Jeff Lemire’s Superboy – the comic I’m loving

I’ve had enough of complaining about comics. Let’s talk about a comic that everyone should read. From Rafael Albuquerque’s first cover for Superboy #1, I knew that I would be in love with this series, but then again, I’m biased.

Just before I really started getting into comics with Green Lantern #50, my interest in comic books was sparked by the Death of Superman. I remember crying when the first real superhero in the world was killed by Doomsday, but I immediately connected to Superboy (who insisted on being called “Superman”). Looking back, his fashion was horribly dated by 90′s cliche, but he had attitude, so I was in.

When Geoff Johns was writing Teen Titans, I read the book because Superboy was one of the lead characters. He had grown up a little bit and Johns added a layer of depth to his character by including the revision that his DNA was half Superman and half Lex Luthor. Suddenly, he was much more than just a clone, but a teen with the very real problem of trying to find his place in the world. If we are ruled by our DNA, then Connor has a 50/50 shot of becoming the world’s greatest hero or its greatest villain.

Johns has always had a knack for giving characters emotional weight and his characterization of Superboy speaks volumes to his talent as a writer. Before Teen Titans, Superboy really had no other name other than “Superboy.” By the time Johns was done with him, he became known as “Connor Kent” and he was much more relatable than the leather jacket wearing poster boy for 90′s attitude.

When Johns returned to Superboy in the pages of Adventure Comics, he covered much of the same ground that he did in the pages of Teen Titans, but it was more because of the abrupt nature of Connor’s death in the pages of Infinite Crisis. Connor had never come to terms with his dilemma of being Superman and Lex Luthor, so Johns and Manapul’s collaboration on Superboy closed that chapter on Connor’s life. His soul finally at ease with the knowledge that he can choose his own destiny, Connor could move on to new stories and a new life.

Jeff Lemire and Pier Gallo are the creative team on Superboy and they have taken the core ideas that Johns established and improved upon them. They have shown that Superboy can have a lot of heart on his own and without the narrow focus of questioning his destiny. The Johns run was necessary to establish a foundation for the character, but Lemire is taking Connor beyond and into the realm of the hero he is meant to be. It’s a journey that you should be apart of.

Along the way, Lemire has improved upon characters that Johns introduced in his run and he has done the impossible . . . he made Smallville interesting. First, lets look at the cast of characters:

Simon Valentine – Simon was introduced during the Johns run, and it was hinted at that he would become Connor’s best friend but also his greatest enemy. It’s been established that Simon possesses a brilliant scientific mind and is clearly passionate to act heroically, and Lemire has done an excellent job of making the character’s intentions somewhat ambiguous. He has already figured out that Superboy and Connor Kent are one in the same and it seems as if he wants to team up with Superboy, but Pier Gallo penciled an excellent haunting expression on Simon’s face when Connor informs him that they can’t hang out together at school. The rift is already beginning.

Simon is responsible for my favorite moment in the series thus far (I know we’re only four issues in, but its still cool) when he creates an army of frogs with Parasite’s powers. Its a moment that not only shows Simon’s intellect, but also given that he is utilizing a Superman villain’s powers, it shows that he might be a bit evil, and finally, it is such a fun and silver age type idea that it makes the reader smile.

Lori Luthor – Lex’s niece has been established as Connor’s love interest for the series, but it has recently been revealed that she has latent psychic or telekinetic powers of her own. While she could easily fall into the role of a Lois Lane, it’s pretty clear that Lemire has bigger plans for her. Also, since she has figured out that Connor and Superboy are the same person (really not too tough to figure out, I suppose) Lemire is making it clear that he doesn’t want to go down the same old road of “will she figure out that he is a hero?” that we’ve seen time and time again. It’s a refreshing change and just one of many ways that Lemire is trying to subvert the stories that we all know and love.

Psionic Lad – Not really sure how long he’ll be part of the book, but Psionic Lad traveled back in time from the year 2216 to learn how to be a hero from Connor . . . or did he? The mystery that Psionic Lad offers is exciting and I can’t wait to see how this one plays out!

Smallville – More than all of the individual characters though, Lemire has given Smallville a laugh of its own. While Metropolis clearly has its own unique place in the DCU, Smallville has always felt like an afterthought to me. Most of the time, it is depicted as nothing more than just the Kent farm, but Lemire has put together a mystery about the secret life of Smallville that Superboy must uncover that really appeals to me as a midwesterner.

The idea of mystery and magic lying beneath the surface of a rural town is a theme that Lemire explored within Essex County, and it’s a perfect fit for this series. Its unknown exactly what is going on in Smallville, but it has the Phantom Stranger worried and it features alien Mennonites, so it’s going to be crazy and awesome by the end.

I wish this book had come out when I was a teen. It strikes a nostalgic chord and it is a book that has a lot of heart. Definitely check it out and tell all your friends because I don’t want Lemire to leave.