Review: Action Comics #1084 (edited)

And so 'Superman Superstars' ends, not with a bang but with a whimper. (Sorry ... there are more issues in the 'Superman Superstar' banner!)

Framing a very good story by Mark Waid and a solid story by Gail Simone were the beginners and enders of the 'Superman Superstars' trade dress, Jason Aaron and John Ridley. It isn't a bad idea. The old 'Legend of the Dark Knight' comic book were stand-alone Batman arcs from different creative teams, each telling a compelling Batman story. The problem with the idea is some arcs will sort of fall flat and then the question is, in this volatile comic market, can a title survive if people ditch it while a story they don't like runs.  Back in the day, I bought LOTDK based on creators. 

John Ridley finishes his story in Action Comics #1084 and I get the sense if this was a LOTDK story I would have skipped it. Ridley seems to have a lot to say in this story of recidivism, people living on the edge, people exploiting people living on the edge, and Superman trying to deal with a world filled with inherent justice. I am sure this all made sense as a concept, Ridley wanting to tell a story about the 1% taking advantage of the poor, forcing the poor into crime or despair, and how even heroes are powerless against it.

It just never gels. It feels like too many 'real world' topics to cover in a brief story. And so it feels like Ridley is scratching the surface of what he wants to say but can't get to the conclusion of any of his theses.

Inaki Miranda's art is fun and energetic. There some good fight scenes at the beginning. 

Let's wrap it up.

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: Action Comics #1082

Action Comics #1082 came out last week, the next writer in the 'Superman Superstars' run on the book. With Mark Waid's weekly arc behind us, we enter a monthly schedule again. 

Waid's fun story was about the Phantom Zone, was about Mon-El, with a time travel trip to Krypton to boot. It went at a brisk pace and really was fun. It would be hard to follow that.

Writer John Ridley and artist Inaki Miranda come on board for 'Force Majeure' a title I will come back to at the end of this review. 

The short version is that Major Disaster, a villain turned hero, reverts to his villainous ways. And Superman, who helped reform Disaster, gets both upset and depressed about the whole thing. So vexed, that he begins asking around about why it happened. 

I haven't read much by Ridley but I did like his The Other Side of the DC Universe. It is hard to know in this first issue why he thinks Disaster regressed. Almost everyone Superman talks to feels it was inevitable. But the result is a sort of morose or highly agitated Superman. It doesn't feel quite right.  

Inaki Miranda's art is solid if standard. The opening disaster movie has a nice energy to it. But much of the remainder of the issue is Clark Kent interviewing people or sulking with Lois. Hard to make a meal out of that.

On to the story.

Review: Supergirl #38

Supergirl #38 came out this week, another chapter in yet another iteration of something I call 'Dark Kara', the inevitable every 4 yr turn of the crank where DC tries to make Supergirl evil or edgy.

I'm kind of sick of it. And this issue didn't curtail that feeling. In fact, I have gone from really loathing these takes to something worse ... being bored with them. How many times, even within this one continuity, do we have to see Kara dealing with her grief about Krypton by becoming evil or dark or edgy?

From her initial hatred of Earth when she arrived to her teaming up with H'El to her leaving Earth entirely to becoming a Red Lantern to her wielding an axe and nearly killing people to now being infected by the Batman Who Laughs, we have read this story before.

And Dark Kara fighting Diana, which she does in this issue, is also a common response.

Here, Kara bemoans the 'weakness' of humanity for feeling 'safe'. And yet she wants to 'free' people from this weakness by infecting them the way she is. So, becoming evil and not caring about things at all is the cure? And even then, isn't her 'caring' about people to the point she wants to infect them showing that she cares? I don't know.

I'm just sick of reading issues of my favorite character where she is the villain.

That said, the art by Rachel Stott and Inaki Miranda, is beautiful even as it presents Supergirl as a pro-Wrestler or fan of G'War. And Krypto remains a bright spot.

I hope Jody Houser turns this into something worthwhile. But the end can't come soon enough. On to the details.

Review: Batgirl Annual #1

"Together again for the first time!"

It's a tag line I love in comics. Between universal rewrites, reboots, and new people using classic superhero monikers, I have seen it plenty during my comic reading years. And it could apply to Batgirl Annual #1. Because this is the first team-up between the New 52/Rebirth Supergirl and Batgirl.

It seems almost a little odd that here we are 6 years out from the New 52 and this is the first time these two characters are talking to each other. And thankfully, writer Hope Larson makes them fast and easy friends. Enough of New 52 angst and isolationism! These two should be friends!

It is even better that this story is a sort of secret mission, something that neither Bruce or Kal involved. This is something they want to do together on their own. It is clearly the beginning of a beautiful friendship and a multi-issue arc (we know this from solicits). And that makes me truly happy. I don't read Batgirl but the book jibes with Supergirl nicely, name dropping the DEO and even adding an evil Cadmus into the mix.

The art is done by Inaki Miranda and the style has a vibe similar to what Joelle Jones is doing on Supergirl Being Super. There are some nice page layouts as well which accentuate the action as well.

This is a definite read for fans of the Rebirth Supergirl!