Review: Action Comics #1083

Action Comics #1083 came out this week, the second part of John Ridley's arc during the Superman Superstars era of the title. Last issue showed a sort of bleak world where both our heroes and our villains were downtrodden and dreary. I wondered if something might be manipulating people's feelings.

In this issue, Ridley gives us the answer. I don't know if it quite worked for me but this is a middle chapter so maybe it will all work out in the end. Maybe I was thinking of something more innovative. I will say that the cause of the villains hopelessness and the cause for Superman's hopelessness are different which gives this a somewhat interesting twist. But in the end, it raises another concerning question, one I talk about at the end of this review.

Inaki Miranda stays on art and is solid. I like how beefy he makes Superman, a physical presence. There is a nice action-filled 2 page spread near the end that is quite brilliant. I like the way he draws Scorch as well. 

But this issue overall fell just a little flat with that big plot reveal. 

On to the specifics.

Review: Batman/Superman World's Finest #30

Batman Superman World's Finest #30 came out this week and was another fun, done-in-one issue for the title. 

Writer Mark Waid and guest artists Gleb Melnikov again weave a story from the recent past, teaming up Batman and Superman with other heroes, and dusting off a seldom used villain giving them a much needed update. That has been the pattern of this book. 

But I love the little side-pattern that Waid  have been doing in which after an arc, they let the title breathe by putting out a one-issue story with a beginning middle and end. We've seen it throughout the book from a look at Robin, to the Robin/Supergirl date, to the first Lex/Joker team-up, to this story teaming up the Trinity. 

Waid has been bringing that Silver/Bronze age patina to the stories overall and what could be more old-school than 'done in one'.

This story focuses on a murder mystery on Themyscira and Diana has asked Batman and Superman to help solve the crime. That is a good hook. There is a great twist as the mystery is solved. And my guess is Waid is building towards something bigger. 

Melnikov has yet to disappoint me on anything I have seen him on. His take on the Amazons is great. They are that perfect mix of strength and presence. I know Daniel Sampere is on the main WW book but I'd love to see Melnikov drawing Wonder Woman more.

On to the specifics!

Review: Superman #8

Superman #8 came out this week and moved along the plot of The Chained quite well while continuing the subplots that have been percolating from the first issue. There is a little bit of a cheat in the action in this issue, the one thing which sort of brings the efforts down. Still, quite a fun ride, a solid middle chapter. 

Writer Joshua Williamson does a good job here of building up the threat of The Chained, tying the villain into Lex's history and Conner's history. The threat feels real. As this is a Lex villain more than a Superman villiain, this battle leans into the new dynamic between Luthor and Superman, forcing a bit of a team-up. And we get quick peeks at the newer members of the book - Lena Luthor, the Countess, Dr. Pharma and Mr. Graft. Still, the ending of the fight with the Chained is a bit of a stretch on a couple of levels. 

The art is a bit all over the place with Gleb Melnikov, Norm Rapmund, David Balteon, and Jamal Campbell all listed as being on art. I really like Melnikov's grungy, energetic art on the Chained battles. There are nice, bigger panels highlighting some of the action. The cover by Campbell conveys the threat of The Chained, Superman weighed down. 

On to the book!

Review: Superman #7

Superman #7 came out this week and was a stealth #850 anniversary when you count the legacy numbers. This was over-sized and it certainly felt like it with this book being stuffed with A,B, and C plots with new wrinkles and new continuity suddenly in the mix. Whew ... I had to take a breath when this one was done because there is a lot going on.

Writer Joshua Williamson is certainly embracing the Superman mythos. The A plot feels very new with The Chained nearly destroying Metropolis while Graft and Pharma look on. The B plot is a re-imagining of the Luthor legacy, bringing back a couple of family members that was eye-opening. And then the Brainiac threat continues to bubble in the background. That is a lot for one issue and somehow Williamson is able to juggle it all while also showcasing Superman and the Superman family in a whiz-bang action sequence. Given the focus of this site, I have to say Supergirl shines here, acting as the field general of the team. I loved it. And don't forget, there is that D plot of Marilyn Moonlight out there and not seen here. Amazing.

Given the over-sized nature of the book, the art is split up and thankfully in a way that makes sense. Gleb Melnikov continues the Chained plot and really amps up the action here. Really good stuff here. Old school artists Dan Jurgens handles the Luthor pages and brings a sense of history to the proceedings which works given the reintroduction of some history. And then Edwin Galmon brings a sort of computer art feel to the Brainiac pages which just clicks.

This felt like a sort of middle chapter of the bigger picture but it moved things along briskly and in a very entertaining way. That's the job of a middle chapter.  Very good issue here!

On to the 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.

Review: Knight Terrors: Superman #2

Knight Terrors: Superman #2 came out this week and was a fantastic story for fans of  the super-family. In particular, this issue really did a great job showing how close Superman and Supergirl are, at least in writer Joshua Williamson's mind. To see the super-cousins working together, talking to each other like colleagues, and saving the day. There's even some fun Lois moments. And Aquaman and Mera are the real heroes!

As I have said recently, the last year has been wonderful for me as a Supergirl fan. The bad taste that Tom King's Woman of Tomorrow mini-series has sort of been cleansed from my psyche by Joshua Williamson and Phillip Kennedy Johnson. Kara often seems wiser beyond her years, 'the smartest person in the room', and a fierce fighter of injustice. We get a ton of that here, as I'll show. But there is an unfortunate downside to all this upside ... more on that later.

The art by Tom Reilly works well with the story. There is something rough and ready with the art which amps up the nightmarish parts of the story. It has the feel of Chris Samnee, very much a compliment. I love his take on all the Supergirl variant zombies. The cover by Gleb Melnikov works well with the cousins getting ready to throw down.

I don't know if I needed Knight Terrors as an event. It makes little sense overall. But the two Superman mini-series have really utilized this little break to explore the characters and their motivations in a way that can only help the main titles. I enjoyed this a lot, especially as a Supergirl fan. 

On to some details.

Review: Knight Terrors: Superman

 Dawn of DC seemed to be firing on all cylinders, at least the books I was reading and I felt like the DCU was finally picking up some momentum. So when Knight Terrors, a 2 month cross-company horror based event that no one asked for, was announced I worried. It seemed like all this was going to do was pump the brakes on some titles that were really clicking. In particular, for this site, both Superman and Action Comics are solid right now. Do I need a break?

Knight Terrors: Superman #1 came out this week and I have to say allayed a few of my fears. You can think about these books in two ways. 

One, you can think about the main title. A villain named Insomnia is wandering through hero's nightmares looking for the Nightmare Stone to rule the world. Frankly, I don't care. I am not sure if this is going to impact anything in such a way that it warrants a two month mega-block.

But the other way you can look at this is it allows creative teams to take a hard look at the title characters. If each book is going to be a deep dive into character's fears, it gives the creators some room to explore. It gives the reader a sense of what the creators think of their charges. We are just seeing what writer Joshua Williamson thinks of Superman in that book. So why not have us see 'under the hood' as it were, learning what Williamson thinks is Superman's greatest fears. We learn it is being alone. And that is interesting. We know family is important to Clark. He loves his world. He loves his friends. Of course, isolation would be terrifying. 

Add to that a major Supergirl subplot and Williamson has created a book that I very much enjoyed as a Superman fan. I don't know if I am a Knight Terrors fan ... yet. But this worked.

Gleb Melnikov gives us a moody cover of Superman of Superman falling through the night sky. Tom Reilly does the inside art and  nails it. Reilly has a sort of Chris Samnee/Michael Cho classic feel to the proceedings. Things are scary when they should be. But his inclusion of some classic DC images made me smile. And, of course, the Supergirl stuff is great. 

So far so good here. On to the details.