Adventures of the Super Sons #4 Review

Writer: Peter J. Tomasi

Art team: Carlo Barberi, Art Thibert, Matt Santorelli, Protobunker, and Rob Leigh

Covers: Dan Mora and Jorge Jimenez

Release Date: 11/7/18

Cover Price: $3.99

Reviewed by: Jon Wayne

And we’re back for the next issue of the Adventures of the Super Sons! When we last left our heroes, Superboy had been split into Red and Blue versions and fought themselves while simultaneously fighting The Gang! In the meantime, Joker Jr. had been rescued by Space Cabbie who then returned and saved our heroes from the villains. From Batman and Robin in the New 52 to Superman and Super Sons in the Rebirth era, I love what Peter J. Tomasi has done with our titular characters. However series often hit the proverbial speed bumps around issue #4. Can good ol’ Pete help the world’s finest teens avoid that pitfall? Let’s find out.

We pick up right where we left off last time as Joker Jr. and Space Cabbie rescue our boys and fly off. While some members of the Gang want to chase after them, Rex seems unperturbed because he really only cared about getting his hands on the Hypercube. We get some excellent art, some of my favorite stuff in the series so far, while Rex daydreams of slaughtering most of Earth’s heroes – and only letting some survive to spread word of his dominance! One has to wonder what the other members of the Gang think about the size of his ego. Alas, we don’t get to see that yet.

Rejoining with our boys, we see that Superboy Blue has gotten car sick while he’s getting along better with Superboy Red. Joker Jr. enlightens us a bit more on why he left the Gang, but it is mostly rehashed. We do get a line that made me crack up where Red and Blue are getting along better and Damian retorts that they (Superboys) are such goody-two-shoes that they inspire themselves! Sounds like a member of the Super-Fam if ever I heard of one! Plus we get cameos from Lobo and Guy Gardener which are fun albeit very brief.

After that though we don’t get a ton. Some back and forth banter between the boys and Joker Jr and Space Cabbie, and two other things I don’t want to spoil. However, both things are rather predictable and the cliffhanger at the end is something I’ve been wanting/expecting since issue #1 of the first series.

Also, there is one moment that sets up the ending where the boys are grabbed by someone/something off panel and the art doesn’t do a great job of conveying what exactly happens. That could be on Barberi, or Tomasi not properly explaining what he wanted, but I couldn’t really follow it. Otherwise, the art was fantastic as it has been throughout the story.

 Bits and Pieces:

I always have fun reading this book, even if when I’m done reading I get kinda let down by how little transpires in an issue. But your mileage may vary on that. Regardless, Tomasi is giving readers something that DC/Brian Michael Bendis has foolishly taken away from us: Jonathan Kent. His earnestness and genuine good-heartedness are dearly missed in the DCU these days, and I’ll take it wherever and however I can. Plus that cliffhanger has me excited for #5 already.

7.5/10