Superboy Cover Art Declares A New War Between His Haters & Fans

Warning: Potential SPOILERS for Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #1New cover art for the upcoming Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #1 shows off Conner Kent’s attitude just as much as it shows off his costume. But that raises a new debate for Superboy’s fans (and his haters): is he really as cool as this cover shows him to be?

DC Comics has released a new 1:50 ratio variant cover by David Talaski for Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #1. The cover is a full-body portrait of Superboy, otherwise known as either Kon-El or Conner Kent: the Superboy of the 1990s.

Superboy is wearing the newest version of his costume, which is a take on his original ’90s bodysuit with an updated leather jacket that matches the rest of the Super-Family’s jackets. He’s leaning forward, clutching the lapels of his jacket and showing off his black earring. To top it all off, he’s winking and smiling for the “camera.”

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Superboy Is Looking for His Own Corner of the DC Universe

This Superboy is a true child of the ’90s, having burst onto the scene as a young Superman clone during the “Reign of the Supermen” storyline. Though this version of the Superboy character was missing from continuity for many years, he’s once again a major player within the Super-Family and especially Action Comics. But now he’s getting a miniseries of his own in Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow, and the first issue is described by DC as follows:

Conner Kent takes center stage! After the events of Dark Crisis, Conner feels out of place with the rest of the hero community. He doesn’t fit in with the rest of the Superman Family, and the rest of the world doesn’t really need him with so many Supers in Metropolis. He doesn’t want to rely on Tim, Cassie, and Bart, so Conner looks to the stars as a place he might be able to call his own and carve out his own path. But what lurks in the great unknown? Are bravado and swagger enough to help Superboy find his new calling? This is the 2022 Round Robin winner—picked by you, the fans!

Talaski’s variant cover truly captures the “cool kid” attitude that makes Kon-El such a unique character within the Super-Family and the DC Universe at large. But that doesn’t mean Superboy—and his costume—isn’t a contentious character among DC fans. Some are certainly charmed by his (sometimes try-hard) attempts to be “hip” and a capable hero, while others might find his affectations overbearing and even a little sad, especially during his original outings as the Metropolis Kid. And that’s saying nothing of the “leather jacket vs. t-shirt” costume debate.

Superboy’s “Cool” Factor Is Central to His Character

Is Superboy cool, or is he just trying really, really hard? One thing is certain: David Talaski’s new cover art captures the character’s charm, and there will be many happy fans purchasing this variant. Whether Superboy is “cool” or just a cloned kid with bad luck trying his best may be a fan debate, but it’s also a dilemma central to his character. Hopefully this new miniseries will honor that question that has always been at the heart of Superboy’s character.

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Check out Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #1, available April 18 from DC Comics!

Source: David Talaski