Superboy Man of Tomorrow #2
Recap
Conner Kent is captured by the young space-adventuring team the Cosmoteers! On a mission to stop Dominator X, these former experiments believe Superboy is just another weapon created by the cloning mad scientist. It’ll take all of Conner’s charm to convince them he’s one of the good guys, or it’s lights out for Superboy!
Review
Conner was so determined to find his place in the world that he went to another planet. Everything started great, and it looked like Conner was quickly finding what he was looking for. Now Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #2 puts Conner in greater danger and, thanks to that danger, opens up a new way to look at that part of Conner’s character.
Conner spends the first third of Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #2 getting beaten up by the Cosmoteers. The interstellar heroes think Conner is nothing more than another bioweapon created by Dominator X, and they attack him with the same ferocity as the planet’s invaders. The Cosmoteers are indifferent to collateral damage among the populace, something Conner objects to right up until he’s knocked unconscious and captured. The Cosmoteers eventually realize that Conner isn’t who they thought he was, but they refuse his help against Dominator X because he won’t sacrifice innocent lives to stop the bad guys. But the Cosmoteers’ arrogance backfires, and ultimately it’s up to Conner to save the day,
Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #2 extends the theme of Conner looking for a place and way to fit in. The first issue laid it out: Conner wanted to be a hero, and since Earth seemingly didn’t need him, he found a planet that did. The Cosmoteers’ arrival complicates the situation. Conner’s unwillingness to sacrifice innocent lives if it leads to victory isn’t a revelation. Porter’s story in this issue puts Conner in a position to try to instill his ideals in others. If the series aims to explore who Conner is and how he fits in, putting him in a place of influence or potential leadership opens up the possibility for even more significant character development.
The Cosmoteers are complicated characters. Porter walks a tightrope of trying to establish them as a force for good in a broad sense as they fight Dominator X while also portraying them as indifferent to the point of callousness when it comes to individual lives that could be caught in the crossfire. The Cosmoteers aren’t sympathetic in this issue (and hopefully, they’re not intended to be). But they are well positioned to be positively influenced by Conner throughout the series and grow as characters.
In the first issue, Lindsay depicted Conner as an affable, slightly cocky, constantly smiling young man. He was engaging and fun as he met with relatively easy success. That choice pays dividends in Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #2, where Conner’s dire circumstances are dire. Lindsay makes him a more serious character with expressions ranging from determination to annoyance to anger. That visual contrast heavily reinforces the overall mood change between the two issues.
Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #2 is more action-oriented than the first issue. The first several pages showcase the Cosmoteers’ strengths. Porter’s script calls for Conner to lose the fight, and Lindsay makes that defeat especially convincing. It helps that Lindsay draws the Cosmoteers’ leader as a smarmy, arrogant ass. The most spectacular image in the issue is a full-page spread of Conner kicking up shockwaves behind him as he flies toward an enemy and hits it hard enough to melt part of its face. This is an excellent setup for the end of the issue when Conner saves the day.
Gattoni brings his usual flair to the issue and showcases how important lettering is to a primarily visual medium. His sound effects perfectly correspond with Lindsay’s art during the action sequences and make every impact palpable. It’s difficult to picture the issue’s action sequences without Gattoni’s work.
Final Thoughts
Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #2 is a fun, action packed issue. It also very effectively continues the main theme Porter set up in the previous issue of Conner finding his place in the world and opens up additional possibilities for where Porter could take this story. Most importantly the series remains an excellent showcase for the character and one that readers curious about Conner should check out.
Superboy The Man of Tomorrow #2: Collateral Damage
- Writing - 9/109/10
- Storyline - 9/109/10
- Art - 9/109/10
- Color - 10/1010/10
- Cover Art - 8.5/108.5/10