A review by twilliamson
Superman Vol. 2: Trials of the Super Son (Rebirth) by Patrick Gleason, Peter J. Tomasi
3.0
Trial of the Super Sons might be named after the big confrontation between Superman's son and Batman's son, but the stories contained in this volume actually range a number of arcs; there's a one-off story about the Kent (Smith) family visit to a county fair, a two-part story on Dino Island, the aforementioned trial of the super sons, and a two-part story featuring DC's Frankenstein.
Although each story might contain enough punching to level a few buildings, the heart of the stories are really Superman's relationship to his family. In the county fair issue, Clark struggles to balance his life as Superman with his life as devoted father and husband. In the Dino Island arc, he worries about the impact of danger on his son. In the super son arc, Clark's style of parenting clashes violently with Bruce's style. In the Frankenstein arc, Lois and Clark meet with Frankenstein and his ex-wife, learning that their relationship couldn't withstand their son becoming a monster.
It is really these character moments that actually make this collection worth reading, and Tomasi and company really drive home the central character conceits that make Superman such a wonderful character. I'm very pleased that DC is finally willing to bring back the Superman of old, even though I still admit that the rest of the universe around Superman is increasingly less interesting after the events of the New 52. I would prefer greater arcs that don't involve as much punching or explosions, but that's ultimately just personal preference; the character work is still very good, and I find this a dramatic improvement over the New 52.
Although each story might contain enough punching to level a few buildings, the heart of the stories are really Superman's relationship to his family. In the county fair issue, Clark struggles to balance his life as Superman with his life as devoted father and husband. In the Dino Island arc, he worries about the impact of danger on his son. In the super son arc, Clark's style of parenting clashes violently with Bruce's style. In the Frankenstein arc, Lois and Clark meet with Frankenstein and his ex-wife, learning that their relationship couldn't withstand their son becoming a monster.
It is really these character moments that actually make this collection worth reading, and Tomasi and company really drive home the central character conceits that make Superman such a wonderful character. I'm very pleased that DC is finally willing to bring back the Superman of old, even though I still admit that the rest of the universe around Superman is increasingly less interesting after the events of the New 52. I would prefer greater arcs that don't involve as much punching or explosions, but that's ultimately just personal preference; the character work is still very good, and I find this a dramatic improvement over the New 52.