Super Sons, Book 3: Escape to Landis (Family Comic Friday)

After a 3 year hiatus, I finally came across the third and final book of Ridley Pearson's Super Sons trilogy. This is definitely something I don't recommend as such a long gap between volumes can really make someone forget a lot of the minutia. It's those littlest of details that distinguish this vision of the heirs of Batman and Superman from the main DC Universe version. But they're also the subtle changes that greatly influence the plot. 

A quick summary of what happened prior is that the sons of Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne meet after rising floodwaters caused by climate change, displace the Kent family deeper into Batman territory. Superman has gone to Mars to collect a special dust that may help a series of weather satellites deflect some of the sun's most potent rays. Meanwhile, Batman is busy trying to stop a deadly flu-like plague which has already killed hundreds and now threatens the life of Lois Lane.

In Volume 2, Jon Kent and Damian Wayne met a new girl at their school named Candace, who is the exiled child ruler of the faraway kingdom of Landis. The Super Sons and Candace learn that the Governor General of the land of Coleumbria, which houses cities like Metropolis and Gotham City, plans to weaponize the virus and use it to destroy Landis. As Candace races back to Landis to save her people, Jon and Damian, along with their friend Tilly are working to find the cure for the virus. Only, the trio are now in hiding as the evil rulers of Coleumbria have identified them and have placed assassins on their tail to stop them from their goal of saving both Coleumbira and Landis.

I had said in reviewing book 2 that it just felt that too much stuff was being crammed into what will turn out to be a trilogy. I really felt like a 4th book was going to be needed in order to make everything come to a satisfying end. Writer Ridley Pearson stuck to the trilogy format and it didn't feel rushed to make all of these dangling plot threads come together in just 150 pages. I still don't understand why the names of these different regions and even some cities are different from our worlds. In the monthly DC books, Metropolis and Gotham are in the United States. I'm also not sure if Candace is supposed to be a version of Wonder Woman or Vixen. Maybe she, along with Tilly, are all-new characters that incorporate elements of other characters from DC lore. I'm just not that sure as there are so many other canonical characters in this trilogy like Perry White and a female version of Jimmy Olsen. 

Ile Gonzalez continues as the artist of this series. Her art is pretty good. Though some of her facial expressions on characters, especially villains are a bit too exaggerated for my taste. But I really liked her dynamic framing of this book; especially the scene where Candace is meandering through a crawlspace. Gonzalez frames the story with these twists and turns that show the character moving about gingerly in between frames of action outside of the air vents. Such a Jack Kirby or Will Eisner thing to do in which I am a huge fan of both!

As much as the ending of this trilogy was satisfying for me, I was even more pumped for the beginning of a new graphic novel by Pearson which is previewed at book's end. Called Indestructibles: The First Fracture, this book promises a super hero group of all-new characters. For those who complain of modern reboots of your favorite characters which involve the changing of race, sex or gender identity and wish that the big comic publishers would focus on creating all-new characters, you've been granted your request. Just don't expect to see a sequel. As with just about any comic book or graphic novel by DC or Marvel that introduces all-new characters, it didn't sell very well. In fact, it did so poorly, I can't even find it on Amazon! 

The Super Sons trilogy has come to a close. It was a good read. It's just not a world I need to visit again. Until I can understand better why Ridley Pearson needed to create a whole slew of new continents and nations for this book, I think I am better off just sticking with the Super Sons of the monthly DC floppies. Plus, having a deadly virus take over the world just in time for a pandemic is kinda eerie and not how I want to escape into comic books from the real world. I need my fantasy to be just that, a mindless trip away from reality and it's troubles.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars. 

Super Sons, Vol. 2: The Foxglove Mission (A Family Comic Friday Extra!)

The saga of Ridley Pearson’s Super Sons from DC Zoom continues in this Family Comic Friday Extra!

Super Sons: The Foxglove Mission
Written by Ridley Pearson
Art by Ile Gonzalez
Published by DC Zoom
Pages: 176
Retail: $9.99

With Superman still in outer space and Bruce Wayne God knows where, it’s up the sons of Clark Kent and Batman to get to the bottom of all these mysteries surrounding them! The virus attacking the people of Wyndemere, and Lois Lane, is getting worse. With time running out, the Super Sons need to procure a sample of the germ- and fast!

Meanwhile, the deadly sisters from Candace’s mysterious past in Landis are on her trail. Everytime is appears that Candace has escaped them, a small little miracle alerts her pursuers to her whereabouts. Dozens and dozens of birds just seem to flock to the mysterious young lady. Does Candace have special powers?

Unfortunately, I was rather disappointed with this second chapter in the Super Sons story. According to sources, Ridley Pearson’s alternate take on Damian Wayne and Jon Kent is supposed to be 3 volumes long. With time running to tell the story out, I felt that Pearson tries just way too hard to cram everything into this book. There’s just too much going on and it’s quite confusing.

If I remember correctly, volume 1 had a map of Coleumbria and surrounding territories. This volume really needs it as Jon and Damian AND Candace seem to keep going all over the place. Sometimes back and forth! It was all rather quite hard to keep up with!

While I am looking forward to the final chapter, I have some apprehension that the conclusion is going to be even more confusing with just too much to keep straight.

Don’t get me wrong. I am a big fan of Ridley Pearson. I loved his Peter and the Starcatchers series that he wrote with humorist Dave Berry. But even then, you could tell that Pearson and company just had so many great ideas. Yet, the writers had 4 huge volumes to work with. A trio of 140- some odd paged graphic novels just isn’t enough space to sufficiently cover all of the plot points that are going on with the sons of the World’s Finest.

The finale has got to be super massive (and super clear and concise If not; what started out as a modern day classic is going to become a disaster of epic proportions.

Super Sons, Book 2: The Foxglove Mission debuted in print and digital formats on October 29, 2019.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Super Sons, Volume 1: The Polarshield Project (Family Comic Friday)

It took awhile but this Madman was finally able to get a copy DC Zoom’s new all-ages series, Super Sons. As we say here at Family Comic Friday- better late than never as we review The Polarshield Project!

Super Sons, Volume 1: The Polarshield Project
Written by Ridley Pearson
Art by Ile Gonzalez
Published by DC Zoom (An Imprint of DC Comics)
Pages: 153 plus extras
Retail: $9.99

I’ve been going on for a while about the new young reader imprints from DC Comics. And while I’ve been singing the praises of DC Ink and DC Zoom, I had yet to get my hands on a copy of one of their earliest releases until now!

I really had my heart set on Mera: Tidebreaker. It’s a origin story about the future queen of Atlantis. However, it seemed that fate had a different genesis story on hand for me to review for FCF!

If you are familiar with DC’s regular series Super Sons, you know that it is the adventures of the son of Superman, Jon Kent and Batman’s heir, Damian Wayne.And that’s exactly where you readers of the regular series turned occasional miniseries should stop. That’s because this version of the Super Sons takes place on an alternate earth.

Science says that the damage to the polar ice caps will be irreparable sometime in the next 10-25 years. However, in Super Sons, the damage is beyond fixing. Well, almost. Superman has agreed to go into outer space to collect a substance that might help reduce the effects of damaging greenhouse gases.  Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne’s Wayne Industries has developed a retractable flood wall in which to protect coastal cities from the rising tides. But as the water’s continue to rise, communities such as Metropolis are abandoned and the people of Coleumbria are forced to move further inland.

Already, I think you can see some changes between the DC Comics Super Sons and the DC Zoom imprint. But before we dig further into that, let’s finish with the plot summary.
Both the Waynes and Kents are forced to move to the city of Wyndemere. Bruce Wayne has been called away to solve a crisis in Asia. That leaves young Damian in charge of the company. With Lois on assignment covering the floods, Jon is offered an after-school internship at the Wyndemere branch of the Daily Planet.

In the absence of their fathers, Jon and Damien witness a sort of lawlessness sweeping their new hometown. Flood refugees experience prejudice at the hands of native Wyndemere residents. A mysterious virus is causing thousands to go into coma with no possible hope of recovery, including Lois Lane. And a strange band of girls are after a newcomer named Candace, who possesses a powerful totem. The only way to get to the bottom of this chaos is for the two young men to join forces!

The Polarshield Project is an interesting ‘buddy cop’ sort of comedy. As straight-laced and idealistic Jon joins forces with a half-cocked and wild Damien, you really feel that you are experiencing the early days of Lethal Weapon’s Riggs and Murtaugh as opposed to the first pairings of a Superboy and a Robin. While the story was quite good, the established tropes of young Wayne and Kent isn’t canon.

Usually Damian Wayne is very demure. He’s got too much of his grandfather, Ra’s al Ghul, in him to the point that having fun is a four-letter word. Yet here, with Bruce Wayne not wanting his son to be his sidekick, there’s a sort of wackiness to Damien as he tries to become a superhero. Usually in Super Sons, it’s the fish out of water Jon Kent who is the comic relief. Instead, in this series, Kent is the voice of reason. It’s Damien who’s doing odd stuff for an unintended laugh.

I guess it’s hard to make an all-ages graphic novel based around a character who is prophesied to be the antiChrist. (Read Detective Comics #666 for more details on Damian Wayne’s future role in the DC Universe.) But I think that Ridley Pearson (Peter and the Starcatchers) might have made the right move by staying away from that area of the Batman Family. But did he have to make Damian Wayne a complete loon?

I do agree that setting the Super Sons in an alternate earth was a good decision. It helps staunch readers be able to separate the DC Zoom universe from the comic books. When I saw the description of how this series was going to deal with global warming, an issue which really hasn’t spiral out of control yet in the comics, I envisioned loyal DC readers going into a revolt. But having the characters be so dynamically different is a little off-putting.

There are some great new characters in Super Sons and with their introduction, it looks like this series is going to become a Justice League Juniors sort of title. Cassandra is obviously a descendant of the animal master, Vixen. And one of the minor background characters looks ripe to take over the Green Arrow role. But who is this new character named Tilly? A blonde-haired pixie with amazing skills on a computer; is she supposed to be a younger version of Felicity Smoak on TheCW’s Arrow?

Hopefully, these questions as well as a slew of other mysteries will be uncovered in book 2, The Foxglove Mission, due out this November. Pearson establishes new DC realm that has promise. He just needs to tighten up on the character development. The art by newcomer Ile Gonzalez is something too that has potential but needs a little bit of work. I love her designs of Jon Kent. But something doesn’t look right with Damian’s eyes.

Kids should love this new take on the progeny of The Man of Steel and the Dark Knight. Parents are going to be a little perplexed as this isn’t their Super Sons. It’s a good thing that there is a ‘Who’s Who?’ at the end of this volume that helps clear up any confusion.
Besides, this is a book meant for readers aged 8-12. If it doesn’t capture the imagination of the adults, that’s a-okay. This is a Super Sons for the next generation of DC fans!

Super Sons, Volume 1: The Polarshield Project debuted in print and digital platforms on April 2, 2019.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.