REVIEW: Superboy: The Man Of Tomorrow #6

Everyone knew Travv was bad news and now Conner makes his all-or-nothing stand against him in Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #6. There’s no talking to him, only hitting him as hard as he can. But as Conner knows, there’s much more to being a hero than that.

Jahnoy Lindsay’s cover could be one for the current Action Comics run with the inclusion of the Kents and their Super-Family suits, though Superman looks like he’s mid-blink. Conner’s new Action Comics design just involves a jacket, which doesn’t deviate too far from his classical appearance.

Fatima Wajid places Conner among colorful and diverse kites in her variant. Given the context of the story, a reader would’ve assumed he was flying among the inhabitants of a strange, beautiful alien world from afar but the strings and the traditional kite shapes are just too on point. The colors do all the work here so the linework can be simplistic.

David Talaski’s variant looks like it could be a cover to the Saturday Evening Post cover with its art deco-like layout and how Conner is drawn. This style has been used with Superman on some past issues of Action Comics and it suits Superboy just as well. The white background around the skyline of Metropolis plays tricks on the eyes in some areas bordering it and looks like clouds.

Travv has placed his mechanical brain in a Kryptonian body and only Conner can stop him in a showdown on Planet Calluum. His former teammates, Pira and Rotur, are no match for him and he’s determined to see how much planetary damage he can cause with his newfound powers. It seems that it’s always some sort of evil Superboy that pushes him to his limits, like a grim reflection of himself. It’s not just one of those Kryptonian confrontations with punches that seem to shake the very foundations of the book itself, but also a literal and metaphorical monologue from Conner.

Kenny Porter set out to create a Superboy story with a version of him that would be consistent with the character’s roots and really look into it at a time when DC didn’t see it was a priority. That is why it won the 2023 Round Robin – fans wanted to see it. It all comes home here, foreshadowing, as Conner realizes the type of hero he needs and wants to be. Letters are done by Lucas Gattoni.

Jahnoy Lindsay was a phenomenal one-man show when it came to art and coloring. The fight between Connor and Travv is ripe with subtle manga references like Akira and Dragon Ball Z and the characters all have that smooth, laminated texture. With those big eyes, expressiveness is another visual strong suit.

Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #6 concludes one of Conner’s greatest new adventures and it’s all thanks to the fans who cared and wanted to see him. Kenny Porter and Jahnoy Lindsay have crafted a love letter, evolution, and re-establishment of the character of Kon-El.