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Adventure Comics #521

By Andy Frisk
December 19, 2010 - 19:36

Adventure Comics has had some trouble finding its voice, so to speak. It has starred a revolving cast of characters since its re-launch. Connor Kent as Superboy (who now has his own new ongoing series), Clark Kent as Superboy, The Legion as kids, and The Legion as adults have all appeared in the headlining role in this series. This revolving cast of characters and stories makes it hard for a reader to follow the book from issue to issue faithfully at most and interestedly at least. I really thought that Adventure Comics was going to firmly sit within the “Superman Family” of books. It has, sort of, since the characters highlighted have all been in some way either inspired by Superman himself or are from a spin off Superman book. With the developments of this month’s story “The Summons of The Ring” though, a new Green Lantern will take center stage, at least for a while.

Briefly, a being birthed from the soil of a desiccated 31st Century Oa (The Guardians home world) named Dyogene has been on a quest to find the soul most worthy to wear the Green Power Ring. He or she must be fearless and capable of exerting great willpower to become the 31st Century’s Green Lantern. Earth Man, the semi-reformed racist and xenophobic Earth based super powered leader of the equally racist and xenophobic 31st Century Justice League from the pages of Superman, who recently joined The Legion and is gradually redeeming himself and was, surprisingly, Dyogene’s first choice. He accepted for a while, but thankfully decided that he wasn’t the one for the job. What a disaster that would have been. There’s a current strain of thought and theme running through the Green Lantern Family of books that is painting The Guardians as a sort of fascist-like oligarchy in the eyes of some of the more radical characters, that has even lead Sodam Yat (a prominent Green Lantern who once possessed the power of Ion) to form a sort of “Green Tea Party” over in the pages of Emerald Warriors because, “…I think it’s time the Guardians paid for their sins.” Good to see that the Green Lantern books are continuing to offer up reflective political commentary, but now they’re making it a little bluntly obvious. I mean right wing radicals (Yat) fighting even more right-right wing radicals, (Yat’s home planet Daxam’s leaders), while calling the good guys and their heroes (The Guardians—who are definitely not perfect but not fascist—and their Green Lantern Corps)? Oh well, at least they’re giving us something to talk about, and at least semi-intelligently doing it.

Anyway, Earth Man turned down the offer and Dyogene, while sort of humorously scrolling through current Legion members, finally arrives on his choice (SPOILER ALERT), and it’s a character that I thought should have stuck around in the 21st Century at the conclusion to the World of New Krypton saga…yet another Daxamite…Mon-El. As Dyogene states, “a thousand years you have awaited your destiny, Lar Gand…now it has come to you.” Lar Gand/Mon-El accepts, and the second most powerful Green Lantern is born. Mon-El has all the powers of Superman, much like Sodam Yat does, do to his ancient Kryptonian heritage as a Daxamite (Daxam being a planet colonized by Kryptonians, but lost its original Krypton heritage eons ago). Honestly, if the Green Lantern Corps are to get off the ground again in the 31st Century or at least if there’s to be one Green Lantern, then Mon-El is most likely the best man for the job. He has the superhero experience, a wealth of information, and most importantly of all, a need to stand out on his own as a character and headline a book.

Mon-El, as we saw during the New Krypton story arc, filled in for Superman in Metropolis while Superman was busy keeping General Zod in check on New Krypton. His story was tinged with a bit of bittersweet melodrama as he was operating under a death sentence. He was dying from lead poisoning (lead is like Kryptonite to Daxamites). His story was well written and developed, and when he simply reverted back to a Phantom Zone resident at the end of the arc, it was a travesty. Mon-El was just about the most interesting side character to be born out of the New Krypton saga. He really should have remained a part of the Superman Family cast, much like Steel and Connor Kent did after The Death and Return of Superman, the only other Superman story arc in history comparable to New Krypton. Superman as a character can become incredibly stagnant and boring if his surrounding cast of characters don’t remain fresh. At least if we’re not to have Mon-El as part of the Superman Family direct supporting cast, we’re going to see him in another role as a member of another Family of books and cast, The Green Lantern ones. Perhaps, Mon-El will serve thematically and stylistically as a bridge between the two families of books. Like I said, there’s plenty of potential here.

We’re told in the blurb for next month’s issue of Adventure Comics, “…and next month in Adventure: Mon-El as GL!” For a Superman Family title that I was considering dropping, Adventure Comics might just become one that might be moving towards the top of the reading stack for a while. 

Rating: 7.5 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12