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Mild Mannered Reviews - Superboy Comics

Superboy: Futures End #1

Scheduled to arrive in stores: September 10, 2013

Cover date: November 2014

"Super"

Writer: Frank J. Barbiere
Penciller: Ben Caldwell
Inker: Ben Caldwell
Cover: Jorge Jimenez & Michael Atiyeh

Reviewed by: Adam Dechanel

Click to enlarge

Five years into the future and we see Kon-El fighting a Superboy Robot clone.

Superboy is suffering from a clone disease which is making his powers fluctuate.

It seems in the past few years the DCU has been flooded with defective clones of Superboy all causing destruction and battling for survival.

Aided in his quest to kill his clones is Rose Wilson and Guardian along with his girlfriend Roxie aka Freefall. They succeed in killing the robot and have some downtime where Kon is downhearted that he is now too weak and defective to take Superman's place and how he failed the Titans, Gen13, and everyone in general.

His misery is short lived as the last three clones arrive after tracking Kon-El to Manhattan. We have three very different Teens of Steel. A masked one, a cyborg and one that looks like H'El.

They fight immediately, demanding that Kon give them the cure to their disease. It is only then they realize even Kon is sick. With the help of his friends Superboy is able to fight off his clones but he discovers they have learnt a special trick. When they die the surviving clone is able to absorb the strength and abilities of the fallen.

H'El Superboy expands like a steroid infused body builder as he becomes infused with his 'brothers' and explains to Kon he has a device in his chest that stores his super strength despite the disease.

With the aid of Roxie and a well timed spring from Guardian's shield Superboy is able to tear into and through his brother ripping out his energy storage device killing him instantly.

Superboy may be dying from another disease but at least he is the only Superboy once more and amongst friends.

Story - 1: How is it possible that Aaron Kuder could create such an amazing story and then the follow-up can just ignore it all to tell a diabolical story that makes no sense?!

Kuder cured Superboy of his 'clone disease' and ended the threat of a thousand Superboy's... and then this issue reintroduces it all again.

Face it! DC just hates Superboy! If they didn't, this issue wouldn't exist.

It was just... a truly diabolical offering.

Art - 2: In the final arc of the New 52 series the art became a stylized device that brought some much needed fun and energy to the book. Here it just looks TOO cartoony and the Akira-esque element just looks out of place. It just doesn't feel like a good fit here - it is also not helped by the fact the story gives the artwork nowhere to go.

Cover Art - 4: The 3D gimmick doesn't really work anymore, at least for me, but the cover is truly the only part of the book that is worth noting.