Adventure Comics #2
September 13th, 2009 Posted by Esther Inglis-ArkellFirs: This is a fantastic cover. I dare you to look at this cover and not want to buy the comic.
Second: Most superhero comics involving teenage heroes revolve around the question of identity. This can get stale, but Adventure Comics has an advantage over the competition. It isn’t the old question of presenting one identity to family and friends while living the hero’s life in secret. Every important person in Kon’s life already knows his identity, and is happy with it. There isn’t any tired sneaking around, no depressing damned-if-you-do-or-damned-if-you-don’t choices. Instead the identity question is there because Kon has two biological parents, one of which he was literally programmed to emulate, and needs to reassure himself that he’s most like the one he admires.
Third: I’m seeing young love, and I’m not seeing stupid love or needlessly-dramatic love, and I like that. All the false crises that a lesser comic would pump up, (Wonder-Girl kissed Robin! Oh no!) this one dismisses (Kon was dead at the time. ((He was on the moon. With Steve.)) She can kiss whoever.). Okay, their encounter was a little too gluey and sacharine. I could have done without the ‘you are too good for me,’ ‘no, you are too good for me‘ aspect, and I’m still looking for a couple who genuinely has fun together instead of just being romantic, but I have high hopes for these two.
Fourth: It seems that all young-super books are improved by the addition of super-pets. Krypto is a running joke and a freaking joy.
Fifth: I’m expressing another hope, now. The last page of the book had Lex Luthor seeing that Kon was alive again. In the last few issues of Teen Titans before Kon’s death, Luthor is shown as thinking of Kon as his son and acting charitably on his behalf. I hope that they’ll continue that aspect of the character instead of tipping him into general villainy. We have had, and will have, a thousand chances to see Lex Luthor be a bad guy what likes to do bad. This is one of the few chances we’ll have to see him as a bad person who still cares about someone. I hope this book will take advantage of that.