Last month, I said this might be my favorite book on my slate right now. Yeah, I think I can eliminate the “might be;” Super Sons is great, and I look forward to it more than just about anything that I read. Three issues in and it’s still going strong, delivering a healthy balance of laughs, action, and and story.
Before we pick up where the previous issue left off, we’re treated to a flashback with the Duffys, the family with the residual Amazo Virus powers. Times are a bit happier than when we last saw them, what with them working together and not fearing for their lives. Plus, they’re fighting a cybernetic gorilla, and as we all know gorillas make everything better. The math checks out. Trust me.
It’s a brief scene, but it does the job well. We get to see them work as a team, which is nice, and it further fleshes out their backstory. Seeing them in action both fleshes out the characters a bit and makes the threat of Kid Amazo that much more palpable.
After the opening scene, we enter into the gorilla-free portion of the issue, but it’s still pretty great. The story picks up right where the previous issue left off, with Damian and Jon fighting the other’s dad. As suspected, they’re just robots. This offers two things that work in the book’s favor: one, the boys can wail on them without fear of any true casualties or, even worse, reprimanding; and B) it leads to some truly hilarious dialogue later in the book.
Super Sons has a lot of strengths to be sure, but I think we can all agree that Damian and Jon yelling at and being jerks toward one another is tops, right?
And it’s not just because it’s funny. The dialogue is snappy and well-written, reading precisely how you’d expect two kids who only begrudgingly get along would talk to each other.
There’s still a weird sense of affection beneath the bickering and rivalry, though, so even though the boys are relentless with their jabs it never feels mean-spirited. On the contrary, it’s quite endearing and even hilarious seeing how exasperated they get with one another. Jon doesn’t tolerate Damian’s arrogance, nor does Damian suffer Jon’s innocence lightly. It’s easy to side with Jon since Damian is such a brash turd, but Robin still gets a few good jabs in there.
As much as I love the dream team of Tomasi and Gleason, Jorge Jimenez continues to prove that he’s a fine fit for the title. His style is great, giving Jon and Damian the lanky, awkward features that come with being a pre-teen and teenager, and his attention to detail continues to impress. It’s easy to miss, but nice little touches like the S-curl in Jon’s tousled hair give the characters personality.
Pay no mind to the slightly declining score, because this book is remarkably strong. The initial excitement and excellence may be waning just a tad, but that’s to be expected as the story finds its groove. There’s very little here that doesn’t work or that feels extraneous, and even my few criticisms are fairly negligible. About the only true complaints that I have is that Kid Amazo’s power set isn’t remarkably well-defined at this point, and there’s a revelation about the family that left me scratching my head a bit. Still, there are still a few installments left in the arc where questions can be answered, and the book’s strengths more than make up for slight narrative shortcomings.
When it was announced, I knew I was going to like Super Sons. I knew I may even love Super Sons. And guys, I really, really love Super Sons. If you’re still not on board for whatever reason, jump in now. It is so, so good. You won’t regret it.
Recommended if:
- You love great comics.
- You love the argumentative chemistry between Damian and Jon.
- Gorillas, even if for but a moment.
Overall: Another strong entry in the best new series of the year. Super Sons is everything comics should be: fun, exciting, involving, and above all entertaining. Tomasi’s writing is top-notch and the gorgeous visuals from Jimenez and Sanchez bring the action to vibrant life. This is a rare all-ages book that is nestled firmly in main continuity while truly appealing to readers young and old. Whether I ever run out of great things to say about this book remains to be seen, but as it stands right now, I can’t praise it enough. Super Sons is great, plain and simple.
SCORE: 9/10
