this creative team jettisons our Superboy away quickly and thrusts him into the heat of battle where fans see the full array of his powers which we haven’t seen in like… FOREVER! Plus, the action sequences were some of my favorite aspects of the issue for that reason. Superboy finally gets to be… Superboy! Additionally, readers get the vibe that this narrative is going to be a maturation story for Conner. It’s almost going to be what happened to Jon, except we’re going to see it all firsthand. Conner’s going to get to experience exactly what it means to be Superman.
Digging a bit deeper, fans of the character need to remember that Conner is a clone. So, as you read Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #1, take notice of the types of characters he does battle with and see the deeper connection between Conner and these other genetic misfits. Now, imagine how he must feel tangling with these clones and what emotions it must be digging up for him in the process. My hope is that Porter and Lindsay use Superboy’s disturbing past as a clone as leverage for this coming-of-age story.
Moreover, I also hope Porter and Lindsay continue with the absolutely insane fight scenes and brutal onslaught of action throughout the remainder of this series. It was completely encapsulating watching what Superboy is capable of. And again, I feel like we haven’t seen this from the character in years. So much so in fact, that I think fans new to the character may want to check out some past issues and trades to see what Conner is truly capable of.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #1 uses some clever monologuing and vibrant action sequences to drive home this opening tale in order to chisel out a more brilliant future for Superboy who’s been wildly overlooked for over half a decade at this point. Using some emotional moments from Conner’s perspective, as well as showcasing his uncanny abilities on a much larger scale, fans of the character will leave Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #1 excited for his future after finally being given the proper airtime that he’s deserved.
Sure, it’s a coming-of-age story for Conner. However, considering recent events from Jon Kent quickly growing into Superman, I feel Conner’s time has been long overdue. Fans of Conner Kent need to check this out while newbies to the character will leave this issue searching for even more past trades of the character due to the passion leaping off the pages from Porter and Lindsay. I simply couldn’t recommend this issue more. Click HERE to snag some back issues and trades, let me know what you think, and God Bless!