Pushing along through DC Universe Week, we’re more than halfway through Wave 13. The next figure up for scrutiny is none other than Conner Kent aka Kon-El aka Superboy!

I’ve never been all that keen when DC focuses on teenage heroes, but Superboy tends to be the exception to that rule. [The other big exception will be Young Justice, assuming the series pans out as well as the two part premier. -FF] But beside the twisted idea that Kon-El is cloned from both Superman and Lex Luthor, I find what would be an otherwise annoying edgy and youthful wrecklessness a refreshing change from Superman’s insipid whitebread boyscout nature. As such, I was pretty happy to finally be getting this figure. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the figure looks outstanding.
Slapping superflous leather jackets on characters is one of those lingering fashion fetishes from the world of 90’s comics. A lot of times it looked gratuitous and just silly, but here I’m tempted to say that Superboy comes close to pulling it off, even if it still makes him look dated. But it is beautifully sculpted and really gives the figure a very distinctive look. The black jacket is sculpted in soft plastic, like a vest with the arms sculpted with the jacket sleeves and an immaculately painted Superman symbol in yellow in the back. The various zippers are also very nicely painted. If I’m going to criticize anything about the jacket, it’s that the way it bellows out at his waist is too exaggerated, but overall the effect is still nice.