Superboy: The Man Of Tomorrow

by Kenny Porter, Jahnoy Linday (Illustrator)

Conner Kent is back in the DC Universe! But after the events of Dark Crisis, he not only feels like he doesn’t fit in with the rest of the Superman family, he doesn’t fit in with the hero community at all. Conner takes his fight for truth and justice to the stars and sets out on a mission to carve his own path. Space is a big place though and what unknowns lurk for him in the great unknown?

After the events of Dark Crisis, Conner Kent has no idea where he fits in on Earth. He feels disconnected from the only family he’s ever known and doesn’t want to rely on his fellow Teen Titan friends. Using his bravado and swagger Conner sets out on a journey to the vastness of space to carve his own path as a hero. The great unknown is a big place though and with every opportunity comes new obsticles. What new threats await Conner as he discovers his new calling?  

Collects The Man of Tomorrow #1-6!

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Superman, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics

144 pages, Paperback

First published March 19, 2024

Reviews

[Molly™☺ · Rating 2 out of 5]

A space adventure that bores due to an underwhelming plot and flat characters. Most pages feel like a chore, unsalvageable even for Superboy who usually adds at least a little spark to stories he appears in. More pleasant to look at than to read, it’s frustratingly forgettable and wasteful of its titular man.

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sabe aqueles textos em que a gente não consegue nem se concentrar na leitura de tão ruins que são? Bom, é o caso dessa minissérie Superboy: O Homem do Amanhã. Ela tem uma tônica parecida com a da Poderosa, que mostra o personagem principal como injustiçado e deixado de fora da Superfamília. Contudo, a trama da Poderosa faz isso direito. Já a do Superboy manda ele pra longe, em um outro planeta, em que ele quer defender o povo de lá do Domínion X. Lá ele se encontra com uma trupe de justiceiros que primeiro ele briga, depois se alia, depois briga de novo, fazendo com que criem um Superboy Ciborgue e derrotem o Dominion X no processo. Além disso, o Superboy lida com uma crise de imagem com o povo daquele planeta. Por falar em imagem os desenhos de Lindsay são bonitos, mas não sei se combinam com o Superboy, cuja personalidade adolescente rebelde está bem desfigurada também nesta minissérie. Ou seja, os fãs do Superboy dos anos 1990 devem passar longe dessa nova retratação de Conner Kent.

[Izzy Batres-Patton · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

I love Kon and I really like the idea of him going out and trying to find his place on a different planet. I just really wish they’d stick with that instead of constantly forcing him back home for the sake of the status quo.

Overall I’d say this was a fun but uneventful run. I enjoyed it a lot but there wasn’t much substance.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being a Connor fan isn't easy, especially when he gets average stories like this.

[Nai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly a 2.5, but Jahnoy Lindsay's art is fantastic and I love the way they draw Conner. The plot is pretty formulaic, leading to the story feeling really flat and boring. I didn't care for Travv as a "twist" villain; from the minute Conner teamed up with the Cosmoteers, I could see the outcome a mile away. Ironically, the only time I really cared for him was when he took over the metal Conner husk, and that was only because I liked the design!! (That one close up panel of his face... yeah.)

It's hard being a Conner fan when he gets mid slop stories. Also, give that boy his damn spiky leather jacket back, it's iconic I don't care!! That silly ass tracksuit jacket they gave him in the end, be so serious.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Conner deserves his own series and place in the ever-expanding Superfamily, just... Maybe not this one. Some good moments, but also plenty that fell flat. I think a team-up with one or two other Supers would be a great way forward.

[Katenaps · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my favorite version of Superboy hands down

[Vic · Rating 5 out of 5]

BOŻE TO BYŁO TAKIE DOBRE 😭😭

[Maxwell Panetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love my boy Conner

[Polly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me start with this: The art is absolutely stunning, I love everything done by Jahnoy Lindsay here, and the action sequences and visuals are by far the highlight and what I enjoyed most about this book. Also, I will say that I really enjoyed Porter's voice for Superboy. The writing, though...

Okay so I have a few issues with this. I never felt like he was being irrational, so I don't feel like the message meant for the story really came through. I never felt like he was showboating or gloryhogging or whatever, he explicitly says he wants to go somewhere people need him because he feels useless. He wants to be needed, and if his arc was about learning to belong, that would be interesting. But its honestly not about that. His arc is about 'finding his place in the universe' and 'finding his place in the superfam' but in the end one is shown as being pretty much explicitly contradictory to the other? He also wasn't a part of their family and they didn't treat him like that, so honestly valid crashout. But the writers act like one big grand gesture can erase that. Its in character for superboy to forgive like that tho so whatever. Nitpicking now but. Pisses me off they have someone call him 'Conn-ar' when he should have a name that reflects his heritage and that is Kon-el. But reallt, I've just seen this before. this isnt some kind of new arc for him at all. its rehashing old shit in a new universe, and its mostly about him hating himself and thats not fun at all. 'its a big universe and its time i start helping people!' is a really cute line to me and i think its cute he says that, but the whole context of this story im just not a fan of. 'theres no place for superboy in this dimension that he never existed in' is a good arc in theory but i lowkey dont want to see him doing that Again? for like the billionth time. after a couple 'finding my place' stories it gets so depressing actually. or something. first he has to make a place bc hes a clone, then he has to make a place bc superman is back, then he has to make a place for himself in space, then he dies and has to make a place for himself reborn with new knowledge of his dna being half luthor's, then he has to make a place for himself in a new dimension that doesnt need him (i find this so hard to believe?? you really have that many superheroes nobody needs him?) and they also oust superboy the most from his og team. like can you let him have friends? and this superman is inattentive which is so Not their dynamic it pissed me off. 'whyd it take you 2 weeks to notice he was gone' clark would literally never.? and its just about how much he hates himself genuinely which is so shitty. Unfortunately that shit is the most in character, but I don't feel like it really tries to empathize with why he feels that way its just in favor of him getting over it as soon as possible while he never really stops blaming himself, just beats up a clone of himself about it. thats really not chill. ok everything ab this is teeing me off like a friend is a reference to superman ofc course and thats so cute However the context is 'he has now learned to stop showboating and wanting to take credit for saving people' and i just dont really feel like. he needed to learn that. bc the issue wasnt that he was showboating or looking for attention it was that he felt useless and wanted people to need him. me when i misunderstand my own writing? like idek. thats the worst to me like. hes such a victim of this shitty ass narrative that what hes doing is just fundamentally wrong and hes right for feeling that way, or something that happened to him that was wrong and bothered him actually wasnt that bad and hes wrong for feeling that way. i genuinely think dc writers as a whole either really dont get him or really dont like him. kon 'if im not helping people i feel crazy existential dread' el versus the fundamental need of writers to mischaracterize him as an attention whore for no reason. but sure you solved it bc the issue was that he checks book needed to beat himself up. thats healthy

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I should probably stuff this review with spoilers, because a month from now, I'm gonna see this book at the library and wonder if I read it and maybe borrow it again.

The illustration has some style, but the storytelling is inconsistent, and the coloring fell flat. The script has moments, but it doesn't build anything memorable or fresh. The Super-writers have really been beating the "hero inspires hope" thing over the head as hard as possible lately. And, oh look, Conner has his own Cyborg-Super rival now (the second they introduced the another clone version of him I sprained both eyes rolling them - don't we already have Match?).

Just drop the whole "universe got rewritten without me" angle (DC needs to stop trying to fit everything into "continuity," because it becomes an endless loop of climbing up its own ass) and tell a good story! Hell, just collect the original Karl Kesel-Tom Grummett SUPERBOY run. I'd love to put that on my bookshelf!

[Freya Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that was the time I started. It has that yj98 new comic kinda style I’ve read the yj new 52 so this goes after that which is good, I don’t know how I feels abt the style but Atleast it’s not bad, still love the design pages and the cover arts are so cool, I actually have a variant cover on my wall of this, I love Kon and I which that used Kon more rather than Conner (konner, idk why it’s not spelt like that his name is literally Kon) the story makes sense as in him trying to find his place after the world forgot him like yes that’s what i thought they’d do, plot itself with the cosmoters is alr it definelty helps him along, I just really like Kon, I love how they kept his design, I get what people mean with blue eyes now tho. Good story, nice art, reccomend. I love Kon so much omg.

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm of two minds with this miniseries...

1. They had nothing else to do with yet another Superman family member. Give him a mini and hope for the best.

2. They thought the character needed regrounding after being tossed around and forgotten for most of this last reboot. A story of, 'finding their place in the world' is a classic and one that a forever teen character should definitely experience if they're going to give them depth and character moving on.

====
This miniseries also contains the DC Round Robin 2022 finalists as a backup story.
----------
Bonus: Secretly, I think they needed a story to get rid of Superboy's stupid leather jacket w/ spikes
Bonus Bonus: Cosmoteers? Cosmic...mouseka..er..muskateers? Horrible name.

[Alan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only reason I can come up with for this mini-series is that editorial wanted to clear the character's decks before becoming a regular supporting player in Action Comics. Except for a brief run by Geoff Johns the character has never really been written well.

So Porter is given the task of trying to take a clone of Superman/Lex Luthor who has a history of immaturity and make him grow up. Points to Porter for the interstellar milieu that he creates, and that I would like to see more of.

But, does he succeed in makin Superboy more mature and responsible? Not really. Now if Tom King could do with this vharca6er what he did with Supergirl...

[Sesana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I like Connor best when he's bouncing off the other Young Justice/Titans characters. Which I think Taylor knew would be a common response, because this mini gives him a trio of supporting characters to stand in for Tim, Cassie, and Bart. Although I liked Connor as a character, I thought the plot here was plodding, taking far too long to get to where it's obviously going to go, all while Connor has the exact same circular crisis of confidence. Which I get, in a way, because it does make a certain amount of sense that he'll feel out of place after being plopped back into continuity. Just needed better execution, including a more compelling story.

[Xy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I don't even know where to start. I will keep this brief though. This is probably in my top 5 comic series that I have read this year. The character development for Connor is so good. The lessons are amazing. I couldn't even put the book down! I love this series so much. I feel like this is a good read for anyone who's struggling with forgiving themselves or finding their place in this world. I love this book. It will always have a special place in my heart.

[Minnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ich kannte nicht viel von Conner außer seine grobe Lebensgeschichte. Dieser Einzelband ist der perfekte Einstieg, um Superboy und seine Geschichte sowie seinen Charakter besser kennenzulernen. Die Zeichnungen waren großartig, die Story war toll und es wurden keine unnötigen random Short Stories mit reingeschoben, so wie in anderen DC-Comics. Ich kann's nir empfehlen, ich wünschte es wäre eine Reihe geworden, denn ich würde gern mehr über Conner erfahren.

[Ham Sandwich · Rating 1 out of 5]

Superboy: Man of Tomorrow has it all:
Uninspired, Webtoon-derivative character design, hackneyed writing that hits on the same beats that 48920r5792 other superhero comics have, a boring character arc for a character that should have so much potential, and characters acting in ways that makes no sense (for how they've already been established to think/behave) just to drive the plot forward. Offensively annoying to read.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am so torn here - outer space nonsense is never going to work for me, and this book is full of outer space nonsense I could barely even skim. But the character work they're doing with Conner Kent is a really nice complement to the work Leah Williams did with Power Girl, and I love getting to explore this sense of accepting yourself and fitting in with a family as who you are. So I split the difference, 3 stars.

[Aidan Hepler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good reboot origin story for Superboy, and it worked in some ways. But, there were a lot of cliches in this book that harmed the story quite a bit, as well as some pacing issues. The most disappointing part of this story for me was the art(very subjective of course ), but following all the other dawn of DC era books, it was sad to see.

[monte taft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really liked this

Conner has always held a place in my heart, and I'm delighted to read this story. I think we all ore looking for our place in life, that's what could relate to this story.

I'd recommend this to anyone who ho has doubts in their life about who they want to be in their lifestyles

[Trevor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Totally "fine." But I'm of the opinion that Connor should go back to having the same bratty attitude he did back in the original Return of Superman era. Without that, and with just making him another totally good-hearted, always optimistic hero, there's really not much differentiating him from Jon and the rest of the Super Family.

[Luis Alfonso Torres · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved it. A six issue run that's perfect for fans wanting to get into Superboy. He really does feel like the most complex of all the supers. I enjoyed his antics and him wanting to carve out his own path whilst simultaneously honoring all the things he's learned from Clark. Definitely left me wanting to read more of him.

[Eugenio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una historia muy divertida y con un personaje olvidado que tiene un potencial increíble.

La acción y el dibujo del comic es muy bueno. Los principales problemas son que el plot twist sobre el villano se veía venir desde Kripton y que el final hace que el resto de la historia tenga poco sentido, porque el personaje vuelve al punto de partida

[Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

We love Conner Kent.

There are so many things I love about this comic.

1. Conner’s intense respect of the symbolism of Superman. Since Clark is an all-around great guy, I’m sure he leaves enormous shoes to fill (as evidenced by Conner, Jon, and Kara all trying to figure out where they fit in to this ginormous legacy). It was fascinating to see Conner articulate this legacy to those outside this galaxy—aka the uninitiated. It has to be a Kent family trait to inspire good in others. Conner spends quite a bit of this comic pushing those around him to be better, constantly referencing the S on his chest. (And it made me so happy.)

2. The discussion of cloning and gene editing. I was absolutely fascinated with both Conner’s origins and the Cosmoteers’ tragic backstory. This discussion of not being what you were made to be—for both good and evil—was so cool to see. Conner insisting that he is not a weapon and is, in fact, more than that, was just so good. And this feeling of being cheated out of something through the unethical usage of gene editing was such an interesting counterpoint. Also this man cloning Conner and using that clone against the real Conner?? Absolutely insane.

3. The Superman family. We absolutely love to see the Superman fam interact. Can we please get more of this? I specifically loved to see Clark fully embracing Conner.

[Tyler Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyable Conner Kent story about him coping with feeling out of place in the world. Just wish they stuck to their guns and actually changed his status quo instead of just making him exist for group shots in Superman books. Lots of anime references in the art which is really fun

[Maddon Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly enjoyed reading this one. I wish it had introduced new concepts rather than another "Conner Kent doesn't know who he is", but it was still fun to see a spotlight on a character that hasn't been active in DC in recent years.

[Belfry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

[Matty Dub · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a fun surprise to get such a fun story out of a creative team that was unknown to me. Been awhile since Conner had a great book!

[Ashita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the story about moving forward. I don't know the backstory but it was a good theme. I also really liked the art style.