Superman 2: Trials of the Super Son

Comic Info

Superman (4) #7 Variant

Reprints Superman (4) #7-13 (November 2016-February 2017). Life for Lois, Jon, and Clark continue to change as they adjust to their new home. Be it stopping criminals at the county fair, begin transported to an island of dinosaurs, testing Jon’s mettle with Robin, or confronting Frankenstein on a mission for S.H.A.D.E. things are never normal for Superman…and danger lurks around every corner!

Written by Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason, Superman Volume 2: Trials of the Super Son is part of DC Comics’ Rebirth series. Following Superman Volume 1: Son of Superman, the collection features art by Gleason, Doug Mahnke, Jaime Mendoza, Mick Gray, Jorge Jimenez, Trevor Scott, Mark Morales, Christian Alamy, Keith Champagne, and Norm Rapmund. The issues were also collected in Superman: Rebirth Deluxe Edition—Book 1.

While I feel that Superman was pretty stagnant during the whole New 52 run of DC, I don’t know if this run of Superman is the solution. With the addition of Jon, I had some hope that the series would be an interesting twist on the typical Superman stories, but also feared that it made an already too good to be true character even more too good to be true by having a perfect son…and it appears that the comic is doing just that.

Superman (4) #13

This collection’s first problem is that it is too fragmented. There is a stand-alone issue and three two issue storylines. I think that today there are too many six issue stories and the bimonthly nature of the series does lend itself to the idea of two part stories…but it also feels like the stories just aren’t very developed. It was a quick trip to help the last of the Losers and it was nice to see a non-Jon focused story involving Frankenstein.

The series also introduces the Super-Sons…which is very juvenile and once again has me questioning the target of the series. It feels like a kids’ book (which is fine), but I almost feel it should be marketed as a kids’ book. However, the story in the Super-Sons issues is so overly complex, and once again I don’t believe that Superman would set up that sort of test for Jon (Batman maybe). It ends with a happy pose and the announcement of the new team. It isn’t very good and doesn’t have me looking forward to Super Sons (which is a horrible title).

The second volume of Superman doesn’t leave me very compelled to read on. It’s tone is all over the place and despite interesting characters and strong art, the series just doesn’t feel very rounded or fleshed out. I like the character of Superman, and I’m not entirely opposed to the Jon character…I wish that the overall story was better. Superman 2: Trials of the Super Son is followed by Superman 3: Multiplicity.

Related Links:

Superman 1:  Son of Superman