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Why we’re excited for the return of Superboy in DC’s new Young Justice comic

By Aedan Juvet

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The return of Superboy in Young Justice No. 3 is exactly what we’ve been waiting for, and there are a few reasons you should feel the same way about Conner Kent.

The character Conner Kent has seen shifts in continuity, with the best characterization being his role in the 2003 Teen Titans comic, up until the disappearance during the New 52 relaunch. Now, thanks to the talented Brain Michael Bendis, the beloved hero is back in the best way possible, and the series is overflowing with potential. The almost instant success of the new Young Justice comic under the Wonder Comics branch has slowly hinted at the return of Conner, but issue three brings the hybrid of Superman and Lex Luthor to the forefront of the story in a spectacular chapter.

With an absence of nearly eight years, Superboy has missed many of the drastic developments of the DC universe, but he certainly has shown enough in the past (Titans) and present run of Young Justice that his presence has been dearly missed. So why the excitement for Superboy and this new Young Justice title? There are a few things that should be proof of his importance.

It’s finally the original Conner we all loved

Conner Kent really began to come into his own as a character during the Geoff Johns run of Teen Titans, giving him more room to grow outside of any other super-relatives. He became a heavy hitter for the team, developing a unique friendship with Tim Drake (Robin) and a romantic connection to Cassandra Sandsmark (Wonder Girl), along with other well-written teammates. This characterization was lost during the temporary relaunch, but Rebirth opened a door, which was made official with the new excellent Bendis adaption of the returning hero. Bendis has already begun to make references to the past incarnation while covering the reason behind his disappearance at a brilliant pace (and including several mysteries to look forward to).

Superboy has a history of being a key player

As mentioned before, Superboy had an important role in the Teen titans line-up years prior and was additionally a massive casualty in the epic Infinite Crisis title soon after. The juggernaut of an enemy was known as Superboy-Prime, who threatened the existence of every character in the universe and caused Conner’s demise in a truly heroic fashion. The ramifications were felt throughout the next major DC title 52, involving a cult, distraught heroes and a very well-received resurrection that proved something had been missing since his death in Infinite Crisis. His current role doesn’t go too deep into specifics just yet, but shows he’s gone through transitions that have sparked more timid changes to the half Kryptonian. The most recent development confirms Conner now has a wife and child, officially expanding the super-family and possibly creating a ripple effect for other characters.

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We’re closer to getting the core group back together

What makes this particular return of Superboy even better is the chance to use it with those who he connected with best. The emotional reunion featuring Bart and Conner brought blissful nostalgia and dedicated a necessary moment to show the impact he can have on his former comrades. With Cassandra and Tim also being on the Young Justice roster, we have four of the Teen Titans from the Johns run back under one roof, and Bendis is proving to be the best choice for the crucial task at hand. We haven’t witnessed everyone discovering his glorious comeback just yet, but the spacing the series is utilizing leaves room for each issue to keep getting better and better in the new Young Justice.

Naomi: Get on board with this future comic book star. dark. Next

Now that Superboy is finally back, we can breathe a sigh of relief for the Kryptonian we almost lost (again!) Are you as exited as we are for the return of Conner Kent?

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