Review: Action Comics #1062

Action Comics #1062 came out last week, the second issue in the Jason Aaron run.

I had never read Jason Aaron before so went into last issue with a little apprehension. After reading Action Comics #1061, I was generally happy. The Bizarro World story had some interesting wrinkles. It ended with a cliffhanger. The John Timms art was slick. So I went into this issue with less worries.

I should have remained worried.

Because the optimism for the book and the arc sort of eroded over the course of the issue. There are plenty of moments in this book that did not work for me. And there was one set of pages that completely broke me. By the end of the book, I felt all the good will the first issue gave me was not only gone but the needle had moved into the negative. Even the cliffhanger made me roll my eyes a little.

Talk about a quick turnaround!

One thing I think still works and works well is John Timms art. I have always liked his work and here he brings a panache to the devastation that unfolds in this issue. His Superman is muscular, imposing, and handsome. I even like his Bizarros. 

On to the book.

Last issue, Bizarro used magic to turn Metropolis into a mini-Bizarro world, turning all the citizens into Bizarros. This included the Man of Steel. 

In a moment I did like, Superman is able to somehow shake off the possession and regain control. 

You want your heroes to be threatened, to be in danger, but not be easily defeated. I thought this was solid. The art/coloring sells it a bit with the symbol half in shadow as Superman wrests control. 

Unfortunately, the rest of the city remains in thrall and out of control. And these aren't nice and harmless Bizarros. The Metropolis Bizarros are about killing and destroying. We see pages and pages of the threats.

The city is quarantined to control the spell. But it isn't really working.

With the cause being magic, Superman and Batman enlist other sorcerers to try and break the spell. 

This is perhaps my favorite moment of the book and it doesn't even feature Superman or a member of his family. Constantine sends Blue Devil out to fetch his dinner and smokes, claiming they are needed components to a counter-spell. We know that's a lie ... but totally Constantine. 

Superman is working 24/7 to keep the citizens safe from their own angry, backwards-thinking violence. 

We hear about how people are truly the most dangerous opposites. Swim teachers are trying to drown kids. Crossing guards are luring kids in front of buses. Doctors are allowing themselves to be operated on. It is bedlam.

I did like that the reverse of Lois is that she is organizing book burnings. The 'knowledge is power' journalist is gone. (The did about graphic novels seems unneeded.)

While the violence and horror of the issue seemed a little excessive, I thought it ramped up the threat. At this point, I thought the book wasn't as good as the prior issue but wasn't necessarily bad.

But then it takes a turn. 

Why did Bizarro decide to gather his power and cast this spell? 

He was teased by the people of Metropolis. 

That's right. He has decided to bring about Armageddon because some jerks taunted him. 

Sigh.

I suppose that there is a message here about how cynical and crass the world has become. How the common man is eager to pounce and destroy, to label and belittle.

But I grew up with the mantra 'sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me'. This seems like thin gruel to build a story on.

We learn Bizarro's voice is inside Superman's head. We see Superman struggling to keep the Bizarro persona under the surface. And things flip in what probably is a fever dream but what I thought was actually happening. 

The Bizarro spell finally overwhelms our titular hero. 

And then this happens. 

We have two pages of Superman immolating people in Metropolis. 

It pulled me out of the story. First because I had to read and read to convince myself it was a vision (and only then after asking friends on-line) but also because I don't want to see any Superman do this.

But he snaps out of it.

Superman keeps trying to convince the Bizarro voice in his head to end the disaster.

Having seen why Bizarro is upset, he asks the imperfect duplicate to be the better person and forgive.

To be honest, I would have been pretty happy if that happened. There could be a message there. 

But it continues.

The Bizarro spell grows to encompass the world over weeks. We see how every corner of the world seems to be on fire, destroyed, damaged. 

Surely millions have died in this violent transition while Superman struggled. I mean, the world is a wreck.

With nowhere else to turn, Superman looks to the one person changed for the better by the backwards-Bizarro spell ... the Joker.

The Joker going sane has been done before. The Joker has been terribly overused. The Joker sort of bores me these days. This isn't the hook I needed to try and get me back into things.

Hopefully this is a hoax or vision. Maybe there is a magical time travel element that will undo this. Because the whole world is on fire here.

A killing Superman who lets the world be destroyed and teams up with a sane Joker. If that was the solicit, I would have skipped this book.

Overall grade: C-