Review: Action Comics #1057

Action Comics #1057 came out this week and was a solid read if imperfect. 

As usual, the main story by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Rafa Sandoval is fantastic. The threat of the Blue Earthers and their leader Norah Stone finally manifests itself. Like many zealots, her message doesn't sound completely crazy but there is definitely some malevolence behind her extreme views. There is a mystery unraveling with Stone as well. She clearly is more than human. I have a theory. Johnson definitely knows how to bring the most out of this story. While Stone rants about the threat Superman is, we see him at his most down to Earth, a physical contrast to her words. 

While I have loved the super-family in Action recently, this issue is all Superman and I'm here for it. And it ends on a wild cliffhanger. 

It is the other stories in the anthology that aren't holding up the back end of the book. The Dan Jurgens/Lee Weeks young Jon story sort of ends with a whimper. It seemed like Jurgens realized that he had a handful of pages to wrap things up and so he sprinted to the end. The last story is a Conner story by Magdelena Visaggio and Matthew Clark and once again it is Conner struggling to find his place on Earth. Didn't he just get a whole mini-series? And he's wildly emotional in the story. Almost petulant. There is one thought provoking moment, but the whole thing ends on a complete downbeat note which made it all sour. 

Still, if you are a fan of the Johnson/Sandoval stuff, this book still sings. I am very interested in seeing where this goes. On to the particulars.

Coles Super Hero Builder Supergirl Figurine

One thing that I have been truly amazed at is the generosity and camaraderie of the comic book community I am part of. From trades to packages of comics to sketches, I have been on the receiving end of too many presents to count. And I do my best to reciprocate.

Last week, I received an envelope from Australia from good friends Mike Garvey and Paul Hicks from the 'Waiting For Doom' podcast. Inside was a Coles Super Hero Builders Supergirl figure.

I had never heard of these or seen these. Are these even around here in the States?

But it is the cutest little thing and a wonderful addition to my Supergirl collection!

It stands maybe 2 inches tall and is this tiny chibi looking Kara, all bold and ready for action. 

I have a section of the shrine for mini-figures and this will fit in perfectly there.

This is how it comes out of the package.

Thank goodness for YouTube because I was unable to put it together using my own brain power and needed to find a 'how to' video.

Thanks again to Mike and Paul for sending this my way. It was such a ray of sunshine during a rough week at work! It really is such a cute Supergirl!

Review: Batman/Superman World's Finest #19

Batman/Superman World's Finest #19 came out this week, the ending of a quick 2 parter looking at the origin of the team. I have really been impressed with the overall cadence of this book. We have 5 parters; we have done-in-ones. Now we have a two-parters. Fantastic.

Kudos to Mark Waid for not stretching out stories to fill a trade. This was a quick little story. I suppose you could have dragged this out 5 or 6 issues. But there is no need. That makes me happy.

Waid continues the 'origin' of the World's Finest pair and I like how the turning point is where Batman learns about how the death of Superman's parents (and the rest of Krypton) is something that drives him a little. There is a commonality between these two that would bring them together. As this is an early take on these two, I like how both are still pretty raw. 

But Waid really got me with a callback to Aethyr, the oversoul of the Phantom Zone from the 80s that has been revisited now and then. You can count on Waid to lean into DC history!

Travis Moore brings a clean take on the art here. This issue is pretty action heavy and Moore cranks up the power, giving us Kryptonians brawling away. 

If the 'done in ones' are an amuse bouche in comics, this was a meaty hors d'oeuvre. 

On to details.

Review: Superman #6

Superman #6 came out this week and was another very solid issue in this new run by writer Joshua Williamson. This time he is accompanied by artist Gleb Melkinov who was artist on the Knight Terrors Superman book which put the title on pause.

So yes, I needed to remind myself that Superman #5 ended with Superman deafened by Silver Banshee allowing Lex Luthor to be brutally stabbed in prison. Thankfully, we pick up right where that left.

This issue continues the breakneck speed Williamson has brought to the book. The back half of the issue introduces us the 'The Chained', a new villain with immense power and a connection to Luthor's past.  We have seen recent villains added to the Superman gallery but none of them have stuck. Remember Ulysses? The Wraith?  Rogol Zaar? Synmar Utopica? I barely remember them. Will The Chained stick? At the very least, he has a compelling visual. 

But I like some of the other character moments we get here. A frazzled Lois realizing being an editor isn't easy. Livewire gleefully podcasting from prison. A Supercorp worker happy creating tech that helps the world. Even an electronic simulacrum of Lex poking fun at our hero. There is a lot of emotional and character depth to the book that makes me happy. 

Melnikov really brings some action to the art. He veers into a sort of Frank Miller vibe here, more than I am used to seeing. It certainly amps the horror of the new villain. And his Superman is appropriately bigger than life. 

Another solid issue. Glad the book is back on track after Knight Terrors. On to details.

DC Comics December 2023 Solicits

The December 2023 solicits came out last week. Here is a link to all the DC Comics solicits over on AIPT:
https://aiptcomics.com/2023/09/15/full-december-2023-dc-comics-solicitations-beast-world-busts-out/

December is an interesting month. The Titans Beast War event is here, as a mini-series and in the Titans books but not in the whole DC line. Thankfully, I thought for sure we were going to roll from Lazarus Planet to Knight Terrors to another full slate event. 

Steel and Superboy appear in a couple of books this month. Surprisingly, I don't see Jon Kent much of anywhere.

What I do see is a ton ... and I mean a TON ... of variant covers. I get that this is part of the industry now but some books, standard monthly books, have 7 covers. Seems excessive.

I thought both super-books Knight Terrors mini-series were very good building on themes already present in the main books and not a complete crossover departure. But I'll be happy to not be thinking about some mega-event for the first time since Dark Crisis.

On to the books.

ACTION COMICS #1060
Written by PHILLIP KENNEDY JOHNSON, NICOLE MAINES, STEVE ORLANDO, and JOE CASEY
Art by EDDY BARROWS, FICO OSSIO, and DAN McDAID
Cover by STEVE BEACH
Variant covers by JIM CHEUNG and JORGE JIMENEZ
1:25 variant cover by DANIEL SAMPERE
1:50 variant cover by KAARE ANDREWS
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom variant cover by FELIPE MASSAFERA

A mistake from Superman’s past has returned, and Metropolis hangs in the balance! As the super-family is betrayed from within and stripped of their powers one by one, Superman sets out on a suicide mission into the Multiverse alongside the unlikeliest of allies: Constantine, the demon Etrigan, and—making his return to Action Comics—Bloodwynd!

Plus: During “Beast World” in Metropolis, Dreamer has a run-in with life-changing consequences, and Zod’s son begins to suspect New Kandor isn’t as peaceful as it seems in the prelude to Kneel Before Zod #1!

A mistake from the past? Zod? Someone from the Bendis run?  It seems like Otho is the most likely internal person to 'betray' the team. But I hope not. 

I like the occasional (or even rare) Superman story that leans into the supernatural. Is this Superman's first team-up with Constantine? 

The back-ups sound okay. Yes, Beast Wars is here but in a Dreamer story. That's okay.

Review: Superman Lost #6

Superman Lost #6 came out last week, starting the back half of the series. We are six issues into this series and my feelings for the book have been interesting, rocking between pure enjoyment and sheer frustration. This issue veers more towards the former. This is a good issue.

Writer Christopher Priest has an interesting concept of having Superman having been lost in time, stuck on a planet for 20 years even if the time he was missing on Earth was minutes. Priest has had Superman stuck on a planet that the Man of Steel dubbed Kansas. An obvious stand-in for Earth, the world is plagued with polarized populations and horrific climate change and pollutants. It is dying, much like Krypton, much like our Earth seems to be careening to destruction, and they won't let Superman help them. 

I am one of those people who has felt that politics and activism has seeped too deeply into comics these days. I read comics for super-heroic entertainment not for ham-fisted sermons. Priest walks a fine line here. Yes, this is a political book but told in allegory and shockingly down the middle, skewering all sides in a way. 

But Priest also knows that I need more than that. This is a Superman book. So you see a Superman trying desperately to save his new home. You see him struggle with loneliness. He has a 'villain' to deal with. And we see yet another version of his origin, being rocketed away from a doomed planet. All that ups my interest. It adds to the entertainment. 

Carlo Pagulayan brings a precise and gorgeous art style to the book. There are scenes here that are just conversations that are still beautiful. And the action pieces are wildly energetic. He's a revelation to me here even though it looks like he has been around for a while. 

I am curious what my feelings for this title as a whole will be when it wraps up. On to some particulars.

DC Multiverse Figure From McFarlane Toys

I caught wind of a new Supergirl action figure on a number of sites last week so thought I would share here.

Made by McFarlane Toys and an exclusive (it seems) to Target stores, this is a Supergirl figure based on the DC Rebirth costume.

Given the more recent change of costume for the character, either the blue pantsuit of the Women of Tomorrow mini-series or the jacketed version of recent Action Comics run, I was pretty surprised to see this more 'classic' red mini-skirt look on a new toy.

Not that I am complaining! The red skirt version is my favorite costume. 

It was a little hard to get a solid feel for the figure given this sole image, the only one that had been released at first. No denying the solid sculpt of the head with a lot of detail noted on the hair. The cape in the pic seems to be cloth. I can't imagine that would be true of the actual figure. But a nice look overall.

Then I went to Toy News International and got a few other looks.