Lobdell, always original, opens with an “homage” to Pulp Fiction. Along with Silva and Lean’s sparse, awkward artwork, it does not suggest this issue of Superboy will be an improvement on the last.

Silva, who I apparently found okay before, is really lousy here. There are a couple panels I can’t believe DC let be published with the Swoosh on the cover. The artwork is stunningly amateurish.

As for the writing, Lobdell is now firmly situated in Superboy’s point of view. He’s using it mostly for exposition–Superboy thinking about how his powers work, for example–and he can’t make it feel contemporary with the action.

Lots happens but almost nothing happens. Superboy goes to the center of the Earth, aids and abets a murderer and fights a Greek or Roman goddess. Lobdell and Silva fail to make any of those events interesting.

Superboy is almost too lousy to mock.

CREDITS

Free at Last, Free at Last; writer, Scott Lobdell; penciller, R.B. Silva; inker, Rob Lean; colorists, Richard Horie and Tanya Horie; letterer, Carlos M. Mangual; editor, Chris Conroy; publisher, DC Comics.

I feel like Lobdell’s approach to Superboy is to fling as much senseless garbage at the reader as possible and how they ignore the lack of story. Or the endless comparisons to Marvel’s Ultimate Universe.

N.O.W.H.E.R.E.?

Really? DC really went to Warner Bros. and sold them on doing a knock-off Ultimate Universe, complete with stand-ins for SHIELD? Did they tell the Warner suits they’d be able to have movies with it too?

Superboy is crap, but it’s not even exciting crap. Oh, there’s Lobdell writing a “strong” female character, but it’s just bad, but amusing. I guess it’s sort of funny how he’s got Superboy thinking in all sorts of twenty-first century colloquialisms and none of it makes sense unless Superboy watched sitcoms… but, again, so what?

It’s crap.

But the art isn’t terrible, even though the content is boring. Silva occasionally even tries some innovative compositions.

CREDITS

Superboys and their Toys; writer, Scott Lobdell; penciller, R.B. Silva; inker, Rob Lean; colorists, Richard Horie and Tanya Horie; letterer, Carlos M. Mangual; editor, Chris Conroy; publisher, DC Comics.

Did Scott Lobdell come up with the new Superboy approach, I wonder… It’s compelling. Superboy’s still a clone, but the comic is going to examine his creation. It’s a mix of Species, Supreme Power and The Incredible Hulk–at least the Robert Downey Jr. cameo.

In other words, it is not original. Not in any way shape or form. It’s just a good regurgitation of other successful media items. In many ways, it’s the best approach to a book straining for personality.

Lobdell can’t give the comic the personality it needs because he’s waiting to reveal Lex Luthor as the big bad guy. Unless he comes up with a retcon, but I doubt it. Superboy wouldn’t have the same effect without the troubled origin.

It’s hard to say what will happen next in terms of story quality. Lobdell seems perfectly happy to mix it all up again.

It’s practically mediocre.

CREDITS

The Clone; writer, Scott Lobdell; penciller, R.B. Silva; inker, Rob Lean; colorist, Richard Horie and Tanya Horie; letterer, Carlos M. Mangual; editor, Chris Conroy; publisher, DC Comics.