New Super-Man #7

[zapbiffpow]

In a B plot about family pride, New Super-Man does New Battle for the Cowl! Also, everything is a Hogwarts AU, even the Justice League.

Plus, I-Ching is right where he wants to be in life. Check it!

Writer: Gene Luen Yang
Art: Richard Friend, Viktor Bogdanovic

The Story:

After celebrating last issue's plane rescue (there's a hilarious Lex moment here, but page limit dictates I can't make you folks see it here. Maybe a loophole of some sort?) Justice League China splits up for the holidays before their big, secret 'investigate our own boss' mission.

Here's a lead for those folks who were asking about Wonder-Woman's origin:

So Deilan's a single specimen dealie, like Kenan, I assume. Anyway, Bat-Man takes Wonder-Woman to a neo-Hogwarts facility, the Academy of the Bat, populated by China's best and brightest youth. (Turns out there's also an Academy of the Lantern, but only in a cameo capacity here.)

Baixi is interrupted by Fei Rongpei, his best friend before they drifted apart:

Of course, there's a good chance his sister is actually Joker China, so this might end in tears. But so far, it's a nice character portrait of Tubby Batman.

Meanwhile in the A-Plot, Kenan and Ming-Ming (the helpful second-in-command to Dr. Omen, JLC's head honcho) seek out a mentor to help unlock Superman's powers: old Wonder Woman companion I-Ching.

Kenan, overconfident and banking on his rep, makes an ass of himself:

Cue whoop-assing.

I really dig Bat-Man's established relationships here! Aside from his burgeoning romance with Wonder-Woman, his desire to be someone his sister could be proud of is a nice little variant of Regular Batman's own family motivations.

The only real concerns here are the conventionality of the Joker reveal and Wonder-Woman not getting this type of focused arc in the future. It's the Wonder Women who always seem to get the short stick of the coverage. Otherwise, solid issue!

Next post is a big-ass Catch-Up for Shade, the Changing Girl, which might be Young Animal's best book. Stay tuned!