[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Peter J. Tomasi
Artists: Jorge Jimenez, Alejandro Sanchez
Summary
“Son Day, Bloody, Son Day”, starts with Superboy and Robin chained up, up-side-down, to a column squirming to escape as Kid Amazo watches. While being taunted, the two thick headed boys make quips and insult each other as well as their captor. How will they escape their bonds? Will they be able to save Kid Amazo’s sister, Sara? Or will an army of Robin and Superboy bots end their lives?
Positives
This issue has been backed with humor and the continuous barrage of insults between the two is fun. It really does feel like two children, or siblings, are nattering at each other, trying to prove who is the best.
Jorge Jimenez superbly crafts a wide variety of expressions and emotions on the faces of each character. Most easily of course observed in side-by-side panels with the two protagonists often mirroring each other. His talent further comes out in this book with the various shots of Kid Amazo which will remind readers of some key frames in anime. They are visually striking and ever so slightly uncomfortable when you examine them for any length.
Jon also begins to find his powers in this issue, however briefly. It will be interesting to see his development into a more mature person over the series. The similarity in position to Kong Kenan, New Super-Man, opens a few interesting opportunities for these characters to relate to one another and teach each other.
Some of the best moments, as with classic literature, come from the interactions that the young heroes have with the adults in the book. From disobeying their parents, or insulting Lex Luthor, there is clearly no shared desires between the two different age groups.
Negatives
With the final panels of this issue, the first arc comes to it’s close and is resolved nicely. One thing that we still have yet to see though are the two super sons get along and work together as a team. This may simply be an indication that Super Sons is due to have a long life, but it feels odd that they have not yet stopped bickering and insulting each other.
Verdict
The writing and art in Super Sons #4 is great, the characters are illustrated in such bright and interesting ways, while the writing fills out the characters and makes them feel human-ish…in Jonathan’s case.
