Writer: Peter J. Tomasi / Artist: Carlo Barberi / DC Comics
Jailhouse Rocked
The finale to the second act of Adventures of the Super Sons is every bit as ridiculous and whole as you probably expect it to be. Jon and Damian have been reunited and are still being pursued by “The Gang,” although Rex Luthor quickly manages to up the stakes by enlisting some of the other prisoners to join his army.
What follows is your typical shenanigans: Damian taking charge to a nearby Batcave (and mind you, pursuant to Adventures of The Super Sons #7, there are indeed several of them). The newly empowered villains are making several meta-quips to break the tension. Jon’s trying to be the paragon of all that’s good and right with the universe. The formula hasn’t changed, but it’s still so much fun and brings me great joy.
Tomasi’s writing revels in the understanding of various tropes. He constantly pokes and prods at the different quirks of the DC Universe in order to explore how a child would view them differently. It’s a refreshing way to get back that wide-eyed curiosity we all used to have. Furthermore, the introduction of another adolescent hero, AL-X – a Green Lantern in Training, interjects a third vantage point to explore all of the inanity.
Barberi’s artwork continues to dazzle. This prison planet provides several incredible set pieces in the background, while Barberi has a lot of fun with the mini-villain character designs, all lanky and what not. My personal favorite touch however are Damian’s and Jon’s very clearly anime-esque hair styles that they are rocking.
The audience, who loves Adventures of the Super Sons by any metric, is going to enjoy this issue and the series as a whole. Tomasi is in his element, and Barberi is clearly having a blast. The series captures the magic of being youthful and loving superheroes and everything just… works, y’know?
9.1 “Prison Breaks” out of 10
Reading Adventures of the Super Sons? Check out BNP’s other reviews here.
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