Warning: Spoilers for City Boy #5!
DC’s powerful new hero, City Boy, has finally left the city — only to run right into Swamp Thing, displaying the true extent of his powers. Cameron Kim has been struggling with his powers as he becomes a target for heroes who sympathize with his dark past as well as villains who want to abuse his abilities for their own ends.
In City Boy #5 by Greg Pak, Mike Choi, Minkyu Jung, Sebastian Cheng, and Wes Abbott, Cameron Kim discovers that his powers work on anything that could be loosely defined as a city. He panics, believing there’s nowhere he can go to keep everyone safe. Swamp Thing approaches him and tries to impart his own wisdom to City Boy. While Cameron sees the similarities in their powers — Swamp Thing controls plants while he’s tied to cities — Swamp Thing just wants to get to the heart of what’s troubling the young man. Swamp Thing invites Cameron into the Green to search for traces of his lost mother, using his powers to track down plant visions of her.
When Cameron discovers his mother’s long-lost grave, his powers once again react, and he literally paves over the Green with a manifestation of concrete — which Swamp Thing is powerless to stop. This time, Cameron seems to be completely in control of his powers.
City Boy Can Take on Swamp Thing – Easily
Introduced as part of DC’s “We Are Legends” imprint, City Boy has shown potential to be one of the DC Universe’s most powerful heroes. He can communicate with cities: finding lost objects, trailing ghosts of past residents, or manifesting a sentient physical form for a city’s consciousness. Abandoned by his mother at a young age, he reflects on his past as he struggles to control his powers. With Darkseid actively seeking him out, City Boy’s need to be wanted is a theme that keeps readers guessing as to how this plot will play out.
For all his power over plants, Swamp Thing is completely powerless against the onslaught of pavement and steel rising up into the forest thanks to Cameron. While it’s been suggested that City Boy could be as powerful as Superman, this is strong proof that he can stand against heavy hitters in the Justice League. Swamp Thing even points out that Darkseid is chasing him partly because of his uncontrollable powers. Readers are left unsure if this display of power is Cameron trying to draw Darkseid’s attention by creating a new city creature from the forest, or if he’s simply allowing himself to fully lose control.
DC’s New Hero Has a Group of Mentors Behind Him
After both Superman and Nightwing, Swamp Thing is the latest DC hero to try to guide the young man. He may not have been able to yet process their shared guidance, but having adult figures show him compassion and trust could go far. Though it seems City Boy is destroying the green with concrete and steel, this may be his way of heeding Swamp Thing’s words to him: “I have never had much luck…running from what I am.” It’s only a matter of time before City Boy truly discovers his own massive potential.
Check out City Boy #5, available now from DC Comics!
