Superboy #7

[superfangirl1]

Comments

[protogarrett]

(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

If anyone wants me I'm going to stop reading comics for a while and come back later. Hopefully the maid will have come in and cleaned this all up.

[majingojira]

Teen Titans, Blue Beetle and Superboy all seem to be suffering from the same two problems: a lack of catharsis/catahartic moments for the heroes/readers and not giving a good reason for the reader to give a damn about the lead characters.

It honestly took like 4-6 issues for us to get ONE scene that made us like Bunker in TT and no one else got something like it.

There's no real emotional stake here. We just don't care outside of nostalgia for what came before.

(Edited for Clarity)

[aindra]

Well, I don't know about Blue Beetle, but other than that, I agree.

These comics likes to tell, rather than show and that lessens the impact if there're even any.

[darkknightjrk]

That's not really the case for me--I can't argue about Blue Beetle, since I haven't been reading it, but I don't know if lack of catharsis has anything to do with it--consider Batman, for example, who's been getting manipulated and/or his ass kicked by the Court of Owls for five issues straight and yet that was still insanely good.

I also liked Bunker and most of the Titans from word one.

As for emotional stake--Superboy DEFINITELY has emotional stake. He wants to be free from his prisoners and thought making a deal with them would make it possible, but now he's rebelling against them. Tim is a super-hero and therefore needs to help these kids, and, if he was a little honest, make a a connection with people his own age. Cassie is filled with doubt and regret on where her life has gone, but she's compelled to be on the side of the heroes.

At least, that's all IMO.

[aindra]

If you don't mind me butting in... I'm not denying I didn't enjoy the comics. I like them very much and I'll continue with them.

I do know they have emotional stakes, but. Perhaps it's the story pace, writing style (tell, not show) or artstyle (in Superboy's case.) or other reasons not known to me that's obstructing it for me so I'm not getting a full connection as I'd like.

[majingojira]

But did Batman achieve something even in the face of that?

Bunker is the one I mentioned, but it took his soothing of Skitter to win anything over on my end (the following comedy was also better than his initial comedic lines).

That is an emotional stake for Superboy, which would work if he didn't crap all over everyone else in his quest for it. From the way I read him, he lacks empathy.

Those are villain traits, not hero ones. Therefor, I don't care about him.

And the others, I didn't really get their proper motivations from what I read. Cassie came off as more selfish and Tim came off as more 'stick it to the man rebelion!" in my view.

But those are subjective to a degree.

[thefiretonight]

I'm surprised you didn't also post Rose talking about her love of Caitlin.

I actually thought this was the best issue of the series since #1. I'm interested to see how the cop, Jocelyn, we saw in TT deals with Superboy's association with them since she seems to have a friendly enough relationship with Kon for him to trust going to her when he saved Caitlin from NOWHERE. And what her connection with Bart is.

[kenn_el]

My guess is she's connected to the Legion (possibly XS?), but it is sort of a cheat that Superboy's meeting her happened off-panel. I like the main character in this. He just isn't Superboy to me.

[thefiretonight]

I like him, too. And no, he isn't like the Superboy I grew up with in YJ. I'm sort of going with the plan of treating him as a brand new character, unlike what I did when Johns changed the character. [I stopped reading for a long time because of the changes in that era.] But eventually, I accepted the TT version of Kon so I'm trying to go with that flow, I guess? :)

Yeah, I'm pretty sure Jocelyn is connected to the Legion but it'll be interesting to see how.

[aindra]

Aaand I like you.

Superboy here is just too different so I won't be comparing him to original Superboy, because in my mind, they're not same person. It makes it much easier for me to accept him and enjoy the story whatever it is.

[thefiretonight]

Same with the Teen Titans, especially the "core four" because a lot of who they were was shaped a lot by having known each other for so long. They really influenced each other. But so far, I'm liking the way the SB/TT corner of the DCnU is shaping up. :)

[aindra]

Likewise! I still remember that introductory scene in YJ; they (three) already had history in very first comic. So this is nice to see them start anew though it does hamper things when one have to introduce every member early as possible.

Well, I'm off to bed! Have fun.

[darkknightjrk]

"And no, he isn't like the Superboy I grew up with in YJ"

Funny thing is, the stuff in the VR room in the first issue did strike me like a more calmer version of the 90s Superboy--carefree and flirty.

[thefiretonight]

He kinda did with me, too, but I do wonder if that was his real personality or just him playing possum since he knew that the world was fake.

[darkknightjrk]

I imagine a little bit of both--"I know I'm trapped in this fake world, but I'll just do what I want to do in it."

[icon_uk]

That would be the first issue where it's noted he's pretty much completely lacking in empathy, and walks right past a burning building without doing anything to help because he feels nothing for the woman inside?

[darkknightjrk]

Sorta. He doesn't help because he knows it's a simulation--the people at NOWHERE say it's a lack of empathy because they didn't know the full extent of his abilities.

[majingojira]

And yet, outside the simulation, he continues that lack of empathy behavior as far as I'm concerned.

[darkknightjrk]

"I'm surprised you didn't also post Rose talking about her love of Caitlin."

Yeah, it's getting to the point where the line between subtext and text becomes a bit blurry. A couple more issues and they might officially be Harley/Ivy status.

[thefiretonight]

I don't think I would mind that one bit since there's no current Harley/Ivy. :)

[rainspirit]

That doesn't look like Wonder Girl to me.

But whoever she might resemble, she looks great.

[darkknightjrk]

This has quickly become my favorite take on Cassie, honestly, especially in terms of look in costume and physique (Booth draws her like she can really kick some ass. :D)

[majingojira]

Visually, I can't argue against ya there!

[qalchemist]

I don't know her well enough to tell how her characterization changed - my TT was an older version, and I hadn't read the more recent ones - but I /love/ that red/starfield outfit.

I don't know why. I just think it looks awesome.

[halloweenjack]

ROSE GO STABBY

[lencannon]

Woah! What an awesome, belligerent superthief!

[shadowpsykie]

love this series, and love Teen Titans, LOVE Rose. these and supergirl are amongst my favorites (as well as Batman, and BoP!)

that is all :D

[atom_punk]

Impressive how the dude in the gold suit managed to get one with an integrated eyepatch.

Also, these character's are gorgeously drawn! I think Wonder Girl especially.

Can anyone fill me in on Cassandra Sandsmark's current status/origin in DCNu? Donna Troy seems to have vanished as far as I am aware.

[lascoden]

They haven't really delved too far into her back-story yet, but I think they've said she's a runaway who stole a bunch of mystical artifacts, the lasso and gauntlets that power-up the longer she fights. They haven't mentioned anything about Donna, yet.