Review: Action Comics #1059

Action Comics #1059 came out this week and was another fascinating chapter in Phillip Kennedy Johnson's last storyline. The secret of Norah Stone is revealed and alas, this time I was wrong. My guess that Norah Stone was a Warworld refugee and relative of Otho-Ra was incorrect.

Stone and her now super-powered Blue Earth are starting a smear campaign against the Super-family as well as bringing a new brand of vigilante justice to Metropolis. While that is happening, the plot to recruit Otho-Ra to the dark side goes into full swing. For me, Otho is the most interesting character of the issue as we see her struggling to decide which road she will go down in life. In a wonderfully subtle moment, you see how she looks to Kara as a role model. But we are heading to a showdown. Which side will Otho be on?

I also think that Johnson must realize his time on Action Comics is indeed coming to a close. So why not put in all the cool things he has dreamed about in the past. Johnson has talked about his love of Superman Annual #10, so why not have Superman wield a sword during his run!

Rafa Sandoval has the month off but Eddy Barrows comes in and brings a very slick issue. Some very powerful moments here. I usually think of Barrows as the artist I'd want for a super-powered brawl. Here, the moments of Otho-Ra battling on a mental landscape really stand out. Strong stuff. 

As for the back-ups, the New Super-Man story by Gene Luen Yang and Viktor Bogdanovic really crackles. It explains why Kenan is on the team now and not in China. It includes a moment which, I think, is a reference to the Jean Claude Van Damme movie Bloodsport. Big win. The Jon Kent story, written by Dan Parent with art by Marguerite Sauvage, is a little too precious and too light on action for me to like. Someone along the way must have felt we needed a romance comic story here.

I don't quite know why Johnson is leaving Action Comics. He will be missed. On to the book.

Dan Parent Supergirl Commission

Check out this fabulous Supergirl commission I just got from Archie artist Dan Parent! I have been wanting a Parent commission for a while, hoping  to add a Betty/Kara sketch to my collection.

As I have said countless times before when discussing my collection, I have three sort of categories of commissions I try to get.

The first is artists that are famous for or attached to Supergirl - Jamal Igle, Jim Mooney, etc.

The second is artists whose style I really like - Ethan Van Sciver, Stephane Roux, Brian Stelfreeze, etc.

The third is artists who will have a different sort of take on Supergirl - Scott Wegener, Alex Maleev, etc.

And of course, artists can overlap in these categories. I love Jamal Igle's art and he is connected to Supergirl. I love Alex Maleev's style and he would give an interesting take on Supergirl.

Parent falls mostly into the third category although I love his art for the sweet simplicity of it. His style seems tailor made for an all ages teenage Supergirl book.

Anyways, a good friend of mine, who knew I wanted a Parent commission, was in Florida for MegaCon and saw this piece for sale and picked it up for me. So know it is hanging on the 'wall of fame', a bright and sunny Supergirl striking a pose.

I really love this piece as an interesting addition to my commission collection.