I have to admit, this issue made me sigh with disappointment. Knowing that the Geoff Johns/ Francis Manapul team is leaving after issue six an issue that isn’t about Conner and doesn’t have the Manapul art makes me feel a little cheated. Basically, I needed to get that out of the way.

This issue, as if it wasn’t obvious from the cover, is about Superboy Prime and his encounter with Black Lantern Alexander Luthor on Earth Prime. We come into the comic with our hero reading Adventure Comics #4. This issue is very heavy on the metatext, we see SP frantically going to the comic book store to find Adventure Comics #5 so he can find out what will happen to him. Something about that smacks to me of bad heroes memories, which give me a cold shudder.

Now, let’s get to the art. This issue was drawn by Jerry Ordway, a writer and artist I can’t say I’ve really been on board with. I wasn’t a fan of his recent JSA stuff and the art here, while not bad by any stretch, just isn’t Manapul. We went from art that nearly glowed with vibrance and life and here we have your run of the mill comic book art.

I have to admit this is one of the most personal reviews I’ve done on this site. Because, when I let the work speak for itself this isn’t a bad issue. In fact, it’s a rather good issue. But this isn’t what I signed up for when I bought Adventure Comics #1 and the fact that Superboy Prime takes up a third of the Johns issues of this series just bothers me.

As for the Legion backup. It was decent. Good art. I could take it or leave it.