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New Super-Man #8

Scheduled to arrive in stores: February 8, 2017

Cover date: April 2017

"Training Day" - Part Two

Writer: Gene Luen Yang
Penciller: Billy Tan
Inker: Billy Tan
Cover: Viktor Bogdanovic and Mike Spicer
Variant Cover: Bernard Chang

Reviewed by: Mario Bennese
Click to enlarge

Super-Man activates his super hearing and begins training with Master I-Ching. Bat-Man wins the battle for the cowl, but discovers his sister is going down a dark path. The original Super-Man Zero (see The Final Days of Superman) is confronted by Ching Lung.

4Story - 4: I really wish this book were bi-weekly. I'm enjoying myself a lot with this series. The sequences with Kenan discovering super hearing for the first time are well done. I appreciate how he is a totally different character than Clark. He helps the people to reduce the number of sounds he hears. He means well, but he also acts out of self-interest. There's room for him to grow into the title and Yang makes him work for it.

There were some pretty interesting reveals in this issue, namely the meaning behind the hexagonal symbol Kenan wears, the return of Super-Man Zero, and the reveal of Ching Lung as an upcoming villain. Ching Lung, for those unfamiliar with the name, is the Chinese man that was on the cover for the first issue of Detective Comics back in 1937. As for Super-Man Zero, I'm glad he's returning. I thought he was too fascinating and threatening to be a throw-away villain.

The only aspect of the issue I thought could have been tweaked was the Bat-Man segments. They weren't bad, but I found myself wanting the issue to keep its focus on Kenan. I also found the "Baixi's sister is the saboteur" reveal a bit predictable, but not bad enough to take me out of the issue.

With plenty of teases and new developments, Yang's got me excited for the next chapter.

5Art - 5: Billy Tan draws wonderfully. His style gives a whole new texture to the book that Bogdanovic's didn't. Bogdanovic's style worked, but gave off a light-hearted adventure story vibe. It worked for the first arc, but Tan's style adds that extra bit of realism that allows for dramatic moments to really shine. He also draws a great Super-Man.

2Cover Art - 2: The cover totally focuses on the wrong part of the issue. Bogdanovic draws well here, but there was really a missed opportunity here.

3Variant Cover Art - 3: Well, this is a bit closer to what this issue deserves, but it doesn't really do it for me either.

Mild Mannered Reviews

2017

Note: Except for digital first releases, the month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic went on sale.

January 2017 February 2017 March 2017 April 2017 May 2017 June 2017 July 2017 August 2017 September 2017 October 2017 November 2017 December 2017

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