Happy Super Friday! Or should it be Super Happy Friday? Either way it is time again to see what Jon the super son is up to. This volume covers issues #7-13, this part 2 is just going to cover issues #10 & 11. I was going to include the Annual #1 because it came out between #11 and #12, but it makes more sense to cover later and was published with volume 3, so look forward to that later. If you still need to read part 1 of this volume check out the link at the bottom of this post. Onto my recap!
In the Name of the Father, Part 1: World's Smallest: Jon is in class with his buddy Kathy. A bully creeps on Kathy but the teacher intervenes. Jon tells her to laugh it off but it is clear she is not happy. Jon collides with a young girl. (I actually know who she is because I did read all the New 52 Bat family stuff.) Kathy asks who she is but she just says she is Nobody and is just running an errand for her little brother. (This is kind of cute because Nobody, aka Maya, is a past enemy and now friend of Damian, aka Robin, and it made me smile that she called him little brother.) Nobody in fact reports to Robin that there were no incidents with Superboy.
Kathy and Jon are on their way home and Jon wants to take a shortcut through Dead Man's Swamp (to look for a Christmas tree?). Kathy says hard no and leaves Jon to his tree hunt. Superboy will not be scared by a spooky swamp. It does seem like something is up with this swamp and Jon does get spooked resulting in him accidentally using his heat vision and starting a fire. Before we can figure out the mystery of this swamp Nobody pulls Jon out of the swamp and puts out the fire. Jon also gets to meet Goliath (I think it might be fair to call Goliath a pet/pal of Robin, see picture).
Nobody is debating what to do about Jon, but he is having an allergic reaction to Goliath. He sneezes and instead of heat vision he ice blasts Nobody and Goliath. This is his first time using freeze breath and because he can't fly they all sort of crash back down on the ground, knocking Superboy out.
Jon wakes up and he is strapped down in the Bat cave. Robin is being a little crazy and in my opinion, mean, when he tells Jon he is a threat to all life and reminds him of the time he burned his own cat to death. Batman arrives and is pissed about Nobody hacking the Justice League central computer, but then realizes they need to let Jon go before his dad shows up. Of course Superman shows up right then and he is really pissed (even Jon looks a little scared). Batman tries to reason with Superman and Jon tells him it is okay, but Superman wants a word with Robin, Batman is not having it, pulling out a kryptonite Batarang.
Before Batman and Superman can fight Jon uses his freeze breath to create an ice wall between them. Superman cools off and asks Jon about the freeze breath and feels bad for missing the moment. Robin is mad about the equipment being frozen and that Jon froze Goliath. Batman admits to missing a lot of Damian's firsts too and how bad those firsts were. Both dads admit they could do better.
Nobody is invisible in the corner, but Superman can see her and calls her out. She starts out nervous, but Superman puts her at ease and she and Jon kind of bond before she leaves with Goliath. Robin continues to be a jerk and Jon handles it pretty well. Batman and Superman are running more tests on Jon's blood, so Alfred shuffles Jon and Damian out.
Damian is introducing Jon to all of his pets: Bat-cow (the cow), Titus (the dog), and Alfred (the cat). Jon tries to be nice, but Damian makes that hard by bringing up how he killed his cat again. Jon loses his temper and punches Damian right in the gut. It turns into an all out brawl that leads to the two of them blowing up Batman's genetics lab. Needless to say, both dads are disappointed.
In the Name of the Father: World's Smallest Part 2: Damian and Jon are climbing a snow covered mountain. We learn that their dads took away all their super stuff and took them to a mountain boot camp bunker. Batman is watching, but he is disappointed that the two boys can't figure out how to work together.
A small avalanche knocks the boys back down the mountain some, but they manage to hold on. They find some of their things, mostly just their outfits. Jon wonders if that means boot camp is almost over. Damian says that it isn't a boot camp, it is a game. Nobody jumps out and of course Damian attacks her. She has no problem fighting him off and explaining the rules of boot camp. If they want their capes back, they have to work together to get past her and then three more challenges.
Damian says hard pass and Jon can't really control his powers, so of course all the fighting causes another avalanche. Nobody helps the two boys get down and as thanks Damian just steals the stuff she had for them, it is two airplane tickets. Damian takes the tickets (by cheating) and jumps on a passing train. Jon thanks Nobody and she tells him that Damian is just being a twerp but asks Jon to keep an eye on him.
Damian is feeling cocky until Goliath shows up to ruin his day. At the same time Jon catches up with the train. Goliath opens a crate holding a motorcycle with a sidecar. Damian tries to make an escape, but again Goliath just destroys the bike. Jon somehow ends up on Goliath's head holding him by his ears. Damian falls into a train car full of fish. He tosses one of the fish at Goliath and the beast is distracted enough to stop attacking. They think it might be smooth sailing but then of course the bridge is out!
Alfred is freaking out and calls on Superman, but Batman tells him to stand down. Damian now can't get Goliath out of the train, but Jon has an idea tossing a fish and shouting, "fetch". Batman is impressed and Alfred is relieved, but Superman says they only have one more chance to try and work together. It gets dark as they fly over the ocean on Goliath's back. They have a pretty cute moment that is almost bonding.
As they arrive at Gotham harbor Superman is blowing up a hurricane. They still can't work together and Batman tells Superman to abort. The boys drop, landing on a garbage barge. Superman tries to point out that they were just trying to teach them to have each other's back. Poor Jon gets sick and after calling Jon a lightweight Damian also gets sick. Superman flies off telling them that they will have to talk about what to do next, since they completely failed all of the tasks.
Later at the Batcave Jon and Damian sulk in but no one is around. Damian explains that his dad keeps synthesized compounds of many of his villains' DNA for experimentation. As they go deeper there is a trail of goop that leads to both of their fathers trapped by a monster made up of all the villain compounds. Superboy and Robin both think this is a real fight on their hands as they get knocked out.
The readers know it is still a final test because Superman tells Batman that they should call it off, but Batman is confident this is going to work. Finally the two boys work together to save their dads and Alfred! Robin reminds Superboy about his freeze breath and they defeat the blob monster. Alfred is quick to congratulate the boys and give them their capes back, calling them, "Our Super Sons." (I love that Alfred is like a third dad in this.)
Back in Hamilton County all the guys have found some perfect Christmas trees. Bruce and Clark are pretty proud of themselves and Clark invites Bruce and Damian to stay for dinner. Of course the boys are debating who should cut down which tree and of course it devolves into a fight and Jon sets the trees on fire. (Sigh) or as the dads would say, "Hrrn."
Thoughts: First, I am going to give mad props again to Patrick Gleason for his story and art in these two issues. Second, I love the play on the title World's Finest which you see a lot in Batman/Superman stories and calling it World's Smallest for their sons is entertaining for me. I know that this story was just a setup for the Super Sons comics that came out after this Volume. I also really liked the way each task was labeled with clues.
I have a few thoughts about the Super Sons. I want to like them, but they have to tone Damian down. He does grow on you and having read a lot of stuff with him in it I do like him, but he can be a real jerk sometimes. Jon needs a little more character though, I don't want a carbon copy of Clark or the small town bumpkin. I do look forward to seeing where these two go and if they ever figure out how to work together.
Not a favorite line but man Jon got some good insults for Damian.
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