SUPERBOY #94
"The Hunt"
Recommended (8/10)
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DC Comics
Writers: Jimmy Palmiotti & Dan Didio
Pencils: John McCrea
Inks: James Hodgkins
Colors: Jason Wright & Digital Chameleon
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Mike McAvennie
Price: $2.25 US/$3.75 CAN |
This issue not only marks the debut of new creators on the title, but a radical shift in direction as well. Clone angst and secret government labs are left behind for more down-to-earth ideas and settings. Palmiotti and Didio have a solid humor book on their hands, as they not only mock the super-hero genre, but everyday life as well.
After a swift kick (both literal and metaphorical) from Wonder Girl at Young Justice headquarters, Superboy has decided he needs to finds some digs of his own. His search for an apartment in Metropolis proves to be far more difficult than he imagined, though. Everything is either too expensive or too... well, gross. Life is tough for a young super-hero with no income.
Though I've enjoyed his dark work on The Monarchy, I missed the zanier side of John McCrea's work, which we saw in abundance on the still-missed Hitman series. It's back. McCrea's twisted designs for the generic villains of this piece were almost as hilarious as the myriad of sleazy and creepy landlords and roommates that the title character encounters in this story.
There's only one real problem with Palmiotti and Didio's premise for this story. Superboy looks for a place of his own because he's underfoot in the Young Justice headquarters (he's shown to be sleeping in the shower), but the YJ HQ is a former mountain resort... "resort," as in "hotel." Chances are there's a room or two (or 200) for him to crash in. In order to get into the story, one must first get past this odd little glitch.
Fortunately, the story is so funny and explores such universal territory that it's not hard to get past it. If you haven't suffered through the indignity of an apartment search, it's time to cut the apron strings, me boyo. It's a process of one crushing defeat after another, and if anyone needs to be taken down a peg in such a fashion, it's Superboy. This sort of down-to-earth, everyday experience makes it easy to relate to this fantastic character, and I hope the shift in direction will draw in more readers.
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