tshepiso's review
Started on January 29th, 2023
DNF'd on February 6th, 2023
DNF'd at 68 pages (47%)
I really tried giving New Super-Man a chance, but, after 8 issues, I still couldn't connect with its story or characters. There was just something stilted and bland about Gene Luen Yang's writing here which was a disappointment. Protagonist Kong Kenan felt like he was going through the motions of a well-worn character arc. Familiar story beats aren't necessarily terrible, however, New Super-Man lacked the strong, detailed character writing that makes even the most heavily trod storylines impactful. Side characters Baixi and Deila continued to be moderately interesting but, even the possibility of learning more about them didn't intrigue me enough to finish this volume.
I think the real nail in the coffin for me with the series was how much I didn't like the art. The first handful of issues, pencilled by Billy Tan and inked by Yanqiu Li, often felt stiff and rushed. Action scenes especially felt as if characters were posing rather than moving. The character models and especially Kenan frequently had uncanny, plastic-y facial expressions and lacked a warmth that could have helped me connect with them.
So this is the end of the road for me and New Super-Man. I really did try to give this book a chance but it just didn't click with me.
DNF'd on February 6th, 2023
DNF'd at 68 pages (47%)
I really tried giving New Super-Man a chance, but, after 8 issues, I still couldn't connect with its story or characters. There was just something stilted and bland about Gene Luen Yang's writing here which was a disappointment. Protagonist Kong Kenan felt like he was going through the motions of a well-worn character arc. Familiar story beats aren't necessarily terrible, however, New Super-Man lacked the strong, detailed character writing that makes even the most heavily trod storylines impactful. Side characters Baixi and Deila continued to be moderately interesting but, even the possibility of learning more about them didn't intrigue me enough to finish this volume.
I think the real nail in the coffin for me with the series was how much I didn't like the art. The first handful of issues, pencilled by Billy Tan and inked by Yanqiu Li, often felt stiff and rushed. Action scenes especially felt as if characters were posing rather than moving. The character models and especially Kenan frequently had uncanny, plastic-y facial expressions and lacked a warmth that could have helped me connect with them.
So this is the end of the road for me and New Super-Man. I really did try to give this book a chance but it just didn't click with me.
More...