The current action comics show how they dive deep into Clark Kent’s life as a superboy and deal with being a teenager and fledgling superhero. Anyone who was a teenager knows that puberty is never easy, and with a superpower it doubles. Action Comic #1089 throws another wrench into the mix when Clark’s history teacher Adam Blake reveals what he knows about Clark’s powers.
How does Blake know about this? He turns out to be the superhero himself. He is a mutant known as Captain Comet! (Yes, there were other mutant heroes long before the X-Men exploded into the scene.) With the arrival of Captain Comet, he quits his knowledge of superheroes and offers them alongside Clark. Like Clark, Blake lives a modest life, but has great power…and has experiences that fit it. He also knows about some other aliens, like Clark.
Waid doesn’t avoid how this affects Clark mentally. He was always trying to hide his strength, but the possibility of failure sends him into the spiral. Going to school is not a problem. Because he has to deal with Lanarang (the hormonal cue) and the bully Kenny Braverman (who does everything to keep Kenny from socking into low orbit with Kenny’s power). This is Clark Kent, who doesn’t know the right path.
DC
Again, Skylar Partridge deserves credit for the way she portrays teenage Clark Kent. Instead of the iconic spit curls and neatly exposed hair, her Clark has a mess of black curls on his head. Superman is well-structured and may have a proper speech at hand, but Superboys often give his feelings his best. A proper case: The scene where Kenny Braverman pushes Clark away sees Clark’s face red with embarrassment. On top of that, Ican Plascensia fills the background with a bright shade of red, indicating that Clark is his resourcefulness.
That contrasts with how Captain Comet is portrayed. He is cold, direct, and comes to full control of his powers. His transformation may be the most memorable part of the comic, especially the way Partridge draws it. However, the presence of Captain Comet allows the creative team to overturn the traditional “superheroes who meet superheroes” story. Most often, when Superman joined forces with the hero, whether it was his Justice League compatriot or a legion of superheroes, he got along well with them. Meanwhile, Comet appears to be determined to push him to his limits, leading to a twist on the last page that writes about trouble for the Steel Boy.
Action Comic #1089 puts unexpected pressure on Clark Kent and shows that his teenage years were just as tough, if not as harsh as others. These elements continue to escape from simply walking through the nest and partridge run. They aim to do something really different to Superboys.
“Action Comic” #1089 is piled up with teenage anxiety
Action Comic #1089
Action Comic #1089 puts unexpected pressure on Clark Kent and shows that his teenage years were just as tough, if not as harsh as others. These elements continue to escape from simply walking through the nest and partridge run. They aim to do something really different to Superboys.
Waid begins to stack teenage anxiety on Clark Kent’s plates, showing that becoming a super boy isn’t easy.
Partridge has a gift for drawing teenagers and all their raging hormones.
An excellent use of old school superheroes to flip books on superhero mentor concept.
The way the creative team is adding new wrinkles to Superboy’s history is worthy of praise.
