Superboy Ends with issue #34

[nj06]

I can't say that I'm surprised. Superboy was handled very poorly with the reboot IMO. I hope this isn't the end and we see more of him soon enough.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?p...ticle&id=52911

[tib2d2]

I was going to start a new thread about this, but I figured I'd just ask in this one you started.

What do they need to change to the Superboy character to make him able to have his own series again? Not looking for generic responses like "he needs a new creative team". Do they need to change anything to his current powerset? Does he even deserve his own title in the first place? Or just be in other titles as a secondary character.

[Deniz Camp]

What is your criteria for 'deserves'?

That's a serious question. Any character can be made interesting enough to support a title with the right creative and editorial team. Hawkeye failed for years to capture an audience, but when Matt Fraction and David Aja brought a distinctive style and a clear mission statement to the book (coupled with incredible storytelling skills from both), we had a (relative) hit. Animal Man, 4th tier character, has supporting ongoings for years as a result of such special alchemy.

The same could be true of Superboy, sure. It's made more complicated by his necessary subservience to the overall Superman line and goings on, but it's still very possible. It's happening at this very moment to Kid Loki, has been happening since Gillen took on the book.

It's unlikely that a Superboy book will ever light up the charts, but historically he's a character that supporting his own ongoing for 100 issues, has been a stalwart member of popular creative runs on Teen Titans and Young Justice, is embedded tightly in one of DC's most known franchises...in the grand scheme of things, there's more proof of his potential for success than many characters who are currently holding their own title(s) in the market.

Any new Superboy book would have to be different. It would have to be daring. That's a requirement for success of these secondary characters, and one that DC is failing to recognize or deliver upon.

If we're being honest, I don't think he warrants an immediate relaunch, a la Teen Titans or Suicide Squad. The sales don't seem to be there for that. But in a year or two, sure, why not?

[LosrCompany]

Bring him back to his roots ala Cadmus and Dubbilex and let somwone like Justin Jordan do whatever he wants without editorial interference. Oh yeah...NO MORE CROSS OVERS.

[Auguste Dupin]

A shame.
With Kuder writing it, it was starting to get pretty good.

[Flash Gordon]

I didn't read the Kuder issues, did he draw them too? If he did, I'll go buy them now.

I want a bit more punk rock in my SUPERBOY. Forget the dumb clone sagas, and move forward. Give us a real brash young kid who has no respect for authority, beyond Superman himself. Give him a supporting cast. Let him be a character on his own. Let CADMUS be a part of it, and the Guardian. Jimmy Olsen. Tana Moon. Kara. New characters too.

[CagedLeo730]

I didn't read the Kuder issues, did he draw them too? If he did, I'll go buy them now.

I want a bit more punk rock in my SUPERBOY. Forget the dumb clone sagas, and move forward. Give us a real brash young kid who has no respect for authority, beyond Superman himself. Give him a supporting cast. Let him be a character on his own. Let CADMUS be a part of it, and the Guardian. Jimmy Olsen. Tana Moon. Kara. New characters too.

Kuder is still drawing Action. His writing is what's causing more fill-in help on Action. He only could do this one arc.

[Bruce Wayne]

Bring him back to his roots ala Cadmus and Dubbilex and let somwone like Justin Jordan do whatever he wants without editorial interference. Oh yeah...NO MORE CROSS OVERS.

Jordan didn't exactly set Guardians and Supergirl on fire with his writing. I say no way.

[Superlad93]

I was going to start a new thread about this, but I figured I'd just ask in this one you started.

What do they need to change to the Superboy character to make him able to have his own series again? Not looking for generic responses like "he needs a new creative team". Do they need to change anything to his current powerset? Does he even deserve his own title in the first place? Or just be in other titles as a secondary character.

In all honesty I've been unsatisfied with the direction they took Superboy since day one of the new 52. The idea was sorta cool on it's own but I never felt the "Superboy" in all of it. I really felt like nearly any other character could have been in Harvest's plans. In the end it started to read like a bad 90's X-men book complete with the foolishly over complicated plot twist.

If we're talking working with what we've got. Well have him resurrect himself in a Kryptonian body (maybe he makes one from scratch using his power as a herald ) with the added benefit of his psychic powers now largely toned down due to the coming back to life. Rudimentary psychic/TK powers (lift up, push away, and levitate). Down play the "offreakinggoodness look at all that energy don't I look strong" with his psychic powers. keep it really really subtle. Like bending spoons in the 50's and 60's. Or like levitating objects and people. But obviously he'll be learning and growing in power just keep it subtle growth.

Smaller build (he's a young teen). It'll make his Kryptonian powers look more impressive when he uses them as a smaller kid and not someone who looks like they can lift a car. Also they should still be growing. He'd be around Clark's power from when he was young (15). We haven't really seen Kryptoinan powers in their infancy at work in the larger DCU (Clark's were used when no one else was a hero) So picking up cars and things of that nature. Power creativity will be the hook when it comes to this character on an adventure. Not just coming up with some random new TK power but mixing and matching brains brawn both sets of powers when the need is there. But still due to being Kryptonian he'll still be very hard to harm permanently. He also uses his psychic powers as a means to fly.

He remembers nothing of his past life but to seek out Superman. Reshape his personality from there as a more impish young man who enjoys life. maybe he has nightmares of his past life and Jon's life. He'll have to come to terms that both guys are no longer him. De-age him to like 15 (as I said above) or so as opposed to his 17 or 18 before death.

Put him in an anthology book revolving around the DNA PROJECT and other characters like Steel and his government job. Put Superboy in there after sometime in the background of the Action Comics and Batman/Superman books. make him friends with Toyman (the new one) try to keep the lone wolf angst away from the door. Why shouldn't he complete and honestly enjoy peoples company.

Doubt DC is into subtlety with this character. He holds a very special place of vulnerability in the Superman world that both Superman and Supergirl can't accesses because one has to be the top dog and the other an icon for little girls that can run with the big guns. Superboy is a what if story about a young Clark Kent in the loosest of ways. Can you still make a Superman without the formula (doomed planet, desperate scientist, kindly couple, Superman)? Kon-el is a look at that young Superman what if. The idea of not being quite good enough but still trying. The idea of actually showing him as the "straggler" of the Superman family has always been a notion that interested me. I'd like to depict that on all levels but his attitude. There is no sulking with this character. only over coming adversity by the skin of your teeth.

Plus it'd be fun to see a golden aged Superman along with the crazy powered one we have.

[stephens2177]

We'll they finally did it,and with jon in the drivers seat,not kon of the book.cant say I didn't see this coming at all,sad that it did,but this is NOT how the majority of kon fans see him,or want him.

What they need to do is get Karl Kesel and Greg Weisman in a room and hash out a cool hybrid of the two.

I did like that Lobdell included his TTK ability to be used for his super senses,kinda like a SUPED up manatees version of tactile hair,used as a big ass antenna http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...-manatees.html

Clone
TTK
Attitude
Leather jacket
Kon-el
Conner kent
Cadmus
Lex
Superman
Black t shirt
Simulate kryptonian powers
Solar battery
Somehow flawed
Never stop attitude
Smart
Tactile telekinesis senses,TK that can feel


There,gave you a few things to start with

Oh and only let him have levitation and TK blasts IF you put him in a flawed kryptonian body,if his TTK is as powerful as kryptonian powers,then keep it touch,but a awesomely powerful touch TK.

[dupersuper]

I'd call this a mercy killing...

[objectivewatcher2013]

No need to over complicate it. Go back to what to the fans want. The Geoff Johns Superboy half Superman/half Lex. Close friends with Tim Drake. A member of the Teen Titans. Dating Wondergirl. He must be "Conner", not Kon. Ditch the tron suit. Go back to what the majority of fans want, because this new 52 experiment failed miserably.

[Sacred Knight]

I don't want the Geoff Johns Clark-lite. I would rather have the Kessel Boy of Steel. He was the most successful iteration out of them all.

With that said though neither version is coming back.

The title may be ending but I see no indication yet that they're going to completely start over from scratch with the character. They'll either continue with Jon or bring Kon back, maybe retconning some origin material along the way.

[13th Superman]

In all honesty I've been unsatisfied with the direction they took Superboy since day one of the new 52. The idea was sorta cool on it's own but I never felt the "Superboy" in all of it. I really felt like nearly any other character could have been in Harvest's plans. In the end it started to read like a bad 90's X-men book complete with the foolishly over complicated plot twist.

If we're talking working with what we've got. Well have him resurrect himself in a Kryptonian body (maybe he makes one from scratch using his power as a herald ) with the added benefit of his psychic powers now largely toned down due to the coming back to life. Rudimentary psychic/TK powers (lift up, push away, and levitate). Down play the "offreakinggoodness look at all that energy don't I look strong" with his psychic powers. keep it really really subtle. Like bending spoons in the 50's and 60's. Or like levitating objects and people. But obviously he'll be learning and growing in power just keep it subtle growth.

Smaller build (he's a young teen). It'll make his Kryptonian powers look more impressive when he uses them as a smaller kid and not someone who looks like they can lift a car. Also they should still be growing. He'd be around Clark's power from when he was young (15). We haven't really seen Kryptoinan powers in their infancy at work in the larger DCU (Clark's were used when no one else was a hero) So picking up cars and things of that nature. Power creativity will be the hook when it comes to this character on an adventure. Not just coming up with some random new TK power but mixing and matching brains brawn both sets of powers when the need is there. But still due to being Kryptonian he'll still be very hard to harm permanently. He also uses his psychic powers as a means to fly.

He remembers nothing of his past life but to seek out Superman. Reshape his personality from there as a more impish young man who enjoys life. maybe he has nightmares of his past life and Jon's life. He'll have to come to terms that both guys are no longer him. De-age him to like 15 (as I said above) or so as opposed to his 17 or 18 before death.

Put him in an anthology book revolving around the DNA PROJECT and other characters like Steel and his government job. Put Superboy in there after sometime in the background of the Action Comics and Batman/Superman books. make him friends with Toyman (the new one) try to keep the lone wolf angst away from the door. Why shouldn't he complete and honestly enjoy peoples company.

Doubt DC is into subtlety with this character. He holds a very special place of vulnerability in the Superman world that both Superman and Supergirl can't accesses because one has to be the top dog and the other an icon for little girls that can run with the big guns. Superboy is a what if story about a young Clark Kent in the loosest of ways. Can you still make a Superman without the formula (doomed planet, desperate scientist, kindly couple, Superman)? Kon-el is a look at that young Superman what if. The idea of not being quite good enough but still trying. The idea of actually showing him as the "straggler" of the Superman family has always been a notion that interested me. I'd like to depict that on all levels but his attitude. There is no sulking with this character. only over coming adversity by the skin of your teeth.

Plus it'd be fun to see a golden aged Superman along with the crazy powered one we have.

I clap my hand to this! Doors open for another Superboy in a way if you've seen the end of Forever Evil 7.

[Lexrules]

I don't want the Geoff Johns Clark-lite. I would rather have the Kessel Boy of Steel. He was the most successful iteration out of them all.

With that said though neither version is coming back.

The title may be ending but I see no indication yet that they're going to completely start over from scratch with the character. They'll either continue with Jon or bring Kon back, maybe retconning some origin material along the way.

I don't know about that. He was popular with the comic book people but in the main stream like Cartoons and TV like Smallville it was Conner Kent.