Scan barcode
geekwayne's review against another edition
5.0
'Superman, Volume 2: Trial of the Super Sons' by Peter J. Tomasi is a series of stories about the domestic Superman, which is actually better than it sounds.
This new Superman is a husband and father. There are 4 different stories from Superman 7-13. Clark goes to the fair with his family and promises to stash the cape. This gets tricky when he discovers a plot to rob the ticket booths. Clark and Jon find themselves trapped on a strange island full of dinosaurs, and discover one the best cameo appearances of the year in comics, in my humble opinion. Jon is kidnapped by Damian Wayne and Bruce and Clark decide to try to get their boys to work together. Lois applies for a job at the local paper and gets involved in a marital feud between Mr. and Mrs. Frankenstein.
I like this Superman a lot. Superman as a dad is such a good place for this character to be in. He's not a perfect father and he struggles like the rest of us. Jon is a pretty typical kid, while decidedly not being very typical. I loved the story with Damian and Jon. These four stories felt fairly complete. The writing is tight. The art is very solid.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from DC Entertainment and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
This new Superman is a husband and father. There are 4 different stories from Superman 7-13. Clark goes to the fair with his family and promises to stash the cape. This gets tricky when he discovers a plot to rob the ticket booths. Clark and Jon find themselves trapped on a strange island full of dinosaurs, and discover one the best cameo appearances of the year in comics, in my humble opinion. Jon is kidnapped by Damian Wayne and Bruce and Clark decide to try to get their boys to work together. Lois applies for a job at the local paper and gets involved in a marital feud between Mr. and Mrs. Frankenstein.
I like this Superman a lot. Superman as a dad is such a good place for this character to be in. He's not a perfect father and he struggles like the rest of us. Jon is a pretty typical kid, while decidedly not being very typical. I loved the story with Damian and Jon. These four stories felt fairly complete. The writing is tight. The art is very solid.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from DC Entertainment and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
viera's review against another edition
2.0
The first story was classic Superman fun: light, sweet, well boarded, and well paced. The art was pleasant and expressive. Just a perfect intro story and the only reason this isn’t 1 star.
The second was fine but a little hoaky and bland. Superboy accidentally builds a time machine. They fight dinosaurs and apes on an island. Then they go back home. A lot of suspension of disbelief requested without a payoff to make it worthwhile.
The third story is garbage. Damien is just awful. Is that a spoiler? Idk. Everything’s a spoiler from now on. He’s a brat who has too much money and power and no common sense—just emotion. Then Jon meets him, and as if infected by a contagion, he also suddenly replaces common sense with an excessive amount of emotion. Then Superman looks like he’s going to kill Damien (who’s like 10?) and hurt Batman to get to him without listening to any facts, undoing any goodwill the balanced and calm Superman built up in the prior two stories where he’s even willing to befriend a stranger who shoots at his kid. Then the rest of the story is a joyless ‘roid rage contest without Superman or Batman addressing the real problems, like (1) Why does Damien think it’s okay to spy on and then kidnap people and bring them back to the Batcave? Has he done this before? (2.) Why did Superman just now try to kill a kid? (3.) Should Jon probably be focusing more on his ability to involuntarily create glaciers when he has an allergic reaction? Maybe get that under control with antihistamines since he’s already hurt people with it? (4.) Why did that swamp have hallucinogenic properties? Or is Jon just prone to hallucinations? Or is that Maya? I can’t tell because she doesn’t do it again. (5.) Is she at all in trouble for kidnapping or is that all on Damian? Because their fathers seem way more focused on forcing them to be best friends? The whole story was weird, uncomfortable and just all around unpleasant. I now hate both those kids and Alfred for his punchy “You are our SUPERSONS” end quip. Like shut up Alfred. There are real problems you’re avoiding for an easy resolution in this bizarre garbage book.
The fourth story was idk? Melodramatic? Pointless? Frankensteinish alien plus separated wife (who he calls “his bride”, get it?) bounty hunters parallel how losing a kid can put strain on a marriage. Standard story sense would be that Clark and Lois are in conflict over something manageable but not handling it properly, then they team up with these bounty hunters and see what they could lose if they don’t communicate, and they leave their adventure with a newfound appreciation for each other. Maybe even some argument where Lois doesn’t want Jon going on adventures where he might get hurt and she and Clark have to have an honest conversation about it. But no, the story starts with Lois trying to get hired and her potential boss being targeted by Frankenstein’s monster who she spends 18 pages trying to protect, only the boss turns out to be an evil alien to no reader’s surprise. They spend 6 pages marveling at their own reveal. Then bridezilla shows up and the story takes a different direction (14 pages of bounty hunters in divorcée hell) and then 2 pages to wrap up how happy our favorite Superfamily is. Wtf.
The second was fine but a little hoaky and bland. Superboy accidentally builds a time machine. They fight dinosaurs and apes on an island. Then they go back home. A lot of suspension of disbelief requested without a payoff to make it worthwhile.
The third story is garbage. Damien is just awful. Is that a spoiler? Idk. Everything’s a spoiler from now on. He’s a brat who has too much money and power and no common sense—just emotion. Then Jon meets him, and as if infected by a contagion, he also suddenly replaces common sense with an excessive amount of emotion. Then Superman looks like he’s going to kill Damien (who’s like 10?) and hurt Batman to get to him without listening to any facts, undoing any goodwill the balanced and calm Superman built up in the prior two stories where he’s even willing to befriend a stranger who shoots at his kid. Then the rest of the story is a joyless ‘roid rage contest without Superman or Batman addressing the real problems, like (1) Why does Damien think it’s okay to spy on and then kidnap people and bring them back to the Batcave? Has he done this before? (2.) Why did Superman just now try to kill a kid? (3.) Should Jon probably be focusing more on his ability to involuntarily create glaciers when he has an allergic reaction? Maybe get that under control with antihistamines since he’s already hurt people with it? (4.) Why did that swamp have hallucinogenic properties? Or is Jon just prone to hallucinations? Or is that Maya? I can’t tell because she doesn’t do it again. (5.) Is she at all in trouble for kidnapping or is that all on Damian? Because their fathers seem way more focused on forcing them to be best friends? The whole story was weird, uncomfortable and just all around unpleasant. I now hate both those kids and Alfred for his punchy “You are our SUPERSONS” end quip. Like shut up Alfred. There are real problems you’re avoiding for an easy resolution in this bizarre garbage book.
The fourth story was idk? Melodramatic? Pointless? Frankensteinish alien plus separated wife (who he calls “his bride”, get it?) bounty hunters parallel how losing a kid can put strain on a marriage. Standard story sense would be that Clark and Lois are in conflict over something manageable but not handling it properly, then they team up with these bounty hunters and see what they could lose if they don’t communicate, and they leave their adventure with a newfound appreciation for each other. Maybe even some argument where Lois doesn’t want Jon going on adventures where he might get hurt and she and Clark have to have an honest conversation about it. But no, the story starts with Lois trying to get hired and her potential boss being targeted by Frankenstein’s monster who she spends 18 pages trying to protect, only the boss turns out to be an evil alien to no reader’s surprise. They spend 6 pages marveling at their own reveal. Then bridezilla shows up and the story takes a different direction (14 pages of bounty hunters in divorcée hell) and then 2 pages to wrap up how happy our favorite Superfamily is. Wtf.
daileyxplanet's review against another edition
4.0
Smaller archs, but a fun read. I like that Tomasi isn't making the book an entire Superboy book, that it shakes things up.
stormblessed4's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
wesleyboy's review against another edition
4.0
Super Sons arc is slightly cheesy, but a good read. The latter story w/ Frankenstein is a great, weird story. Again, this title pairs nicely w the Action Comics Rebirth trades.
feeling_myshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
twilliamson's review against another edition
3.0
Trial of the Super Sons might be named after the big confrontation between Superman's son and Batman's son, but the stories contained in this volume actually range a number of arcs; there's a one-off story about the Kent (Smith) family visit to a county fair, a two-part story on Dino Island, the aforementioned trial of the super sons, and a two-part story featuring DC's Frankenstein.
Although each story might contain enough punching to level a few buildings, the heart of the stories are really Superman's relationship to his family. In the county fair issue, Clark struggles to balance his life as Superman with his life as devoted father and husband. In the Dino Island arc, he worries about the impact of danger on his son. In the super son arc, Clark's style of parenting clashes violently with Bruce's style. In the Frankenstein arc, Lois and Clark meet with Frankenstein and his ex-wife, learning that their relationship couldn't withstand their son becoming a monster.
It is really these character moments that actually make this collection worth reading, and Tomasi and company really drive home the central character conceits that make Superman such a wonderful character. I'm very pleased that DC is finally willing to bring back the Superman of old, even though I still admit that the rest of the universe around Superman is increasingly less interesting after the events of the New 52. I would prefer greater arcs that don't involve as much punching or explosions, but that's ultimately just personal preference; the character work is still very good, and I find this a dramatic improvement over the New 52.
Although each story might contain enough punching to level a few buildings, the heart of the stories are really Superman's relationship to his family. In the county fair issue, Clark struggles to balance his life as Superman with his life as devoted father and husband. In the Dino Island arc, he worries about the impact of danger on his son. In the super son arc, Clark's style of parenting clashes violently with Bruce's style. In the Frankenstein arc, Lois and Clark meet with Frankenstein and his ex-wife, learning that their relationship couldn't withstand their son becoming a monster.
It is really these character moments that actually make this collection worth reading, and Tomasi and company really drive home the central character conceits that make Superman such a wonderful character. I'm very pleased that DC is finally willing to bring back the Superman of old, even though I still admit that the rest of the universe around Superman is increasingly less interesting after the events of the New 52. I would prefer greater arcs that don't involve as much punching or explosions, but that's ultimately just personal preference; the character work is still very good, and I find this a dramatic improvement over the New 52.
scottpm's review against another edition
5.0
Wow I am digging this series. By far some of the best Superman stories I have read in a long time. It was also nice to see that this had 4 separate stories in the collection as opposed to one large story.
Our town was adorable from beginning to end.
Dinosaur island had a great deal to it as well and it was great to see Big Blue and Little Blue together with Krypto.
Superboy and Robin was lots of fun.
Frankenstein wrapped things up nicely.
It's nice to see such a family dynamic as well. I feel there is something sinister lurking behind Cobb and i cant wait to find out what it is.
The art team was top notch throughout the collection. Rob Leigh did a nice job with the letters especially in Super Monster giving "voice" to the monsters.
Our town was adorable from beginning to end.
Dinosaur island had a great deal to it as well and it was great to see Big Blue and Little Blue together with Krypto.
Superboy and Robin was lots of fun.
Frankenstein wrapped things up nicely.
It's nice to see such a family dynamic as well. I feel there is something sinister lurking behind Cobb and i cant wait to find out what it is.
The art team was top notch throughout the collection. Rob Leigh did a nice job with the letters especially in Super Monster giving "voice" to the monsters.
shibosan's review against another edition
3.0
Название второго тома серии DC Rebirth о Супермене - Trial of the Super Sons, намекает на долгожданную встречу сыновей двух величайших супергероев вселенной DC. Оказывается Дэмиан Уэйн (он же очередной Робин) давно следил за Джонатаном Кентом (он же - самопровозглашенный Супербой). Как минимум с того момента, как супер-семейство в прошлом томе расколбасило бэт-пещеру на Луне. Наблюдая за тем, как в Джоне просыпаются все новые суперсилы, с которыми он никак не может справиться, Робин принимает решение похитить криптонца-полукровку "для все общей безопасности". Зачем? Потому что это Дэмиан, чертов, Уэйн. Это то, что он делает. Бэтмен и Супермен пытаются помирить сыновей (или хотя бы снизить уровень окружающих разрушений при их общении), но это задачка не так проста, очень уж оба паренька разные по характеру.
Джона Кент - сын любящих родителей, один из который goodie two-shoes Супермен. Мальчик добрый, немного наивный, с очевидной тягой к справедливости. Дэмиан Уэйн - тоже типичный сын своих родителей: все худшие черты характера Бэтмена помноженные на воспитание в Лиге Убийц. Небольшой fun fact: похищать Джону помогает ручной бэт-дракон Робина, Голиаф. Во времена своей жизни в Лиге Убийц Дэмиан отправился в квест, по ходу которого забрел в древние руины, где поколениями жили эти самые бэт-драконы. Жили, пока не встретили Дэмиана, который начисто вырезал всю популяцию, оставив только маленького щеночка Голиафа, на которого рука не поднялась. Милый мальчик.
Супер-папаши пытаются примирить своих отпрысков по принципу "трудности сплачивают", устраивая им тренировочный лагерь сержанта Бэтмена. Что из этого выйдет и насколько удачной оказалась идея умолчу, но в итоге, как я понимаю, из этого тома выросла неплохая серия "Супер Сыновья".
Еще в одной мини-истории из этого тома Супермен и Джон благодаря странному устройству переносятся во времени и пространстве на таинственный остров, где водятся динозавры и видны следы былых сражений второй мировой войны. Там они встречают одноногого вояку по имени Капитан Шторм, который примечателен тем, что является героем военной серии комиксов The Losers, выходившей в 60-70-х годах. Отряд бравых вояк по кодовым именем "Неудачники" переживал различные приключения на фронтах второй мировой войны в Европе, Африке и на Тихом Океане, пока, в мини-серии DC: The New Frontier их не занесло на остров Динозавров, где они должны были спасти Рика Флага, а вместо этого сгинули. Но, как оказалось, не все...
Также в этом томе: ловля сбежавших интергалактических военных преступников, трагическая история неудачного брака монстра Франкенштейна, и Лоис, за рулем ховербайка, сеющая хаос и разрушения. Ну и продолжающиеся намеки на две тянущиеся через всю серию сюжетные линии: о том, что живущее по соседству с Суперменом семейство фермеров Коббов не так просто, как кажется, а также о таинственном злодее, любящим брать под контроль гигантских монстров и наблюдающим за Суперменом из своего логова. Впрочем, одна из этих загадок разрешится в следующем томе, как я понимаю.
Оригинал: https://t.me/woozletales/235
Джона Кент - сын любящих родителей, один из который goodie two-shoes Супермен. Мальчик добрый, немного наивный, с очевидной тягой к справедливости. Дэмиан Уэйн - тоже типичный сын своих родителей: все худшие черты характера Бэтмена помноженные на воспитание в Лиге Убийц. Небольшой fun fact: похищать Джону помогает ручной бэт-дракон Робина, Голиаф. Во времена своей жизни в Лиге Убийц Дэмиан отправился в квест, по ходу которого забрел в древние руины, где поколениями жили эти самые бэт-драконы. Жили, пока не встретили Дэмиана, который начисто вырезал всю популяцию, оставив только маленького щеночка Голиафа, на которого рука не поднялась. Милый мальчик.
Супер-папаши пытаются примирить своих отпрысков по принципу "трудности сплачивают", устраивая им тренировочный лагерь сержанта Бэтмена. Что из этого выйдет и насколько удачной оказалась идея умолчу, но в итоге, как я понимаю, из этого тома выросла неплохая серия "Супер Сыновья".
Еще в одной мини-истории из этого тома Супермен и Джон благодаря странному устройству переносятся во времени и пространстве на таинственный остров, где водятся динозавры и видны следы былых сражений второй мировой войны. Там они встречают одноногого вояку по имени Капитан Шторм, который примечателен тем, что является героем военной серии комиксов The Losers, выходившей в 60-70-х годах. Отряд бравых вояк по кодовым именем "Неудачники" переживал различные приключения на фронтах второй мировой войны в Европе, Африке и на Тихом Океане, пока, в мини-серии DC: The New Frontier их не занесло на остров Динозавров, где они должны были спасти Рика Флага, а вместо этого сгинули. Но, как оказалось, не все...
Также в этом томе: ловля сбежавших интергалактических военных преступников, трагическая история неудачного брака монстра Франкенштейна, и Лоис, за рулем ховербайка, сеющая хаос и разрушения. Ну и продолжающиеся намеки на две тянущиеся через всю серию сюжетные линии: о том, что живущее по соседству с Суперменом семейство фермеров Коббов не так просто, как кажется, а также о таинственном злодее, любящим брать под контроль гигантских монстров и наблюдающим за Суперменом из своего логова. Впрочем, одна из этих загадок разрешится в следующем томе, как я понимаю.
Оригинал: https://t.me/woozletales/235