REVIEW • Imposters! (Super Sons: The Polarshield Project by Ridley Pearson and Ile Gonzalez)

[quote]Jon Kent and Damian “Ian” Wayne are opposite in every way except one–they are the sons of the World’s Greatest Heroes! To uncover a global conspiracy, this unlikely dynamic duo will need to learn to trust each other and work together to save the Earth. But who is the mysterious Candace, and what secrets does she hold that could be the key to everything?

The polar ice caps have nearly melted away, causing devastation to coastal cities. Erratic, deadly weather forces everyone inland, tearing families apart. Earth is facing its greatest crisis–and Superman and Batman are nowhere to be found.

From New York Times best-selling author Ridley Pearson (Kingdom Keepers) and artist Ile Gonzalez comes the first book in an epic new series that follows the Super Sons of Superman and Batman as they struggle to find their place in a rapidly changing world![/quote]

myreview

When DC Entertainment announced DC Ink and DC Zoom, imprints that focused on young adult and Middle Grade readers respectively, the bookseller in me was screaming in joy. Do you know how many times I’ve tried to turn young readers into superhero fans by introducing them to Gotham Academy and Ms. Marvel? They always gravitate toward Marvel, leaving DC in the dust, or they choose Dog Man. It’s DC’s time again!

When the dads are away, the kids come out to play—Jonathan and Damian Wayne that is. For those who don’t know, they’re Superman and Batman’s kids. Two vastly different boys from different worlds who want to come out of the shadows of their fathers to be who they’re destined to be.

I like that Jonathan and Damian are trying to carve a path of their own. At the end of the day, they want to be like their fathers, saving their world. To get there, they’re gonna have to rely on each other, even though they’re vastly different people and don’t particularly like the other from the start, to help save the world.

If you’re looking for good characterization that says, “hey this is Jon Kent and this is Damian Wayne,” the two boys’ personalities are completely inaccurate to the general DC canon. You can tell the author is not very familiar with these established characters, and that is unfortunate and it really sucks. It seems like Ridley Pearson was just writing about any two kids in the world—not necessarily Jonathan Kent and Damian Wayne. They’re not the memorable boys who are well loved.

I like that they focused on a real problem that is currently affecting the planet—climate change—or in this case, climate disruption. Cities and farmlands are being destroyed, millions have people have been forced to move inland, and it only looks like it’ll get even worst if nobody does anything about it. You don’t see a lot of superhero graphic novels tackle issues like this that are affecting our planet. HOWEVER, the approach of the story and how Jonathan and Damian try to figure out what’s going on was VERY boring. Nothing really happened except sleuthing that felt like filler.

A real lost opportunity with Candace. I know they’ll explore her story in following volumes BUT she is cast to the side even though we are introduced to her from the very first pages. Why introduce her and not really explore more of what she’s destined for? What are the Fives exactly? Why can she see the future?

The coloring makes the art so vivid. When things are in motion like fists or baseball, the detail of the art for them is fantastic.

Who will love this graphic novel? Readers who don’t necessarily care that Jon Kent and Damian Wayne is portrayed inaccurately.

Why you should read Super Sons: The Polarshield Project? Eh, I don’t recommend anybody read this. None of the characters felt well developed. You’re better off reading the Super Sons series by Peter J. Tomasi.

[note note_color=”#54958f” text_color=”#ffffff”]Super Sons: The Polarshield Project by Ridley Pearson and Ile Gonzalez
April 2, 2019 • DC Zoom

Add to your TBR on Goodreads. Go buy Bloom from your local comic book store, or these online retailers: Amazon · Barnes & Noble · The Book Depository · Indigo. Or borrow it from your library.