Superboy: The Boy of Steel

Superboy in Adventure Comics #0

by Geoff Johns, Francis Manapul (Illustrator)

Superboy is back -- and he can't wait to jump back into his life. But which life will it be? With a clarity he's never had before, Conner makes a beeline for the greatest place on Earth: Smallville. While Conner reunites with his former girlfriend, Wonder Girl, Lex Luthor and Brainiac form a partnership that will cause havoc throughout the DC Universe.

On the hunt for Luthor, Conner turns to his friend Tim Drake, a.k.a. Robin. But Tim's now traveling the globe under as Red Robin! The boys' reunion isn't all smiles and hugs, as Conner discovers that Tim has been hiding a great many secrets from the newly returned Boy of Steel. And they're secrets that could destroy their friendship.

Superboy-Prime returns! The grasp of BLACKEST NIGHT knows no bounds, and it is now at the doorstep of Superboy-Prime. The Black Lanterns know his deepest, darkest secrets and force him to feel emotions he long ago discarded. Plus, Conner Kent faces confronts Lex Luthor at last!
Collects tales from ADVENTURE COMICS (2009-2011 2nd Series) #0-3 and 5-6 and SUPERMAN SECRET FILES 2009.

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

144 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Geoff Johns originally hails from Detroit, Michigan. He attended Michigan State University, where he earned a degree in Media Arts and Film. He moved to Los Angeles in the late 1990s in search of work within the film industry. Through perseverance, Geoff ended up as the assistant to Richard Donner, working on Conspiracy Theory and Lethal Weapon 4. During that time, he also began his comics career writing Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. and JSA (co-written with David S. Goyer) for DC Comics. He worked with Richard Donner for four years, leaving the company to pursue writing full-time.

His first comics assignments led to a critically acclaimed five-year run on the The Flash. Since then, he has quickly become one of the most popular and prolific comics writers today, working on such titles including a highly successful re-imagining of Green Lantern, Action Comics (co-written with Richard Donner), Teen Titans, Justice Society of America, Infinite Crisis and the experimental breakout hit series 52 for DC with Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid. Geoff received the Wizard Fan Award for Breakout Talent of 2002 and Writer of the Year for 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 as well as the CBG Writer of the Year 2003 thru 2005, 2007 and CBG Best Comic Book Series for JSA 2001 thru 2005. Geoff also developed BLADE: THE SERIES with David S. Goyer, as well as penned the acclaimed “Legion” episode of SMALLVILLE. He also served as staff writer for the fourth season of ROBOT CHICKEN.

Geoff recently became a New York Times Bestselling author with the graphic novel Superman: Brainiac with art by Gary Frank.

Reviews

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, to be honest, I didn't really care about most of it. Superboy is okay.

What really got me laughing and excited was the sequence with Action Comics and Superboy-Prime. Oh My God that was great. The joke of the whole comic world? Breaking the fourth wall so awesomely? This was a gem that could easily get lost.

I just want to say, hereafter, I love Superboy-Prime. What a nutso edition!

[Emmett Spain · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s hard for Geoff Johns to do much wrong these days. He has put Green Lantern back on the map, he’s written the best Superman arcs in 10 years (personal opinion), and has a tendency to play with the lore of a character without ever stepping into sacrilege. Superboy is another triumph to add to his collection.

The story itself is very simple, and played on a small scale. But herein lies the genius. Whereas Johns’s recent Flash: Rebirth brought back ever speedster ever (or just about) and was a little overblown, Superboy is relieved here of the big “how he comes back” story, and we get to see what happens after, which is really the stuff that fans care about. It’s a great jumping on point for those not familiar with the character – I hadn’t read much Superboy stuff for a while and found I was able to get on board quite easily.

What you do get is some pathos, a decent amount of foreshadowing, Lex Luthor at his most despicable, and Brainiac making a small but pivotal appearance. Oh, and some amazingly beautiful art work from Francis Manapul. The lack of ink work and soft colours is not a style I’m generally fond of, but here it shines when combined with Johns’s writing. The double splash page early in the first issue is brilliant – I had trouble summoning up the will to turn the page.

Overall, an excellent beginning to what I hope will be an excellent series.

[Jesse A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fine if unnecessary.

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice little story about Superboy.

Johns helped bring the Teen Titans back into the mainstream. One of his major players there was Superboy himself. In doing so he put the kid through hell and back. This is pretty much Johns swan song for the character, a way to clear the air, and give him something to look forward to. Will Connor choose to be more like Superman or more like Lex Luthor?

The figuring out who you are with a superhero twist was done well here. It helped the art was great and a nice mix of humor and emotional moments here. It was hard to tell where the story was going at first but once it got going I think getting down to Superboy's core is the best part of the character. He questions things we all question and so we can relate.

A 4 out of 5.

[Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this far more than I expected to. I expected a fine, but throwaway story featuring a character that’s ok but not a particular favourite. What Geoff John’s delivers is actually a really affectionate take on a character now firmly ensconced in the Superman mythology.
There’s some gentle jabs at the past, some lovely Smallville scenes, and some very nice Krypto and Ma Kent stuff. The atmosphere made it.
When the story had to go somewhere it faltered a little, but Brainiac and Lex Luthor are reliable bad guys.
Affectionate and enjoyable classic DC

[Blair Conrad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty good, especially for a DC story. Fortunately, I'd read some crazy Crisis-related stuff just before this, so I knew a little of the backstory. It was really nice seeing what Johns could do with a story and characters when he didn't have to deal with a giant crossover that had 900 participants. Connor's journal really grabbed me, transforming what could've been a rather ordinary Superboy story into something with a little depth.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve never really liked Superboy. Whether it be various versions from random stories that I’ve read, or Conner from Young Justice, I’ve just never liked him.

Until this. I -loved- this—it just filled me with happiness, and the art was gorgeous.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having been used as weapon against his friends by Lex Luthor, killed fighting Superboy Prime amid the 'Infinite Crisis' and then resurrected in the 31st Century, Superboy's return to the present is fraught with angst. Setting himself up in Smallville, he endeavours to figure out who he truly is by measuring himself against the two men from whom he was cloned; Superman and Luthor.

Much as he did with Hal Jordan in 'Green Lantern: Rebirth', Johns does a brilliant job of pulling together the elements of preceding lore before breaking the title character down to their most important (and heroic) traits in order to revive and relaunch that character.
This book is a great exploration of who Conner was, is and wants to become. There are also some great inter-personal scenes too as Conner is reunited with some of the most important people in his life, including his love Cassie (Wonder Girl) and his best friend Tim (Red Robin).

Unfortunately, all this great character work is for naught because DC rebooted Superboy as part of the New 52 not long after, but at least we get to see Krypto the Superdog being a very good boy.

* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *

[Ronan The Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good Superboy arc, and a solid introduction to the character if you haven’t read about him before. He’s a clone spawned from the DNA of Superman...and Lex Luthor. He’s trying to find out who he’s supposed to be, studying his genetic predecessors closely. He deals with the tension in his relationships that come from his dying and coming back again. And he punches Brainiac. With the help of Tim, Cassie, Ma Kent, and Krypto, Connor eventually comes to the only possible conclusion.

The art by Manapul was good, and Johns writing is clear and fluid, full of voice. There were Legion of Superheroes backups in most of the issues (I read on DC Universe), as well a Superboy Prime story that I liked, and I don’t know if those are in the trade, but I rather enjoyed those as well.

This was worth reading, and I may even go out and get the trade.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book—it explores the Superman vs. Lex Luthor dynamic, while also looking inside each character themselves. And what better place do that than with Superboy? He’s the perfect embodiment, not just of their conflicts (both with each other and with themselves), but also of a young person trying to figure out who they are. Superboy is an ideal metaphor for legacy, and this graphic novel explored that idea perfectly. Add in some nice cameos from Teen Titans members, and you get a really, really solid story.

[Nate]

This takes place after Connor came back to life, and after he defeated Superboy-Prime with the Legion. It also follows Johns' Brainiac arc. Connor is living in Smallville reconnecting with who he is and trying to reconcile the parts of him that are from Superman and Lex Luthor. The story is pretty slight, especially with the knowledge that DC would reboot their universe soon after this. Johns writes a good Lex though, and any Superman/Superboy story with Krypto gets bonus points from me. Overall, not a bad little character piece.

[Zachary King · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always forget that this is one of my favorite comic books, and I'll certainly say it's underrated. It takes the bucolic and the pastoral from Tim Sale's "Superman for All Seasons," leavened with Geoff Johns's favored continuity deep-dives for a touching story about identity and friendship. It's also the book that introduced me to Francis Manapul, and for that I'm forever grateful. This book sings, and anyone who misses the pre-Flashpoint DCU needs to crack open a copy.

[Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aces! Read this book.
Story, characters, art and colours - fantastic. Good back up stories setting up the Legion. Just ears Johns in an interview say he could have been rhe one to write the ongoing LoSH after this but took on Batman Earth One which was amazing also. I'll take any work of his I can get.

[Danny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this graphic novel. It was fun to see Superboy and Krypto spending time in Smallville and watch Superboy reflect on who he is and who he wants to be as a person. The art is great, the writing is great, overall a great read. I highly recommend it!

[Douglas Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aside from some solid character work with Superboy, Cassie and Tim, this book was really, really boring.

[Andy Dainty · Rating 2 out of 5]

On the plus, it's Geoff Johns; the problem is it's still a Superboy story.

[Mati G. W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edición española de esta saga de Adventure Comics con distintos extras que la del coleccionable.

[Guido · Rating 3 out of 5]

La vuelta de Kon-El y sus aventuras en Smallville.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is everything I love and miss about Conner Kent and Cassie Sandsmark. The art is gorgeous, too. ❤️

[James Lawner · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first heard about this series back in like 2009-2010, I was intrigued, and in 2012 I got my hands on Superboy: Smallville Attacks, and I thought it was supposed to be THIS book, but it wasn’t! And it only added to my disappointment of that book. Regardless, I finally got this book, and I really liked it. Yes, this is part of some very old continuity, of which I’m somewhat familiar with, but even with some of the explanations given, there’s still some stuff that may confuse new readers (Remember when Batman supposedly “died”?). The story is simple and straightforward, no Justice League-level threats here, but with the way this story paired-up Lex Luthor with Brainiac felt like bigger things were coming (and especially that ending!). I really liked how it focused on Conner Kent as a character, and how his relationships affected him, and to me that’s where this series really shined (that, and Francis Manapul’s artwork really gave it all a cozy vibe). However, this series was rather short-lived, and I don’t even know where this story went afterwards; can anyone help?

Overall, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this to new readers of Superboy or DC Comics in general, but it is an interesting snapshot into an era of DC that feels a little nostalgic (at least to me).

[Jennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superboy, the genetic clone of Kal-El and Lex Luthor, just returned from the dead and is having a bit of an identity crisis. He's left the Teen Titans and the superhero gig for a while to do a little self-discovery in Smallville, the hometown of both his dads. He wants to understand what makes them tick and, most importantly, which has more of an influence in his life. How could two men from such similar backgrounds become so vastly different in their adulthoods?

The sometimes dull moral dichotomy of "Superman good, Lex bad" is definitely present in the story. Normally I dislike that sort of thing, but here it really worked. Conner discovered personal similarities to both of them but realized that in the end it wasn't the small differences in their upbringing that defined them--it was the actions they took and the things that they valued.

I also probably really liked this because of Francis Manapul's art, which I honestly love to pieces.

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superboy has come back from the dead to a world that continued without him, and some not for the better. He has settled into a life in the town of Smallville, reconnected with his girlfriend and his best friend, who both have a secret. Johns has given Connor the sense of wisdom that comes from coming back from the dead and focuses him on trying to fight the two parts of him. It's a good internal conflict that drives the story, and the end of the book shows just how evil Lex Luthor really is.
Manapul's art gives this book a good quante and small town feel in which the story is set. The art has a touch of innocence that goes well with a young man's search to find himself. My favorite being the few panels of Martha Kent looking at a picture of Jonathan. Those pictures say so much with so little.

[Victor Orozco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful.

This begins what I can only say is an attempt to bring the Post-Crisis Superboy full circle as well as a fresh start after his wonderful resurrection from the Final Crisis spinoff, Legion of Three Worlds.

Conner Kent return to life leads him back to home at Smallville, family with the Kents, friends with Red Robin and Krypto to his love with Wonder Girl. There are a few awkward bumps that are resolved, some are not. Conner has hope, even as enemies come after him and he attempts to do all he can as a true hero can do.

Beautiful art and a nice story. I would love to read more. B

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe this rating is a little high, but here Geoff Johns does what he does best. Take an established character and add some depth to them. It took a 1,000 years for Kryptonian medicine to heal Connor Kent, the clone of Luthor and Superman from the savage beating he took in Crisis. Now he is seeking to find his way by moving to Smallville and following in Clark's steps while being concerned about how Luthor's DNA may influence his actions. Some new supporting characters, who show the promise to be interesting, are introduced and the dangling Connor/Tim/Cassie plot thread is dealt with.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you can get by the convoluted premise of Superboy's crazy history, this book is really good. The plot by Geoff Johns is low key and he gives Conner a great voice and personality. It is reminiscent of Peter Parker in Ultimate Spider-Man. The connection to the Luthor family is very interesting and I look forward to seeing where that goes. Francis Manapul's art was amazing. It has a softness and an edge at the same time. Its spectacular! Overall, this is a book that you should definitely check out!

[TJ Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, I really enjoyed this story. It deals with a Superboy, formerly dead, resurrected in the future and returned to the time period in which he died...(and inhale)...who is struggling to deal with the fact that half of his biology is from the world's foremost super villain and the other half from an alien who is earth's protector by the name of Superman.

Great internal struggles, dialogue with other teen titan members ,etc. Great read.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not really big into the sidekick characters getting their own books but this one was good. I like Conner Kent as a character and his story here is humanizing. The humor works for him but the best moments come from his constant comparing himself to Superman or Lex Luthor. Luthor is used well enough here, as is Braniac, but it's not really about the villains.
Also, it's nice that Krypto works so well Superboy. A boy and his dog stories always get me.

[John Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun story that brings Superboy back into mainstream DC continuity. And the art by Francis Manapul is breathtaking. He has quickly become one of my favorite working comic book artists. And Geoff Johns, yeah, he's okay... :)

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice character piece for Connor where hed decides exactly who he is, after finding out his origins. It does feel inconsequential like its the start of a major storyline, but stops when its getting interesting.