My Rating
“The Serpent and the Rainbow / The Downward Spiral”
Metropolis, the shining beacon of America, is bustling with activity today. In the downtown shopping district, residents stare into the afternoon sky with bated breath, hoping to catch a glimpse of the city’s youngest hero—Superboy.
The young Kryptonian hasn’t been seen around these parts for quite some time. Metropolis has become a well-defined safe space for those fortunate enough to call the city home. Crime is low, businesses thrive, and prosperity seems to touch nearly every corner. But beneath the streets, inside the dark tunnels and forgotten sewers, an entirely different world exists.
Cheers erupt as the coveted Superboy finally swoops down to greet a crowd of excited families. Children push forward for a better look while their parents stare in admiration. Yet two snake-like eyes watch the celebration from the darkness of a nearby sewer vent. Rage and jealousy begin to build inside the mind of Jimmy Tilton.
Better known as Slither, Jimmy was instructed by his friend Arnold Burnsteel to seek refuge with a mysterious organization known as Project Cadmus. They may be the only experts capable of protecting the rapidly mutating metahuman from the rogue government agency known as R-Complex. There is just one problem. How does someone who looks like a giant human snake stroll through Metropolis and ask for directions to a top-secret government installation?
Elsewhere
Two thousand miles west, deep beneath the earth inside an R-Complex research facility, Arnold Burnsteel and Fate creep along a dimly lit corridor. They have come on a rescue mission, but Arnie’s constant chattering threatens to get them caught before the operation even begins. Jared finally barks at his talkative companion as they round another corner. Then both men suddenly stop.
The tech! That beautiful alien tech!
Their jaws practically hit the floor as an enormous hangar opens before them. Multiple spacecraft sit suspended in stasis while technicians scurry around the facility conducting experiments of unknown origin. Burnsteel can barely contain himself. The conspiracies were true. All of them!
Will Arnold and Jared end their bro-down long enough to rescue the hostages? Can Superboy and Jimmy put aside their own bro-down for the greater good? And can Dubbilex finally settle the great Windows-versus-Mac debate? Collect the series to find out!
Review
Superboy Plus was another fun one-shot crossover from DC Comics’ strange and colorful world of 1997. I’m certainly no expert on the greater DC Universe, so part of the enjoyment for me came from researching characters like Dubbilex, the Guardian, and Superboy himself. There is something about this particular period of DC Comics that I’m starting to appreciate. The characters, technology, government conspiracies, and wonderfully dated computer references make these books feel like little time capsules from the late 1990s.
I also enjoyed how the issue brings the Scare Tactics characters into Superboy’s corner of the DC Universe without completely losing their identity. Slither’s predicament gives the story some heart, while Arnold Burnsteel and Fate provide plenty of personality on the other side of the adventure. Throw Project Cadmus and R-Complex into the mix and you have exactly the kind of wonderfully complicated comic-book conspiracy that seemed right at home in 1997.
After reading this and Impulse Plus, I may have to start digging through the back-issue bins for more DC books from this era. Superboy Plus probably isn’t essential reading for everyone, but if you’re collecting the Scare Tactics run, I definitely recommend adding this one-shot to the pile.