Clark & Lex

by Brendan Reichs, Jerry Gaylord (Inker), Penelope Gaylord (Colorist)

Struggling with understanding why his parents demand he hide his amazing superpowers, Clark has no problem using a bit of super-speed or super-strength to give himself that extra edge as quarterback of the football team or while doing his chores around the farm. And when LuthorCorp holds a competition to find the best and brightest for a summer internship in Metropolis, Clark decides to use his X-ray vision in order to cheat his way in, especially since it might provide the means of getting out of Smallville. Amazingly, Clark is not the only competitor with special abilities…just ask his newfound friend, Lex Luthor. But as the kids go missing one by one, the boys realize the competition may not be all it seems. Can Clark put aside his pride for the sake of the team and become the friend and leader they will need to overcome LuthorCorp’s ambitions? From New York Times bestselling author Brendan Reichs and artist Jerry Gaylord comes a fresh twist to a familiar face that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Middle Grade, Dc Comics, Superheroes, Science Fiction, Childrens

158 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 4, 2023

About the author

Brendan Reichs was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. He graduated from Wake Forest University in 2000, The George Washington University School of Law in 2006, and Vermont College of Fine Arts in 2018. After three long years working as a litigation attorney, he abandoned the trade to write full time. He lives in Charlotte with his son, daughter, and a herd of animals that tear up everything.

Reviews

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Clark and Lex” by Brendan Reichs, with illustrations by Jerry Gaylord, is a graphic novel about Clark Kent and Lex Luthor as teenagers.

Clark Kent doesn’t understand why his parents don’t like him to use the superpowers he has to do things like play football or do his chores. When he gets a chance to win an internship for the summer in Metropolis he’ll do whatever it takes to win it. Along the way he meets a young Lex Luthor, whose father is sponsoring the contest, but all is not, as it seems in the contest, and Clark may need new allies to help out.

I always view these one offs as stories from an alternate universe so they don’t bother me as much as long as the characters look and act like I know them. I liked the story, but at some point it felt contrived, but I still think it’s a good read, especially for younger readers.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't mind alternate takes on super heroes because it can be a fascinating way to delve deep into different facets of the characters without being laden with all the modern continuity. In this book, Clark (Superman) Kent is a high schooler but he's not the goody two shoes most of us think of him as being. He's a brat, basically, who uses his powers to help himself: running up the score at a high school football game, using x-ray vision to cheat on a test, etc. This runs counter to what his parents try to teach him about keeping his abilities to himself and becoming a better person by helping others.

All fine and good, but this version of Clark was very annoying with no redeemable qualities. The gist of the story is that Clark gets chosen for a journalism internship with LexCorp that is really a front for more nefarious activities. Along the way, the meets young Lex Luthor and the two seemingly hit it off.

Eventually, Clark and one of the other interns figure out what's going on (the lovely named Taka Smoke, who can become gaseous, a la Gas Girl of the Heroes of Lallor (IYKYK)) and Clark eventually figures out that his parents were right. Lex ends up becoming evil, of course, and sets the stage for further shenanigans.

Overall, the story didn't work well for me. It was a bit convoluted at places and just didn't hold my interest. The art, though, was great and I'd like to see more of the artist's work.

[Adriana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Clark is an entitled brat who feels better than everyone and too big for his small town, so he's awful to his parents and cheats on a test that promises the chance at a 3-month internship at The Daily Planet in Metropolis. He gets to Metropolis and makes quick friends with Lex Luthor who is also in the running for the internship, but the next stages of the test are to take place in a remote island and have nothing to do with journalism. It ends up being up to Clark to get to the bottom of things and save the other candidates.
There's a very good opportunity to handle the why behind Lex ultimately becoming a supervillain and I feel like it was missed. I think it's because the emotional and verbal abuse from his father might not be appropriate for the age range, but the fact that it happens completely off the page makes the last act revelation really muddled.
I get that this is aimed at kids and I'm sure the action would probably be interesting enough for young readers to let them ignore the issues, I just can't accept a story where Clark Kent is such an entitled and odious teenager. I get that teens have attitude issues that they grow out of, but there's no way I can accept that Clark got to be that bad.
There are also many plot holes and unexplained little details that abound and never get satisfactorily explained. Maybe if it was just the beginning of a much larger story or if it had more pages to tell the story it does, then I might be able to forgive it as the building block, but this stand-alone story left much to be desired.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and DC Comics for the chance to read in exchange for an honest review!

[Ben A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clark & Lex is a modern take on the idea that Clark Kent and Lex Luthor were childhood friends and only later in life did they become the archenemies that they are usually presented as. I always write in these reviews for the DC Graphic Novels for Kids line that I am not the intended target audience for these graphic novels. And that's 100% true, but as a life-long DC Comics fan, I have to say I really enjoy seeing these different takes of the mythos. Most of the Superman stories I read as a kid featured Clark and Lex as friends in Smallville, so I was excited to see that represented here and in all the reboots and relaunches, that part has been lost most of the time. I hope this is just the first part of a series, as I would love to see this version of the DC Universe explored, especially some of the other special kids found within the pages aside from our title characters. Special shout out to the excellent chapter headings with the great titles and letting that invoke classic DC storylines. I'd gladly read another graphic novel from the creative team.

Special thanks to DC Entertainment and Netgalley for the digital ARC.

[Kyra · Rating 2 out of 5]

When the cover said a young superman graphic novel, I was not aware of just how young the story would be. Very quickly I realized I am not the target audience, which I can usually respect and still enjoy, but this was too juvenile for me.

This rendition of Clark Kent was so irritating; it painted him as arrogant, entitled and a downright brat. The story starts during a middle school football game, (the score is 55-0…seriously?) and Clark is a showoff and wants to use his power. In an interview after the game he says, “I’m the best player in the state and deserve this victory.” This is a different vibe than what we know of Clark Kent, and while I love different interpretations, this one was over the top and hard to get on board with. Some other examples of his dialogue: “Why do I have to hide all the time? I don’t want to act like I’m boring and normal,” “Name something I haven’t won lately.”

He is an annoying, arrogant kid that doesn’t want to hide that he’s special. It clashes a lot with the Superman everyone knows and loves, and while there isn’t as much material on Clark’s every day childhood, it is hard to introduce qualities and personalty traits that are so different than what we are used to, especially with a character as widely popular as Superman. This entire volume is Clark being overconfident and naive, overusing his powers and making mistakes typical for a kid his age, with much bigger repercussions.

And then there’s Lex. His character started off promising and then it seemed there was a time jump in his progression. He all the sudden was firmly on the “bad guy” path with such minimal development. Not to mention suddenly bald with zero explanation.

Plot aside, I like the art style in this edition. It is different than traditional superhero graphic novels, it has a more modern pop-art style that suits the younger demographic it is targeted for.

I was really excited for the concept of this volume, a young Clark Kent and Lex Luthor, how they meet, how their relationship progresses, but this just fell very flat.

~Thank you to DC Entertainment and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

[AkiDave · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Advanced Reader’s Copy was provided by DC Entertainment via NetGalley. Clark & Lex will be released on July 4th, 2023.

Also, there will be SPOILERS so I’m letting you know in case you didn’t see the spoiler tag.

Written by Brendan Reichs and Illustrated by Jerry Gaylord, Clark & Lex was a fun read!
While I was born in 2001 I was never old enough to watch Smallville so this was my first time experiencing a storyline where Lex and Clark were friends before becoming enemies. I first want to talk about the art and while I enjoyed the cartoony art style I felt that the art was inconsistent. Either from page to page or even from panel to panel, the art styles didn’t clash well. There’s this overly cartoony style, a normal cartoon art style, and another one that rode the line. This is not to say that the art in this book is bad but it’s different and it was distracting. The way that Clark looked reminded me of his design from that Legion of Super Heroes and Lex looked like Zack Snyder’s Lex from Batman v Superman. This leads to my biggest positive of the book which is its love for the DC Universe. The name of Chapter 10 is Crisis and the lettering is meant to resemble the 1980s event Crisis on Infinite Earths. In Chapter 1, while Clark is cheating on an exam some of the answers have references to the DC Universe and the book has them peppered in here and there. This means that parents who are reading it with their kids or adults who would read this will find something for them. And the kids will begin to learn about the DC Universe. This is what DC excels at, they’re not afraid of their world and will use any character to tell a fun story or engage the audience.

My only real source of criticism is the story. Superman’s known for his relationship with his parents, that it’s them who made him the guy he is. But we don’t get enough time with Ma and Pa Kent. There’s a conflict between Pa Kent and Clark and it doesn’t get solved until the end when you forget it exists by then. Clark has to learn to not rely on his powers too much and that’s the main conflict between the two. But Pa Kent’s characterization feels like a mish-mash between Zack Snyder’s Pa Kent and the normal one we see anywhere else. Pa Kent is afraid that people will be afraid of Clark and that he shouldn’t use his powers. But later in the book, it’s more of “You should be human and balance who you are and the powers you have” and then it ends with “You should help people always”. So Pa Kent’s attitude is all over the place while Clark is going through his rebellious phase. After the first chapter Pa Kent is relegated to flashbacks and being there at the end. I wish there was more time to set up their relationship in a meaningful way so that he uses what he learned from his parents in real life when he meets Lex and goes through the competition. The relationship between Clark and Lex is pretty boilerplate but it does its job. Lex is a sad rich kid with an overbearing father and no friends. Clark is from a farm and feels suffocated. So their dynamic works with one another and they feel a bond between each other that convinces the reader.

Then there’s the tournament arc which ends up being a nefarious plan to collect super-powered kids by LexCorp and I don’t know how to feel about it. A bit ago I read Teen Titans: Earth One and they share similar plot points. But I understand why they had it there because it’s meant to show the divide between Clark and Lex. You can say it is a bit contrived but you do get enough focus between the two to find their “break up” understandable. Lex’s father causing Lex to lose it along with his fear of being left by Clark is what sends him down a spiral. The other kids are there but they feel like they were just placed there to build drama between the main two. We do hang with Taka and Jalen a bit. You assume they’re working together but it ends up not being the case, when I read it I was like “Alright” and just kept going.

In a surprising twist, Lex finds out that Clark has powers that make Lex go off the deep end and he works with his father to capture the kids who are trying to escape the facility. What I didn’t expect is that he goes BALD. We don’t know how or why (I mean we know why but not in the context of the book) but it was a shock. I was screaming “WHAT” and then laughed a bit. Then Lex gets placed in this version of his iconic power suit and we get that first official fight between the two. Even though the book feels short, it’s still sad when they end up fighting each other. You get a good amount of pages dedicated to their friendship and how it crumbles so it works. Lex book ends the book with a “He hasn’t seen the last of me” and honestly? I really want to see where it goes. I have no idea if this is a one-off YA graphic novel but I find the idea of Lex and Superman fighting while knowing each other's identities really compelling. There’s a lot of drama and character growth that can be made from this.

Overall, while I had my issues with the book's plot and some of the art. I have to commend Brendan Reichs and Jerry Gaylord for making a fun graphic novel. It was a book that you can just relax to and it gives you that Saturday morning cartoon type of vibe. With all of that being said, I’d give Clark & Lex a 3.5 out of 5.

[Jenn Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story of Clark. I am not as familiar with Superman as I am with other DC characters, but this was a lot of fun. A cute book that I think kids will really enjoy.

4 stars

[el ☾ · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s okay, all things considered.

[Kendra Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute short graphic novel about Clark and Lex set during the course of a few days.

[Snarky Hatter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Clark & Lex was entertaining but not quite what I expected. When I read the part in the summary about "kids going missing" for whatever reason, I pictured these kids getting plucked off the street or at home. So that created a very different image in my head of what would happen in the book. That being said, I enjoyed the plot.

Where I struggled was more with the relationships between Clark and his father, and Clark and Lex. Clark's dad was really just a mouthpiece for morals, and he was also unjustifiably angry and controlling when it came to Clark. It just seemed like if he wasn't spouting the theme/moral lesson of the story, he was slamming doors and chastising Clark for wanting to use his powers. Now obviously, everyone is going to have a different opinion on the matter, but for me, there just was not enough justification or explanation given by Mr. Kent for why Clark shouldn't use his powers. Also, while the story tries to make that point by putting Clark in situations where he can't rely on his powers, it's undermined by the fact that he relies on his powers most of the story, including at the end.


Now as for Clark and Lex's relationship, I was disappointed. This relationship is literally the title of the book. I wanted it to be an epic bromance. I wanted to see them being inseparable best friends. They never reached that point. Clark and Lex meet in a rather contrived way, then Lex asks Clark to hang out with him. They basically go on a date, declare themselves best friends, then enter this competition to work at the Daily Planet. Almost instantly their friendship cracks, and it is such a let down.

What didn't let me down though was the art. I loved how stylized it is. I especially love the design for Lex. I love that his lower lashes are so thick that it looks like he's trying to be goth or something, and that his hair is always a mess. Also, I like the general anatomy of the characters. I appreciate that there are these bumps and grooves to their bodies that add a certain realness to the art while still being cartoony.

Setting aside my feelings about the relationships in this book, I do think it is a solid and entertaining read. I could easily see a young reader enjoying this book, especially if they are interested in Superman. It's very easy to follow and it has a good amount of conflict to keep the reader engaged.

[Librarian Jessie (BibliophileRoses) · Rating 2 out of 5]

*ARC provided by NetGalley in return for an honest review*

Am I old? Genuinely curious here.... I know 24 is approaching me like a freight train, but I don't usually feel mentally that old... well, until I read this book.

The Art:
Honestly, I like this kind of pop-art style especially in kids graphic novels. It kind of blends the realms of graphic novel art with cartoon tv show art allowing for a lot of really cool effects. I won't say the style is my absolute favorite, but it definitely adds a new dimension.

The Plotline:
Clark is your standard "OH WOE IS ME!" character. We all know a common plot point is how Clark plays football, and gets frustrated when his parents tell him "Don't use your powers to create a disadvantage or to allow you to win." But this book takes it to a whole other overtly dramatic level. Like I felt like I was watching a dramatic comedy, like the "so-bad-its-good" except I never personally found the 'good'.

I will admit I loved the diversity in this comic. It's not something we see very often in Superman, but honestly, it adds to his character depth, and could've led to a lot of interesting concepts and discussions had the graphic novel taken it that route. (And this is the only reason I gave the comic two stars).

-- I should probably also talk about Lex since this is also about him. His character was actually done pretty well overall. But I felt like there was a lot left missing and out of place.

Overall:
I'm honestly kind of sad. I was so excited when NetGalley provided me with this graphic novel, because I grew up on Superman, and I'm so glad another generation will be able to see the hope that Superman brought to so many other generations over time. I felt like this graphic novel had a ton of potential, but just fell short. If another book in this Superman series is released, I'll gladly pick it up in hopes that maybe it will shine a light on some of the more unique aspects it has to offer.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Need and New Life

Brendan Reichs and illustrator Jerry Gaylord team up to write a fast pace story about Superman’s early years with themes of family, honesty, and self-reliance. After winning at everything in Smallville Middle School, Clark Kent is frustrated at having to hide his super powers. Leaving his father disappointed in his flashy behavior. An opportunity to leave his small town arrives when a mysterious foundation, called Brainwave, sets up a test to win an internship to Metropolis’ own Daily Planet. Clark will do anything to win, even if it means cheating. Clark is tired of not being the best, but his best might not be enough in the big city.

This is an alternate universe version of Clark Kent. As his parents, friends, and his tentative friendship with Lex Luthor are quite different than most comics. Clark is an energetic Middle School student who wants to be great at everything, but is having a hard time putting the slower effort into everyday work. His father values the unhurried foundation of farming, while Clark is excited to jump straight to success. Including cheating on a test created by a suspicious foundation, involved with Luthorcorp. Where Clark meets Lex Luthor, and causes all sorts of trouble. The scientists at Brainwave are up to something, and it is not journalism. Clark is up for the challenge, but his impulsiveness often gets him into trouble.

Clark learns a lot about himself in this book. That he cannot always rely on his powers to win, and that it is easy to lose friendships if he only thinks of his own goals. His integrity comes from empathizing with others, and working together to solve this mystery. Lex does not fare as well, as his fear of failure drives him to distrust, and he sacrifices everything for acknowledgement. Clark and Lex is an entertaining superhero story about learning how to be a true super hero.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Review

This was a fun and engaging read. The balance the author struck between life-lesson storytelling and DC Comics lore was remarkable to see play out on the page, as the author and illustrator used Clark Kent’s journey to show how he evolved into the hero we know him to be today, rather than the selfish or driven young man that he begins the story as.

The almost animated television style of artwork that the illustrator brought to life on the page and the captivating origin story of one of DC Comics' greatest rivalries made this a stand-out publication for DC Comics. The exploration of Clark and Lex’s childhood friendship and how it would inevitably lead to the deterioration of their relationship and their turn from children to hero and villain respectfully was so well done and elevated perfectly. The way the author drew attention to things like DC Comics’s Crisis events, or the multiverse as a whole, made this story stand out as a potential multiversal story that fans won’t be able to put down.

The Verdict

Creative, memorable, and heartfelt, author Brendan Reichs and illustrator Jerry Gaylord’s “Clark & Lex” is a must-read graphic novel for middle school-aged kids and DC Comics fans alike. The unique inclusion of diversity in the cast of characters, even with the slight change to Clark’s Earth parents Jonathan and Martha Kent, and the rich story-driven book will keep readers eager for more.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story that kind of takes the Clark and Lex relationship in a different direction especially as it is targeting them as middle schoolers rather than later on in life. The artwork was very well done. Easy to distinguish who was who all the time, without a lot of blending even with the henchmen who were supposed to blend in a bit more with each other. The fact that you know enough about Lex to question his motives from the start, or at least I do, makes it a bit more of a challenge to read because I didn't trust anything he did. At the same time, Clark did not make the best choices, and even though he learns to be better and to listen to his dad, he was definitely not blameless in all that came to pass. Sure, he's a young teen figuring things out and wanting to be recognized for being more than just normal. But he's also a rebellious kid who doesn't listen to his parents and pushes his luck when he should know better. And he kind of learns the hard way.

I will admit that a few things got confusing for me, particularly because there were just a lot more folks in the competition who didn't need to be quite as prominent. And I'm still not quite sure how the ending came to pass. But I feel like this is the first in a series, so maybe we'll see where Lex and Clark (and the other specials) go from here.

* I received an ARC via NetGalley.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, DC Entertainment, DC Comics, Brendan Reichs, and Jerry Gaylord (illustrator) for the opportunity to read Clark & Lex in exchange for an honest review.

While I am not a huge Superman fan, I do enjoy Brendan Reichs as an author, and I also have deep appreciation for origin stories and middle grade target audience books.

This graphic novel follows Clark Kent, a middle school farm boy who must hide his powers from the world. When a contest for a journalist internship arises, Clark finds it is his chance to win and escape the farm life for a while.

After using his powers to win, he meets Lex, another contest winner whose father also owns Luthercorp, the location the finals are being held. Clark and Lex develop a frienship and promise to help each other both get one of the two finalist winning slots. But when kids start dropping off mysteriously--and discovering each other's powers--they find there is something more sinister to this contest than they realize.

While it does not indicate being the first volume of many, there is certainly room for this series to grow as the tensions unfurl between Clark and Lex. The art was fun and flavorful for the target audience and the story was easy to follow. For a Superman story, I was thoroughly invested and just really enjoyed where this graphic novel took me as a reader.

[Christina Getrost · Rating 3 out of 5]

This tween graphic novel has Clark Kent in junior high with Black adoptive parents and a very cocky attitude. I didn't really connect to this version of CK, but it was an interesting twist. Here, Clark is a football star who doesn't hold back using his superstrength, despite his parents' insistence to blend in more and fail once in awhile, to seem human. Through a competition to get a journalism internship at the Daily Planet, run by LexCorp's "Brainwave Foundation", Clark meets Lex Luthor and becomes friends with the lonely spoiled rich kid, who invites him over to play video games and have nonstop rich kid fun. Clark acts a lot like Lex, very cocky and trying whenever possible to use his powers to cheat in the competition. It was hard for me to believe Clark would be so selfish for so long, before the final climactic Revelation of Evil Scheme/Massive Battle where he finally heeds his father's advice to rescue others and not just flee. But then again, it did show him as a typical teenager who doesn't appreciate his parents' wisdom until forced to by his own screwups. I love the art here, it's stylized and cartoony and very cute. The fake "testing" and "competition" are kind of silly, as Lionel Luthor is really secretly testing candidates for superpowers. But it worked for the over the top comic book style of the book.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Clark and Lex, a new graphic novel by Brenden Reichs and Jerry Gaylord readers get a story that feels like a Smallville episode. Clark Kent is shown as an overconfident teenager who doesn’t really listen to anyone. His father is initially portrayed as mean and frustrated with Clark but it’s soon revealed that it’s simply because Clark is basically a showoff. Clark’s father wants Clark to be safe and stay hidden, not rely on his powers to make it in the world. An opportunity arises and Clark decides to participate in a competition for an internship with the newspaper The Daily Planet. He travels to the city of Metropolis to compete for the internship along with several other young people.

Clark meets Lex Luther immediately, an equally confident teenager with a head full of auburn hair. Lex and Clark travel to a mysterious island for the competition, meeting other kids their age who are also there to compete. Things get strange when Clark realizes that his powers don’t work well on the island and competing against Lex is hard since Lex takes everything as a personal insult.

When other competitors start to go missing Clark must decide on if he will save himself and escape or help the others get off the island.

Clark and Lex is an interesting take on the classic Superman story. While the story starts off with two friendly competitors joking around, Lex’s tantrums reveal a deeply insecure and wounded person. One theme remains the same, Lex’s need to be accepted by his father and Clark’s success on a few of the challenges causing him to doubt his own capabilities.

Clark on the other hand needs to learn patience and to think situations through before being impulsive. The common theme of needing to save anyone near him who needs it is prevalent in this story, although Clark finds himself in trouble more often than not. With themes like family and teamwork, Clark and Lex is an entertaining graphic novel from DC Comics!

[quinn · Rating 2 out of 5]

no bc this actually pissed me OFFFF. the art was so good and the set up was rlly promising so i TRIED (key word) to ignore the absolute slanderous characterization clark kent had to go through here — it honestly reminded me of conner more..? anyway, the whole thing about making friends is ditched MULTIPLE times during the novel and apparently because it’s geared at 12 year olds, we can’t have any sort of heart-warming moments. like even the friends clark makes while fighting the villain(s) ditch him in the end???

and don’t get me STARTED on lex. the set up? amazing. but absolutely ZERO pay off. it was like we skipped an entire arc between the tournament and him being evil, in a suit, glocked up and BALD??? did he have a wig on the whole time or something? i couldn’t even tell if it was supposed to be implied that luthorcorp dunked him in one of acid vats or not. anyways, shitty ending, not enough of pa and ma kent, and if i EVER have to see clark get WHACKED with characterization this bad again it might kill me.

bonus star for the art style, jerry gaylord’s illustrations were very cute.

[The Library's Ghost · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance copy of Clark & Lex!

4.5 Stars for this incredibly fun and vibrant graphic novel!
As a big DC fan it was really fun to see this new take where we get to follow Clark as a young and somewhat rebellious teen. Too often we're plopped in to a story where he's already "Superman" and has his strong sense of righteousness and hero-ness embedded in to him already. This was a different situation where he is young and still trying to understand his father's lessons. Battling with WHY he should hold himself back when he can do such incredible things or WHY he should look out for others when he wants to look out for himself were great lessons to watch him learn. There's always been a balance between what makes Clark Kent Superman versus just another Lex Luthor.

This graphic novel has a great art style and vibrant colors and movement. It was really fun to read and entertaining all throughout. Definitely recommend for DC fans!

[Alejo Fajardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc of this awesome graphic novel! 💪🏼

"Clark & ​​Lex" is a graphic novel about people who have superpowers. Clark lives with his parents on a farm and they told him not to show anyone his powers because that could be a problem. Since the world is not ready for that or bad people might chase him to capture him.

That's when the day of the test arrive for a trip to Metropolis, which is an important city in this story. Clark is excited and meets the other contestants when he (obviously) won. The games begin and that's when Clark becomes suspicious of these tests along with the others.

Lex is the son of the owner of the corporation that is running the journalism contest which has nothing to do with it. It is a graphic novel full of color, with a plot twist that I did not see coming and with a very beautiful and softness ending. That's when you learn that sometimes you surround yourself with the wrong people.

[Bookishrealm · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not going to lie, this was slightly disappointing.

Clark and Lex follows younger versions of Clark Kent and Lex Luthor as they compete in a competition for a supposed internship at The Daily Planet. While things seem to go well between the two characters at first, it is clear that Reichs utilized this iteration of the characters to illustrate why the become enemies as adults. Although I enjoyed the art, I found the writing to be a tad bit stilted and I wasn't a huge fan of Clark. He was arrogant, selfish, and a know it all. Although he does have a redemption arc in the story, I just found him to be extremely off putting. As an adult, I recognize that there are quite a few middle grade readers that will connect with this story and it's commentary on friendships, empathy, self-awareness, patience, teamwork, and selflessness. This isn't the strongest I've seen in DC's line for middle graders, but it was a solid read.

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read Brendan Reichs before, I was looking forward to reading my first graphic novel of his. It certainly didn’t disappoint. With action from start to finish, this sets up a great new series about Superman’s youth and how his rivalry with Lex Luthor began.

It starts with a chance to win a summer internship with the Daily Planet. There are only two spots available and a lot of candidates who want them. Soon Clark befriends a kid named Lex whose father’s company is hosting the contest, though Lex had to test in just like everyone else. Soon strange things start happening…like Clark loses his powers around certain contestants and other contestants start disappearing. Can Clark and Lex keep their top spots?

I’d like to thank the publisher, author, illustrator, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Several reboots ago, Clark and Lex had canonically been childhood friends in Smallville, until Clark (then Superboy) accidentally made Lex go bald. Believe it or not. This seems to be an updated version of that origin story, and it works. Here, both teens are competing in what's meant to be a competition for an internship that's clearly hiding something more. In some ways, it's a more organic way to get the two of them to meet than having Lex show up in Clark's small town. This version of Clark is more impulsive and selfish than most readers will be used to, and Lex is obviously craving companionship. Different takes on the characters, but ones that make sense at their ages. Considering that there's a lot of unanswered questions at the end of this volume, it feels like Reichs is trying to set up a series, and I'd be happy with that. I'd like to see some continued growth from Clark.

[Sarah Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is very cute, and the art is very expressive, and it's a all a nice counterpoint to the surprisingly quite creepy and unnerving situation Clark finds himself in when he cheats to get a special internship. Yet the comic isn't without its moments of levity, too, one in particular that made me laugh at the end.

I do appreciate a Clark Kent story that lets him mess up rather than be a paragon. However, I was disappointed that while the book is named "Clark and Lex" and they're right on the cover, we only get to see these two together as friends for a very limited time. Perhaps I've been spoiled by continuities that went more in depth on their past friendship, like Smallville.

Still, I must also acknowledge I'm a grown adult reading a book for middle schoolers, so what do I know? I think that age group will definitely appreciate this more than I did.

[S.E. Martens · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is cute, but I feel like it could be so much better.

I like the character designs - baby Lex is so pretty. And their fledgling friendship is adorable. Yes, Clark starts off as a jerk, but the whole point of the story is his growth as a character.

But I wish there was a stronger plot. The fake contest used to trap a group of special kids so the bad guys can experiment on them is so cliche. I feel like this could be any number of YA books. And it's just not very interesting.

Even worse, Lex's dramatic heel turn is terribly underdeveloped and unexplained, especially considering how this is supposed to be a story about Clark and Lex. He even loses his hair and it happens off panel and is completely unexplained.

[Michael Lee My ComicBook World · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading Clark & Lex. It’s a fun graphic novel with a modern take on the rivalry between Clark and Lex.

Clark tries to win a Summer journalism internship in Metropolis with LuthorCorp. When he enters the contest he is pitted against other kids who also have super powers. When some of the other contestants disappear Clark and Lex have to try to set aside their differences and work together.

I really enjoyed as Clark discovers he’s no alone and there are other kids with super powers. It’s great as each kid sees the other contestants have powers.

I think kids and adults will enjoy reading this graphic novel. It would be great if a sequel is published and we can see what happens to each contestant after they escape LuthorCorp.

Stay awesome and keep reading!

[Cinsai · Rating 4 out of 5]

In honesty, this is more of a 3 1/2 ⭐️ than 4 ⭐️ review. Loved the artwork, and some elements of the story, but the authors did lean a little hard into making Clark a little shit before he finally saw the light. Granted, he’s a middle schooler, so some tantrums are inevitable. I enjoyed the friendship with Lex, before his little turn as well. Clark’s parents were wonderful, which kinda made it a wee bit impossible to believe Clark’s attitude. Overall, this is the start of a series, so a few stumbles are expected. It might just be worth it to see how it continues to improve.
**Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read an advanced copy of this story.**

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good introduction to Clark and Lex. I liked that in this iteration they were presented as childhood friends. I didn't really like how Clark was portrayed though. Don't get me wrong, I think he was acting like a brat, but I don't think that Superman was ever that rude and straight up mean. We also didn't get to see much of his relationship with his parents which I think is essential in making Clark/Superman who he is. His parents are the reason that he turns out to be the hero that is he.

Overall, I think that this is a good place for a kid to start if they are wanting to get into Superman comics. I wouldn't want this to be their only introduction though.

[Jaime Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhere around a 3-3.5. I liked the story a good bit, especially the parts with Clark's father and the other supers. The story was predictable if you know anything about Clark and Lex in the comics, but their interactions as bros initially were fun. I wish it was longer-it was very short-and we got more time to learn about all the nefarious stuff LexCorp had up its sleeves. I was kind of bummed when a Brainiac twist didn't appear. It felt like that was exactly where the story was going! But I understand that they wanted to focus on Lex and Clark's relationship. Not bad for a random graphic novel I grabbed from the library.

[Vanessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC!

I really did not like this one. The idea sounded great. But the execution was... not great.

The total change in character for Clark was just. Ew. And Lex's character was really pretty sympathetic. Except most people probably wont see that, because of who his fathers abuse was handled off page.

The art work felt half done. Too sketchy in places that didn't feel right. Poses and angles were repeated far too often. But the colors would good.

Overall just... not good.