Superboy Vol. 11

Superboy Vol. 11 collects Superboy #11 (the eleventh issue of the series of the same name launched after the 2011 New 52 relaunch), released July 11, 2012. The story is titled "Brothers-in-Harm," written by Scott Lobdell and Tom DeFalco, with art by R.B. Silva, inks by Rob Lean, and cover by Scott Clark and Dave Beaty. It is a relatively rare standalone single-issue story in the series' New 52 run. The volume opens with Superboy Kon-El, now free after escaping N.O.W.H.E.R.E.'s control, living in a New York apartment whose rent comes from somewhat dubious sources—much to the confusion of his visiting Teen Titans teammate Bunker (Miguel Barragan). The two head into the city to hang out, and their conversation reveals the blanks in Superboy's short life: nearly everything he knows about the world comes from books and the internet; he has no favorite food, hobby, or TV show, and the only thing truly "his" is the S-shield on his chest. They enter a tattoo parlor, where Bunker finishes the design on his back and Superboy gets a barcode-style S logo tattooed on his right arm. No sooner do they step outside than a riot erupts in the street—a giant mechanical monster called Detritus is rampaging. The monster can absorb machinery and endlessly grow into a colossal hulk, and after Superboy punches it apart it simply reassembles itself. Bunker's efforts to stop it have limited effect, and during the clash Detritus senses Kon's tremendous power and tries to absorb him. Superboy uses telekinesis to tear open its armored shell and beat it back into a single small mechanical being; in the brief standoff, two beings who "have no real memories, wield near-godlike power, and cannot find their direction in life" feel a flicker of kinship. But Detritus is only feigning weakness, and launches a sneak attack when Kon lets his guard down—only to be shattered by the furious Superboy's punch, its parts scattering into the river, never to reassemble. Bunker reminds him to leave before the authorities arrive, and only then does Kon realize he has just completed his first true rescue as a hero. The volume also includes several short recap panels featuring Teen Titans members Bart Allen, Cassie Sandsmark, Solstice, and Tim Drake.