Superboy #2 Mini-Review

Superboy #2 (DC Comics)
By Scott Lobdell, R.B. Silva, Eric Canete, Nick Filardi

Flashing back a month, we see the moment when Superboy first stumbled out of his test tube into the arms of Caitlin. Although he’s quickly targeted by the NOWHERE agents that spawned him, he soon proves how formidable he truly is. A month later, he’s ready for field work, and Rose Wilson takes him out for his first test. The development of this Superboy is intriguing to me. He’s got the same roots as the character we’re used to, but he seems to be growing in different and unexpected direction, which is a legitimate path to take, but still makes things feel a little left of center. I’m forced to wonder why they’re playing coy with Caitlin – have they actually said she’s Caitlin Fairchild of Gen 13, or are we all just assuming that because of her first name and appearance? I don’t remember them using her last name in this issue or issue one, which seems unnecessarily evasive if she’s who we all believe her to be. (Either that or Lobdell underestimated how recognizable the character would be and expected this to be a big reveal around issue four or five.) Prodicus, the new villain we’re introduced to this issue, isn’t bad. He’s big, he’s ugly, and he’s got way too many teeth. For this Superboy, that’s the perfect sort of character for him to face off against. I just wish they’d created a character that looked a bit less like the previous Superboy’s old sparring partner, King Shark. Solid issue, and I like the direction this book is taking.