Review: Superman Vol. 2- Trials of the Super Son
Quick Summary
Pros: The first issue of this collection is a fantastic and wholesome look at the Super-family. The “In the Name of the Father” story arc is funny while still telling a great story.
Cons: This volume brings back a couple of older storylines, which new readers may not appreciate as much.
Overall: This volume is a great continuation of the positives that the first volume brought to the series. It is relaxing while still having plenty of adventure, wholesome while still having action, and overall just a good comic book. This is a comic that Superman fans will love, while still providing a genuinely good story for non-Superman fans.
Story
Superman Vol. 1: Son of Superman (Review) delivered fans the type of Superman story that they had waited years for, and now Superman Vol. 2: Trial of the Super Sons continues to work with that success. This book is a collection of four short, yet impactful, stories that range from good to fantastic. Though references to older comic series will obviously appeal more to longtime DC Comics readers, there is still something for everyone here. This is a great comic book and a wonderful addition to Superman’s legacy.
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This collection starts with what may be one of my more favorite comic book issues in recent years. Superman #7 is a wholesome story about a family that just happens to also be a fantastic Superman story. It humanizes Clark and his family more in one issue than some entire story arcs. This is simply a fantastic story and is something that I will personally be showing people when they ask me why Superman is a character they should care about.
After this great opening, the series moves on to tell several other short stories, the best of which is “In the Name of the Father.” This story follows Damian Wayne and Jonathan Kent interacting for one of the first times and discovering that their personalities are radically different. However, their parents force them to confront this issue and discover a way in which they can work together. It is a story filled with humor, touching moments, and genuine character development that any reader will enjoy. In addition, it also serves as a nice prelude to the pair’s adventures in Super Sons (see our review of the first issue of Super Sons here).
Outside of these two stories, which should be enjoyable to everyone, the level of enjoyment this collection’s other stories bring is going to be something which may vary for each reader, depending on their prior knowledge and experience with DC Comics. This is because “Escape from Dinosaur Island” and “Super-Monster” are direct continuations of previous DC comic books (check our Continuity section at the end of this review to see exactly which ones). Because of this, readers who have experience with these stories will be very happy to see them come back. However, readers who have no experience with these stories may not enjoy them as much. Overall though, these two arcs still hold up on their own, so the only difference that readers will experience is the difference between a good and a great story.
My only real problem with this entire collection is that the Frankenstein story feels a little forced. An alien assassin randomly taking over the body of Lois’ new boss seems way too strange, especially since it has nothing to do with Superman. Thus, it makes this part of the story feel a little unbelievable.
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Art
This volume is mostly drawn by the same artists as the previous one so see that review here for a more in depth review of the art.
Continuity
This volume flows directly out of the events of Superman Vol. 1: Son of Superman (Review). The story then continues in Superman Vol. 3: Multiplicity (Review).
This volume also references and continues the stories from many other comic books, all of which are detailed below:
- “Escape from Dinosaur Island” is a near direct continuation of Darwin Cook’s DC: The New Frontier.
- Goliath and Nobody make their first appearances in Robin: Son of Batman: The Year of Blood (Review).
- Robin tells Superboy about his pets and their adventures.
- He mentions Titus going to Apokolips to get him and bring him back to life. This happens in Batman and Robin Vol. 6: The Hunt for Robin and Batman and Robin Vol. 7: Robin Rises.
- Damian also talks about how he rescued Bat Cow. This happened in Batman Incorporated Vol. 1: The Demon Star.
- Lois mentions being busy with work. The cause of this is detailed in Action Comics Vol. 2: Welcome to the Planet (Review).
- Frankenstein and his wife appear in this book and talk about their history together. This history mostly happens in Frankenstein Agent of S.H.A.D.E. Vol. 2: Secrets of the Dead.
Collection Notes
Every issue in found in this collection can also be found in:
- Superman: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book 1, which collects: