New Super-Man #14

by Hussein Wasiti on August 09, 2017

Writer: Gene Luen Yang
Artist: Billy Tan
Inker: Karo
Colourist: Hi-Fi
Letterer: Tom Napolitano
 
It's a pain to read this book month after month, aware of the fact that not many people are reading it. It's a shame. This is an excellent title, easily one of DC's top current books. One aspect of the book that I look forward to every month is witnessing the character development of the New Super-Man himself, Kenan Kong. This issue marks another step of his progression, and it's fun to watch. I've mentioned this before in another review, but people forget that he's a new character whose origin story we're witnessing.
 
A lot of the good of this issue is the interaction between the Justice League of China, with Bat-Man and Wonder-Woman  in particular. They've have a bit of chemistry lately and it's now being addressed. Sure, she turned into a giant, green snake monster a couple of issues ago, but that doesn't stop these characters from learning more about each other. I also like that Kenan and the Flash, here a young woman who appeared in the main Flash book during its first arc. They both take pride in their super speed and pair off during this mission as a result.
 
Billy Tan's art is also fantastic. The combination of Karo's inks and Hi-Fi's colours seem to make Tan's art look a lot better than it did in previous issue. It's more detailed and the colours pop a lot more than the previous issue or two. I love a lot of the character designs, particular that of the villain Emperor Super-Man, who just looks absolutely epic.
 
Some of the drama surrounding Kenan's backstory is touched upon in more detail in this issue, and Gene Luen Yang has yet to explain some of the events surrounding Kenan's childhood. It was interesting until a certain group of American characters come into play. I didn't think they contributed much tension or intrigue in the issue, and it feels like a flawed way to generate a tad more interest.
 
This is a fun issue and I highly recommend it. You might be a bit lost if you're jumping on so I recommend reading this first part of this storyline, which is the previous issue. Read it and get the word out, speak with your money!
 

Our Score:

9/10

A Look Inside