Review: Action Comics #1094

 Action Comics #1094  came out last week, another chapter in Mark Waid's exploration of the introduction of Superboy to the DCU. I have been very pleased with this run of stories and this issue is no exception as Waid answers questions I think have been in the back of my mind as a reader. Why would the military not try to control or co-opt Superman when he first revealed himself?

The bulk of the issue is Superboy doing what he does best, trying to save lives and do what is right. But this time that is by helping the US military extract men from a foreign nation. It is Superboy entering war, being given orders, and still assisting because that is what is needed. But appropriately questioning his role afterwards. I think we are just scratching the surface of this confrontation with General Lane. 

But surrounding the main title is that exploration of Clark's feelings and dealing with this. He is still just a kid. He is still crushing on Lana. He is still doing silly little Smallville tasks. But now he has seen things that most people won't ever see, the horror of war, and has to find a way to deal with it. That is a story worth telling.

The art on the issue is done by Patricio Delpeche, whose work is new to me. There is a raw feeling here. There is as sort of Sean Phillips feel to the work too. Given the darker tone for most of this issue, the pencils and shadow work all works wonderfully here.

Lastly, the ending of the book synchs up a favorite Silver Age moment with these modern times. I smiled. Kudos to Waid for his usual walking the tightrope of honoring the old while refreshing it for today.

On to the details.

The book opens with Superboy filing thousands of new books donated to the Smallville library from billionaire Robert Queen (Ollie's dad!). This quaint opening reminds the reader just how innocent Superboy's life can be, a perfect contrast from what is about to happen.

But Waid is also planting seeds. Clark speeds to Lana's for a study session but her archaelogist father is home, and watching Clark like a hawk. Hmmm ... is he suspicious? Or just an anxious dad of a young daughter?

It is hinted that there is some seedy underbelly to Prof. Lang's work. How can the Langs be so well off?

Waid uses that to enrich Lana's character. She's traveled the world with her dad so she has more life experience, is more mature than most of Smallville. No wonder Clark loves her.

But she also refuses to wear the fancy clothes her dad buys her. She refuses to flaunt her life in the face of everyone else. She remains Smallville through and through (we already know how she volunteers her time, helps at the school, etc).

Clark feels it is like she has a secret identity too. 

Perhaps that sort of thought will lead him to know he can trust her.

Soon after the signal watch General Lane gave Superboy buzzes. He needs Superboy's help to get Silas Stone (Cyborg's dad) out of Modora. He is one of the military's best weapon designer and he's been kidnapped. 

That all might be true but you can almost see the wheels spinning for General Lane. He calls it a 'rescue mission' probably the only way to get Superboy there. But I wonder if there is more to this. We will see there is certainly military action.

Second, Lane says the S-shield is so the other American troops can pick out Superboy. But it also lets other nations know 'Superboy works for us', announcing Superboy as a soldier. I doubt Clark thought of that. I doubt Clark wants that.

Superboy arrives to discover the American troops under fire. He also is assailed by a sound weapon making him both deaf and vertiginous. 

So this is more than a sntach and grab.

Plus, it is deadly. Clark tries to save a GI only to find that he is too late.

Talk about a sobering event for a kid. 

But it is seeing these events that helps me as a reader build the foundation that leads to who Superman is.

Ultimately, he helps get the troops out by using himself as a moving shield as the men run out via a dug trench. 

Nice shot by Delpeche here. 

There is still the saving of Stone.

He is kept in a place with a massive sonic weapon, so powerful it is debilitating to Superboy. Waid tells us that this is Clark's inexperience as Superman.

This is before heat vision so Superboy uses sound to defeat sound, super-screaming the thing to pieces.

This might be my favorite panel because it shows how important color is to comics. Delpeche does art and color here. Most of the Smallville pages are steeped in sepia. Most of the nighttime military action is drab blues and blacks. Here everything is dazzling white and electric blue. The sound effect in bright red. It ramps up the energy of the scream ... incredible.

And a sonic weapon being developed in Modoro, home country of GL villain Sonar. DC history being made!

Clark, having witnessed what he has, is reeling in the aftermath.

In the span of a day he went from shelving library books and studying with the girl next door to being underfire and having to carry a fallen soldier home. And Waid nails it with the dialogue. Clark's world is bigger for sure. But also smaller. He can't talk to anyone about all this ... about any of it.

This sort of character stuff is what is making this run so powerful for me. It is easy to say 'he's Superman because of how he was raised'. But now we are being shown it. What shaped Superboy into Superman?

And then the ending! The perfect ending.

Clark wonders if he could ever share his secret with Pete Ross. While on a camping trip with Pete he has to sneak off as Superboy for a quick rescue. He decides it would be unfair to burden Pete with that info.

But the infamous lightning flash near the tent tells us ... Pete already knows. Shades of the Silver Age!!!

This was a little bit of a heavier issue for this Superboy run and the story and the arts completely mesh. From the deadly action to the heavy heart to the lightning flash, this issue rang true.

Overall grade: A