*This article contains spoilers for Superboy: Man of Tomorrow #1 and Action Comics #1051*
The Super-titles have been strong as of late! Action Comics (2023), Superman (2023), Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent (2023), and now Superboy: Man of Tomorrow #1. DC is once again putting Superman and the House of El at the forefront of comics and it feels right. Take note, DC—you are doing something right!
So much has been happening for the House of El: Clark, Kara, Jon, and Kon-El. In Action Comics #1051 (2023), which was released a few months back, we saw Conner Kent acclimated and seemingly having found his place among the Super-family. In fact, the entire family seems closer than ever. But Superboy: Man of Tomorrow #1 (2023) takes place months prior. In it, Connor is soul searching and trying to find his place.
Having awoken in a world different than the one he left—since his timeline was destroyed during one of the many crises DC tends to have—Connor has to find his place once again. And this time, he’s looking outward. Not that there’s anything wrong with Metropolis, but because there are too many supers in that city’s skyline. For those who may not remember, this was a similar theme in the Superboy (1994) series, which led Connor to find his home in Hawaii. Which begs the questions: Will Connor end up in Hawaii once again?
Something really special happens with Ma and Pa Kent. That something is their ability to continue being spiritual guides to members of the House of El. They always know what to say, how to comfort, and how to inspire. They remind Connor that Clark had a similar problem in Smallville. He was meant for somewhere greater—a place where he could help more people, save more people—so he headed for Metropolis. The rest of that story is history. Connor realizes it is exactly what he needs to do.
Connor goes to the Fortress of Solitude, hoping to find a disaster on earth he can tend to—to find a place where he can shine as a hero on his own. Unfortunately, he does not find one on Earth—which is extremely hard to believe—and so he looks outward to the stars for a world in trouble. Unfortunately, he finds one.
Using Zeta Beam technology, Connor travels to a world being attacked by The Dominion. That’s right, the metahuman cloning Dominators vs. the Superman clone. While Superboy breaks out his Tactile Telekinesis in the battle with the clones, his secret is exposed; he is half human and half Kyptonian. He is two species merged together. The dominator engaged in battle recognizes the significance, though the other dominators are uninterested in Superboy’s DNA.
In the end, the Dominator realizes he cannot beat Connor, and sends a mess of clones on Connor. And their weight alone is nearly enough to kill Connor, but before it does, shots start killing the clones—shots from a group who are not afraid to kill. Shots from The Cosmoteers! And that ends the issue.
This use of the Dominators was rather clever—the cloners against a clone. It works on so many different levels, levels we have only begun to see. It raises the stakes, if Connor is not careful, he will wind up a science experiment being tested and prodded on an alien planet far from home. He is the epitome of Dominator ideology, the half-breed of two species. Connor is in danger.
Overall, this was a great start to a hero who we have not seen enough of since the 1990s. It is great for this version of Connor Kent/Kon-El to exist. It feels like the writer respects this Superboy and that is reassuring to readers.
Rating: 4/5 Stars. A great start to a nice little coming-of-age/finding-your-place story. A great read for fans of the House of El.
Suggested reading: Reign of the Supermen (1993) is a great storyline which reveals the original origins of Kon-El.
Superboy (1994), is a fun series which will get you familiar with Kon-El and his time being the hero of Hawaii.
Double-Sized Issue Reviews! 
Leave a comment