Short Review: Super Sons #3

Can Jon and Damian save the day without fighting with each other? No, no they can't. That happens in every issue.

SPOILERS AHEAD


I'm glad that the family isn't really dead as I like this concept. A family of normal people that became super heroes but fall apart. The idea of Kid Amazo keeping them alive to torment works even if the method is odd. It works though especially with the robot theme. The fight with the leads against robot versions of their dads was a little corny especially the "fight each other to catch the bad guys unaware" bit. It didn't work well but why wouldn't the robots attack then? How could Jon and Damian know each other well enough to do it? Nothing besides a throw away line about their dads forcing them to hang out suggests it possible. Everything else says they still don't know each other well.

I'm on the fence on Jon being uninformed since Jurgens established that Jon inherited his mom's inquisitive nature. He's been caught looking up news events at school. I'm willing to give this a little leeway since there still might be things he hasn't researched yet. I do call bull on Damian's claim of writing an editor at two. Tomasi previously showed a young Damian and he didn't seem to be at that level even at age four/five.

The only major problem I have is the same as usual: Damian using Jon, treating him like crap and tooting his own horn. Look, arrogant characters can be endearing but they have to have depth and grow. Whenever I read this series I think about Artemis in RHATO. She was introduced being arrogant and in Rebirth her insults have more bite to them. She regularly insults one of my favorite characters--sometimes brutally--but I still love her dearly. Why? Because she's been shown letting her guard down, her motives while personal aren't selfish and she's able to trust the same person she insults when she barely knows him.

At this point Damian and Jon have met when Damian kidnapped him, spend the holidays together and maybe (a big maybe) trained together. Damian always reverts back to form though. He's a brat that uses and abuses his allies who in turn let him get away with it because of his background. If they wouldn't allow other characters get away the same behavior why can he? While Damian isn't quite as flawless in the field as he's usually portrayed that's just because he's fighting with Jon and/or it's played as a joke. Tim used to be someone that called Damian out on his crap but at the moment that role seems to have fallen to Jon.

His ego has him risking Jon's life and refusing to get their dads to help them. Neither are supposed to be out, Bruce wouldn't allow Damian to go since Damian thinks he's too smart to do his homework. Something has to give and as much as I enjoy everything else in this title Damian remains problematic.


Say What?: Jon is ten? Are they constantly upping his age?