‘Superman Family Adventures’ Brings Fun Back To DC [Preview]

I've been looking forward to Art Baltazar and Franco's Superman Family Adventures since it was announced, and this week, the release of the first issue brought everything I'd hoped for. It's fun, bright, accessible and -- most importantly -- it features more Jimmy Olsen per page than any other current comic.

If that's not enough to sell you on it, though, don't worry: You can check out a five-page preview of the first issue after the cut!Superman Family Adventures is, of course, a follow up to Baltazar and Franco's long-running (and recently ended) Tiny Titans. With that comic, they were able to combine kid-friendly action-comedy set at an elementary school for sidekicks with inside jokes about continuity and events that made it fun for fans of all ages, and from the first isssue, it looks like Superman Family is going to be along the same lines.

And in this case, more of the same is definitely a good thing. It's definitely a comic that's skewed towards younger readers -- Superman and pals take about 11 pages to figure out who sent three green-and-purple robots labeled "L," "E," and "X" to terrorize metropolis -- but it's also a comic that's full of Superman actually doing Superman stuff.

Flying around, blowing up errant meteors with his heat vision, flirting with Lois Lane, bashing robots with his super-strength. It's all in here. Superman even looks better with his new costume simplified down to Baltazar's style -- it's almost as good as the costume he used to wear.

Plus: Jimmy Olsen, one of the three greatest characters in comic book history. Although to be honest, they probably could've chosen a better sound effect for his camera than "fap." Thanks to being steeped in Internet culture, that panel where he's snapping pictures of Lex Luthor's robots ends up looking downright unwholesome.

Either way, it's a fun time, and I'm glad to have Baltazar and Franco back in action! Any comic that opens with the line "Meanwhile, in the far reaches of space" is worth the price of admission.