Review: Superboy Vol. 1- Incubation

Quick Summary

Pros: The larger mystery is interesting. The supporting cast is well written.

Cons: Superboy is written in a way that makes him hard to connect with. The story often feels disjointed. Illogical narration disrupts suspension of disbelief.

Overall: This is a volume with a number of negatives bringing it down and only a few positives holding it up. The biggest problems revolve around Superboy himself, who is downright unlikable, and the short-term storyline, which is a bit chaotic. There is potential in the larger narrative but this does little to help this particular volume. Overall, this may be worth it to some but is likely a pass for most readers.

Story

Superboy Vol. 1: Incubation, by Scott Lobdell, is mediocre through and through. It takes a lackluster story and combines it with an unappealing main character to create a volume that is hard to get into. Even the narration feels out of place and disrupts an already damaged book. The volume’s saving grace comes from a charming supporting cast and an interesting larger narrative. This gives the series a bit of potential and pushes this volume from a definite pass to something closer to the middle of the road.

(spoilers start here)

In terms of story, Incubation gets a few things right and a few things wrong. On the negative side, the narrative often feels disjointed and is not that compelling. Superboy jumps from adventure to adventure with too much chaos; for example, he abandons his mission against the Teen Titans simply because one of them talked to him for less than a page. However, the volume’s larger mystery is interesting and leaves the reader with a number of tantalizing questions. This makes for a narrative that feels lackluster in the short-term but has potential to play out well in the future.

The biggest positives are primarily derived from a solid supporting cast. Caitlin Fairchild, Rose Wilson, and even some of the guests, like Supergirl and the Teen Titans, are almost always entertaining to watch. Lobdell nails their dialogue and emotions, making these comic characters feel more like real people. In particular, their interactions with both Superboy and one another are great and make the book much more entertaining.

However, on the flip side, the book’s biggest negative is how disappointing Superboy is as the protagonist. His overwhelming arrogance and lack of any redeeming qualities make him a hard character to like and an even harder character to root for. The comic landscape has plenty of unlikable or downright mean characters (such as Damian Wayne or, occasionally, Deathstroke) but they are still written in a way that allows readers to care about them; Superboy simply offends with everything he does.

In addition, Superboy’s thoughts, which provide the narration for the majority of the volume, feel completely out-of-place for his character. Superboy is a clone who has only been alive for a few weeks and has only known the inside of the lab for that entire time. Yet his thoughts make references to movies like Pinocchio, he uses expressions like “go big or go home,” and he even talks about esoteric parenting tactics. All of this feels incredibly inorganic and disrupts suspension of disbelief, making Superboy an even worse character than he already was.

(spoilers end here)

Art

Though not incredibly special in any specific way, the artwork throughout Incubation is pleasing and consistent. R.B. Silva’s lighthearted pencils match the youthful nature of this book and provide a constant reminder that the characters here are mostly adolescents. This feeling is furthered by Richard Horie and Tanya Horie’s colors, which give the lighthearted pencils a bright pallet. All in all, this is a decent looking book that offers very little offense when it comes to artwork.

Continuity

Superboy Vol. 1: Incubation starts the Superboy New 52 series. This means that this is the first volume in a brand new continuity, presenting an entirely fresh take on the character of Superboy. This makes it a great starting point for new fans.

The story here continues in Superboy Vol. 2: Extraction (Review)

This volume also makes references to other comic books, detailed below:

• The Teen Titans are mentioned a few times. Their origin is detailed in Teen Titans Vol. 1: It’s Our Right to Fight (Review). This volume also shows Superboy’s first encounter with the team.
• Danny the Street previously appeared in Teen Titans Vol. 1: It’s Our Right to Fight (Review).
• Supergirl’s origin and her encounter with Superman are brought up. These are shown in Supergirl Vol. 1: Last Daughter of Krypton (Review).