Superboy: Who's your favourite?

[silveragesupermanfan]

Clark Kent is Superboy!

[Mr. Holmes]

I personal consider Superboy from both Kesel's and Johns' runs as the same character from the same continuity. That's just my opinion.

And that was Johns's intent, but it doesn't hold up at all under scrutiny.

[Lexrules]

I really liked Conner right before the New reboot. I felt he finally really understood what being a hero was all about and was taking the next step to becoming a Superman of his own. I find it sad that DC needed to change him pretty much back to square one with the Reboot.

[Ice Wolf]

And that was Johns's intent, but it doesn't hold up at all under scrutiny.

Agree it just didn't work, he altered just about everything about the character (origin, costume, personality, name) from his first story (Teen Titans not the characters 1st story), did virtually the same to Bart.

It didn't make any sense for Kon to go by the Conner Kent alias with his friends, they knew him as Kon. It also protected Clark Kents identity, the old Kon wouldn't even discuss Clark Kent being Superman with Lois when he first found out because he didn't want to risk Clarks identity by assuming she knew.

[Lexrules]

Agree it just didn't work, he altered just about everything about the character (origin, costume, personality, name) from his first story (Teen Titans not the characters 1st story), did virtually the same to Bart.

It didn't make any sense for Kon to go by the Conner Kent alias with his friends, they knew him as Kon. It also protected Clark Kents identity, the old Kon wouldn't even discuss Clark Kent being Superman with Lois when he first found out because he didn't want to risk Clarks identity by assuming she knew.

But that is called growing up. He grew as a character into a young man with respect and a sense of responsibility. Conner moving in with Ma Kent and taking care of Krypto was exactly what the character needed to grow.

[Theozilla]

But that is called growing up. He grew as a character into a young man with respect and a sense of responsibility. Conner moving in with Ma Kent and taking care of Krypto was exactly what the character needed to grow.

I agree, during and after Adventure Comics Superboy IMO really felt like he had matured, and in a way that he wanted. And as much as I find Lobdell current Superboy series to be interesting, especially in terms of ideas, I had much more (positive) emotional response to Johns' and Lemire's Adventure and Superboy series/runs.

[AdamYJ]

I liked the Kesel and company '90s Superboy. The one who was an altered clone of Paul Westfield. He had this whole Peter Pan meets Superman meets '70s Jack Kirby thing going. I liked his attitude, too. He was kind of cocky and a show-off and a little bit of a hothead, but there was still something that was really likable about him. Probably his joie de vive. He seemed to really enjoy being a superhero, to the point where he'd sort of have fun with the perks of it (posing for pictures, signing autographs, etc).

But that is called growing up. He grew as a character into a young man with respect and a sense of responsibility. Conner moving in with Ma Kent and taking care of Krypto was exactly what the character needed to grow.

Maybe, but he just didn't seem all that fun to read about for me anymore.

[Ice Wolf]

The old pre Teen Titans Kon, seemed far more responsible if a little naive at times, he also was very sure of himself and what he wanted to be.

[Ice Wolf]

I agree, during and after Adventure Comics Superboy IMO really felt like he had matured, and in a way that he wanted. And as much as I find Lobdell current Superboy series to be interesting, especially in terms of ideas, I had much more (positive) emotional response to Johns' and Lemire's Adventure and Superboy series/runs.

Lobdell's Superboy works much better if you think of him as Match developing a conscience & N.O.W.H.E.R.E. as The Agenda

[Sacred Knight]

But that is called growing up. He grew as a character into a young man with respect and a sense of responsibility. Conner moving in with Ma Kent and taking care of Krypto was exactly what the character needed to grow.

I just would have preferred that progression had it been born naturally out of who Kon originally was. I definitely don't begrudge Johns for wanting to give Kon some internal conflict, but he basically turned him into an entirely different character to do it. To me what was appealing about Superboy in the 90s was how different he was from a young Clark Kent. He has the same heart and the same desire to do good, but at the same time had a natural whimsy and ego that Clark did not. When Johns introduced the Lex conflict, Conner basically turned into a Clark clone with a fear of villainy on the side.

The former is what I see Lobdell's Kon evolving into. Right out of the pod he was extremely confident in himself to the point of arrogance despite being new not only to his powers but his own very state of being, but with the kind of robotic personality and nature that comes with basically having programmed intelligence. Now he's developing a personality, one that includes plenty of snark, sarcasm, and humor while at the same time displaying he has a heart. If Clark and Kon had grown up together as brothers, I see Kon as the one getting Clark into trouble and being overall the "naughtier" of the two. That's how I like to see Kon written.

[Ice Wolf]

I just would have preferred that progression had it been born naturally out of who Kon originally was. I definitely don't begrudge Johns for wanting to give Kon some internal conflict, but he basically turned him into an entirely different character to do it. To me what was appealing about Superboy in the 90s was how different he was from a young Clark Kent. When Johns introduced the Lex conflict, Conner basically turned into a Clark clone with a fear of villainy on the side.

No to mention that Kon already had the internal conflict, first with not wanting to be like Westfield and then not wanting to turn into Black Zero. They had pretty much resolved that it isn't where you come from that makes you what you are it is your actions.

[stephens2177]

I think Lobdells SB is gonna make both camps (kesel and johns) happy in the future,just give it time.

[Lexrules]

No to mention that Kon already had the internal conflict, first with not wanting to be like Westfield and then not wanting to turn into Black Zero. They had pretty much resolved that it isn't where you come from that makes you what you are it is your actions.

By the middle 90's Westfield was a afterthought. I see why DC switch the DNA to Luthor because it is a character that will always be there and would always make Conner unsure about what is his true personality.

They were kinda caught between a rock and a hard place with Superboy. I don't think they saw him as a character that would be around as long as he has when he was created back in 92 so they had to switch tactics and origins in the way they did.

[Lexrules]

I think Lobdells SB is gonna make both camps (kesel and johns) happy in the future,just give it time.

Need to get him out of that electric suit first and foremost.

[AdamYJ]

By the middle 90's Westfield was a afterthought. I see why DC switch the DNA to Luthor because it is a character that will always be there and would always make Conner unsure about what is his true personality.

They were kinda caught between a rock and a hard place with Superboy. I don't think they saw him as a character that would be around as long as he has when he was created back in 92 so they had to switch tactics and origins in the way they did.

I actually have to say, that that's kind of what I liked about Superboy's situation. Superboy was cloned from an evil man, but it had become a non-issue. How often do we see that in superhero comic books? Usually, it's some big thing that sticks with a character forever. The whole "daddy issues" thing has been done with so many other characters. It was done with Orion. It was done with Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. It was done with Shand Chi. It was done with the Son of Satan (and just try topping that one for "most evil dad"). It was done, most famously, with Luke Skywalker. They're doing it right now in the Young Justice cartoon with Artemis. That's one of the biggest problems I had with the revamp of Superboy in the pages of Teen Titans. I felt like he had been changed into a character I had already seen in a million other places.

My other big problem is who they chose to be the DNA donor. Okay, I know there are a lot of Luthor fans around here. I know he's supposed to be Superman's archenemy and an important character. However, I don't think I've ever really enjoyed any of the Luthor stories I've read. He's just not a fun villian to read about. Yet, DC seems to use him in everything Superman-related anyway. But then, I prefer my DC super-villians over-the-top and colorful. Luthor's just so low-key in everything except his exposure.