Rose Takes a Brief Step Forward, Then Back Again

There are very few books I buy on their actual release dates. I prefer trades and Comixology digital versions. As a result, I'm often a few months behind the ongoing DC Comics storylines.

I recently picked up issues 33 and 34 of Superboy (August and September cover dates, respectively. Rose Wilson has appeared frequently in that book, but usually for only a page or two at a time and frankly, she's not particularly appealing.

Those issues had a pleasant, albeit brief, surprise though. A Rose Wilson that is much closer in appearance to the one that existed in the pre-Flashpoint DC Universe.

The Superboy series is, in my opinion, a confusing, bloated mess of alternate realities, time travel, etc. Perhaps it is easier to follow when read in large chunks in one sitting, but when grabbing an issue or two from time to time, there is just too much bending of natural laws to follow with confidence.

So what's going on here? In a N.O.W.H.E.R.E. facility (Rose's employer), one of the Superboys is in the position of fighting alternate versions of himself. Rose is defending the facility and in order to improve their odds, Superboy changes her into an apparently more successful version from a different reality.

Much more dad-inspired. Maybe Slade's not as shitty a father in that reality. But then again, she DID take him down, according to the text bubble, so...

Of course, it was not meant to last. All the characters involved return to their usual appearance, then there's the question as to whether it ever really happened, and so on and so forth.

But for a moment it was a cool to see Rose as, I believe, most fans prefer to see her. Granted, if she hates her dad so much, it may not make sense to base her appearance around his anyway. Based on the second volume of Deathstroke, she does still seem to have a hate-on for him, but with that volume apparently being ignored now, who knows any more?

Her outfit gets changed yet again when she showed up in Red Hood And The Outlaws this past February.

My understanding (I have yet to read the book) is that the story deals with addictions. In light of Rose's pre-flashpoint background, her inclusion in such a storyline would make sense. But again, with DC, who knows anymore whether her past drug addiction (thanks again, dad!) even took place?

Also, based on reviews, Rose has some history with Jason Todd. That could be interesting, but I suspect we won't be told a whole lot in the one issue. Although you know, I would buy the hell out of a book featuring those two as a couple, like a Green Arrow/Black Canary or Grifter/Zealot combo.

Oddly, once again we have a cover switch. The original solicitation featured the cover below:

Both are said to be by artist R.B. Silva so I wonder why the change? Did he just want to make life easier for himself and feature a less complex uniform?

In any event, Rose is also included in the following, and final, issue of the series.