Review: Action Comics #1075 Superman Story

Action Comics #1075 was released last week, a milestone issue according to the trade dress. 

It is also the halfway mark of this weekly run on Action Comics with the main story being told by the creative team of writer Mark Waid and artist Clayton Henry. 

This has been an impressive story showcasing just why I love Mark Waid as a writer. Superman is investigating the ever changing nature of the Phantom Zone. He runs into an immensely powerful being called Aethyr. He interacts with Mon-El. He ends up being thrown back in time to Krypton where he meets his father, a scientific genius who discovered the Phantom Zone. .

That all sounds very classic and Bronze Age. This has elements which are true to longstanding continuity. As such for someone like me, this reads as 'true'.

At the same time, Waid is polishing that Bronze to a more modern sheen. Aethyr is a vindictive god. Mon-El is has had a more troubled time in the Zone than normal, perhaps resorting to murder. Jor-El understood that the Phantom Zone was a troubling option for imprisonment. Jor-El has a temper, not suffering fools. And Lara is clever. 

Classic and new and most importantly, entertaining. It is what Waid has been doing since he returned to DC. Add to that a fun side mission with Kenan and Conner. Throw in more nods to DC history and you have a win.

The art continues to be very strong. Clayton Henry does very well with the Krypton scenes which are mostly verbal sparring, not fight sequences. His work on Jor-El and Lara, showing their anger and indignation, is strong. I love the 'milestone' cover showcasing some famous moments. Michael Shelfer brings a different energy, more electric, to the side story.

There is also an extra Perry White story by Joshua Williamson and Jon Bogdanove which ties up a bubbling Superman subplot.

All in all, a great issue. On to details. 

Review: Return Of Superman 30th Anniversary Special

Last week, the Return of Superman 30th Anniversary Special came out, a square bound, ten dollar tome looking back at the Reign of the Superman story. DC did a good job getting the band back together. Dan Jurgens, Louise Simonson, Karl Kesel are back writing. Ordway, Jurgens, Jon Bogdanove, and Tom Grummett are on art chores for the flashbacks with Travis Moore doing the framework story. Only Roger Stern and Jackson Guice are missing.

I suppose this book was written for people like me who lived through the 'Reign of' and the 'Return of' Superman. This book looks back at the time when the real Superman was dead, there were 4 Supermen running around, and readers were wondering if any of them were the Superman.

Jurgens handles the framework story of Lois reading from Perry White's journal from that time period and his reactions to the different Supermen. It was quite fun to look back at then the Cyborg Superman, Steel, Superboy, and the Eradicator were relatively unknown. Seeing Perry fall for the Cyborg's pretending to be Superman brought back memories of buddies who thought so too. (I had my money on the Eradicator ... as usual I was wrong.)

But it is the flashback stories where we see those characters in the early stages of their careers that was the most fun. I loved all the Superman books then. I loved the Kesel/Grummett Superboy. So the nostalgia engine was cranked up reading these books.

When it all is said and done, there is a nice sentiment to the story, a reminder that the real Superman is the standard other try to live up to. 

This was pretty pricey but I gobbled it up. 

On to some details.

Supergirl in Action Comics Presents: Doomsday Special #1

Since we learned about the conversion of Action Comics from a Superman solo book to a Superman Family anthology book, I have been hoping for a Supergirl solo story. 

Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow ended over a year ago. The last page of that book has her watching Ruthye execute a repentent Krem. The Supergirl solo book ended over three years ago and ended with an arc where she was infected by the Batman Who Laughs and turned into a villain. 

Thankfully, in the main Superman books, we have been given bits of a more heroic, intelligent, and optimistic Kara. But these were simply bread crumbs. And I wanted a meal.

So I was pretty thrilled when I came across this story about the Action Comics Presents: Doomsday Special #1, solicited for August! 

The book is written by Dan Watters with art by old friend Eddy Barrows. And here is the solicit!

It is a creature beyond reason—and the only force in the universe strong enough to kill Superman. It’s Doomsday, the living embodiment of death, destruction, and evolution! In the wake of Dark Crisis and Lazarus Planet, King Doomsday now sits on a throne of skulls across a river of blood, holding court over the demons that swarm in the depths of Hell...and he may have just found a way back to the land of the living. It’s now up to Supergirl and Martian Manhunter to drive the beast back and see that he never again returns to our earthly plane—even if they must die to do it! Plus: the return of Bloodwynd, the debut of the Doomhounds, and a clue to the next big Superman event!

So I admit that the title highlights Doomsday, a character that I think is overused. But this is a Supergirl and Martian Manhunter adventure as they try to stop Doomsday. 48 pages! And Bloodwynd!! Holy 1990's!

We finally will get a Supergirl adventure where she is at the center of the action ... and hopefully not evil, angry, overly traumatized, or sad! 

Okay, I won't curse the darkness! There is a lot to love here. 

Review: The Death Of Superman 30th Anniversary Special, Pt 2

The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special came out last week and it was chock full of great stuff. I covered the Dan Jurgens story earlier this week. That was a solid tale, a flashback to a time when Jon was still a tweener and learning about the famous Death story. Baked within that was a bunch of homage panels as Jurgens introduces the story to a whole new generation of fans.

What I love about the rest of this book is that it also looks backwards but now to the actual time of the Death of Superman. And it also brings back a bunch of the major creators of the time, allowing them another swing. Even better, it has those creators once more writing some of the characters they are best known for. As an old time fan, and in particular a fan of this classic arc, this was just wonderful.

Jerry Ordway and Tom Grummett give us a story focusing on the Kents. Ma and Pa are witnessing the Doomsday fight and reminisce on a little known aspect of Clark's heroism.

Roger Stern and Jackson Guice give us a Guardian, Dubbilex, and Metropolis SCU story. I didn't know I needed another Guardian and Dubbilex story. I did know I needed to see more Guice art.

Louise Simonson and Jon Bogdanove give us a deeper look into John Henry Irons origin and how he always has had the art of the hero. 

And if that wasn't enough, we get a bunch of pin-ups, including one I'll highlight below. 

It is a hefty $10.99. But you know what? It was worth it.

On to the book. 

Supergirl in The Death Of Superman

With Superman Doomed heating up, I thought I would review Supergirl's history back in the original Doomsday story Death of Superman, from way back in 1992. Now, I freely admit that this particular arc reads a bit clunky early on. Running through Superman, Action Comics, Adventures of Superman, Man of Steel, and even Justice League of America, this arc reads silly in some places.

It really is the following arcs - Funeral for a Friend and Reign of the Supermen - that really shine.

But this is the Doomsday arc. And as such, we see Doomsday plodding towards destiny and wiping out pretty much every superhero that runs into him. From Guy Gardner to Maxima to Bloodwind (!!) to even lightweights like Fire, Ice, and Booster Gold all get trashed. And Superman skirmishes with Doomsday throughout the arc, leading up to the fatal battle in the streets of Metropolis.

So where was Supergirl during all this?

Well, this was the end of a low time for Supergirl. This was the Matrix Supergirl, protoplasmic creation from a pocket universe. She had returned to Earth as a slave of Brainiac. After being freed from his control, she became to girlfriend of Lex Luthor II (actually a young clone of the original Lex). And she basically loved him to the point of being overly obedient and defensive of him.

She still had a good heart, wanting to good, but all too often deferred to his whims.

So here, with Doomsday just starting to tear up the countryside, she want to go out and lend a hand, helping the falling heroes. But Lex doesn't want her to go saying he needs her nearby and ready to defend Metropolis.

(I do love how Tom Grummett drew her.)

Later on, the fight becomes even grimmer. Superman isn't winning. And people are getting hurt.

Again, Supergirl feels like she needs to rush out to help.

But once again, Lex tells her that she shouldn't rush out. It is Metropolis that needs her, not the outskirts of the city.

(I also loved the way Jackson Guice drew her during this time. Really lovely.)

The fight ends up in Metropolis. And Superman is really getting pounded.

Finally ... FINALLY ... Supergirl decides that she can't let Superman fight Doomsday alone. She flies out to his defense ... with Lex's permission of course.

Get ready for some action ...

(Jon Bogdanove is on art here.)

Actually ... there isn't much action.

Supergirl flies out into battle and is dispatched with one left hook.

And that has to be one of the more jarring panels I have ever seen.

Remember she is a protoplasmic being. So this punch is so great, it disrupts her ability to hold her shape!

And Bogdanove really plays up that power, having Supergirl/Matrix's eyes literally pop out of her face.

This was the power of Doomsday.

This moment, and this time period, was indeed a low point. But it also was a turning point.

Throughout Funeral for a Friend and Reign of the Supermen, Supergirl really emerges stronger, more independent, and more heroic. She plays a key role in the siege on Engine City, and really shines throughout.

For a more recent and more Kryptonian Supergirl fighting a Doomsday, I'll refer you toJames Robinson's Superman/Batman Annual #5 from a couple of years ago.

Review: DC Retro-Active Superman 1990's

The last of the Superman retrospectives, DC Retro-Active Superman 1990's,  came out last week. This trip in the WayBack machine reunited the superlative Superman Man of Steel creative team of Louise Simonson and Jon Bogdanove.

And, much like the first two Retro-Actives, this issue really captured the spirit of the decade. While the 1970s and 1980s read like true 'one and done' issues of those time periods, this 1990's issue is very continuity heavy. For someone like me who lived through this period and read this run, this issue was like a comfortable pair of slippers. I was able to slip back into the Superman storylines of those years and enjoy what I was reading. As a result, I wonder if this book was as accessible to readers who just picked this up and hadn't read those arcs. Simonson does a good job of adding exposition through dialogue to fill in the information. But for me, it all just came flooding back. This took place in the aftermath of Doomsday and Reign of the Supermen, a time I feel where there was a tremendous creative explosion in the Superman books.

And it was good to see Jon Bogdanove on Superman again. His art was the most warped and outrageous on the Superman books on that time but felt fresh in comparison to the other books. I am glad there wasn't a 'art style' on all four Superman books as it may have felt stale after a while.

Simonson does a great job of putting us into the right time frame, hitting the key pieces of continuity within the first few pages. The Daily Planet is in financial trouble. Lex Luthor's cloned body (when he was posing as his 'son' from Australia) is also in trouble as the 'clone plague' runs through Metropolis - effecting the Underworlders and Cadmus clones.

But one thing doesn't seem to change, Luthor's hatred of Superman.

If Luthor is going down, he is going to take Superman and Metropolis with him. And his weapon will be a genetically engineered Cruiser II, a earth munching monster under the Luthor's control.

Look at that thing! We need Muad'dib to ride that thing!

This is a Metropolis still digging out from the Doomsday catastrophe. In this quick scene in the Planet, we see the happily married couple doing their jobs.

I like that Lois is on the Mayor's case trying to figure out just where the city's economic hardship is going to hit the hardest.

And Clark's ponytail makes another appearance! The Superman mullet was something I was not sad to see go.

The Cruiser begins worming its way under the city, weakening the foundation of city buildings, causing earthquake like phenomena and leveling some city blocks. Luthor wants more than simple destruction. He hopes to destroy these lower income level housing in order to build luxury hotels.

It gives Simonson the opportunity to show Superman in some classic poses, saving people from danger. Is it me, or is there something Fleisher-studio like in this pic.

And even more than just good real estate business, Luthor knows that the Cruiser's wake of destruction will be blamed on the Underworlders!

I love the cruel calculating Luthor, covering all bases.

The Cruiser is growing faster and faster as he munches his way through Metropolis' bedrock, collapsing subways and toppling more buildings.

Finally, Luthor sends it to attack Cadmus (another way of shining some guilt onto the Underworlders). Luckily Superman is there. Incredibly, the slime Cruiser secretes to ease his swimming in the mud is so corrosive it hurts Superman.

I mean ... it effects him. Look at the burned and bald Man of Steel.

Superman's current condition allows us to take an interesting look into the warped mind of Luthor.

Throughout this issue we have seen Luthor setting up his enemies to attack each other. He callously looks the other way at death and destruction. He seems to be coldly efficient. And yet he gets some glee out of seeing a bald monstrous Superman. There is some pettiness inside that malevolence.

Finally, Cruiser outgrows the controlling modules Luthor embedded in it and goes wild, even damaging the LexCorp headquarters.

It is too massive to fling into space. If up is not an option then down is Superman's only option. He pushes the Cruiser into the Earth's core.

Does that kill Cruiser? Who knows.

There is actually some concern that Superman may have died again when he doesn't immediately return. Luthor has one brief moment of joy thinking he has finished off his enemy.

That is ... until Superman returns, leading to a deliciously classic image of a villain screaming 'no'! I thought Luthor was the most compelling character in this issue.

But my favorite moment of the book was the ending one, Lois lovingly rubbing Clark's bald head and telling him to break out the fedora. There is such happiness and joy on her face. And he has such a sheepish look on his face. These are the moments that I will miss with the dissolution of the Lois/Clark marriage. What could 'ground' Superman more to humanity than having a loving wife at home?

As I said above, this Retro-Active really felt like a look back as it was solidly enmeshed with the continuity and major plot lines of the time period. I, for one, really enjoyed this look back and that is knowing that I was bored to tears with the 'clone plague' arc when it was coming out. Maybe that is nostalgia talking. But Louise Simonson and Jon Bogdanove did a great job sending me back in time.

Overall grade: B/B+

DC Retro-Active

 WonderCon happened last week in San Francisco and seemed like a great show to attend. DC was pretty tight lipped about the post-Flashpoint DCU making most of the covered panels pretty low key. Sadly, in all the coverage I read, there was no mention of Supergirl at all. I was hoping for something!

One thing that was announced was three one shots called DC Retroactive. There is a nice rundown over on CBR here: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=31651

The Retro-Active issues bring together past creative teams on DC's major titles and have them write a story in the style of their respective decade. There will be an issue each representing the‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s.

According to DC Comics here is the writer lineup:

Now I'll date myself a bit. But I grew up reading comics in the 70s. I began more seriously collecting in the 80s and became a hard core collector in the 90s. So I am excited about these issues so that I can relive a little bit of my youth. I can't wait to read O'Neil GL, Pasko Superman, Conway JLA, and Barr Batman. I'll also say that I liked the Messner-Loebs Wonder Woman run with Artemis so there is a lot to like here.

Of course, these issues seem targeted for people my age. I wonder what newer readers will think of this.

I also like the snazzy logos as seen above.

The CBR article also has a nice discussion with 90s Superman team Louise Simonson and Jon Bogdanove and 80s Superman writer Marv Wolfman. Here are some blurbs (in blue) from that article.

Simonson and Bogdanove spoke enthusiastically about the plot of their new story for the ‘90s “Superman” one-shot, entitled “Speed.”

“The back-story is that Superman has already fought Doomsday, died, gotten better, and has just arrived home from a space adventure; Lex Luthor Jr. (actually a clone with the original Lex Luthor’s brain) is in the early throes of a devastating disease that is affecting the clones of Metropolis. Luthor has begun to age rapidly and is sliding into madness,” said Simonson when asked to explain what her all-new 26-page story would entail.

“For the continuity buffs out there, the ‘90s was the era of five interlocked Superman titles – our story in ‘Superman: Retro-Active’ takes place between pages, about halfway through ‘Man of Steel’ #31,” the writer added.

I used to collect all five Superman titles back then. I'll have to do some digging to see if I can find this issue in my collection. If I can find it, I'll do a review to give the framework of this new story.

“We may even be able to fit in an appearance by Steel,” said Simonson before adding, “Our ‘90s continuity was nothing if not…complex.”

I have met Louise Simonson at a couple of conventions and she is such a nice person. I got to talk to her a bit at last year's Boston Comic-Con about Supergirl and her Superman run. I hope she can fit Steel in as he was her 'new Superman' in the Reign of the Supermen arc.

Bogdanove revealed he was working hard to make the one-shot look as close to his early ‘90s work as possible, taking into consideration his growth as an artist over the intervening years. “I am using my powers as a chameleon artist to imitate myself!” he told CBR, adding “Weezie [Simonson] specifically requested big-shoulder fashions for Lois and I'm really enjoying her old Elizabeth Shue hairstyle.”

Should be a hoot to see Bogdanove's over the top style on Superman again as well.

Switching to the 70s “Superman,” Marv Wolfman hinted to CBR that his story would involve many of his original and famous “Superman” characters, and take place during the 1980s.

“What I'm doing is picking up on a story I had written back in the ‘80s, featuring a character who is quite famous now and then turning everything we know on its head – I am using DC continuity from the ‘80s onward in a story firmly rooted back then,” said Wolfman before mysteriously adding, “Oh, yeah…there is also a major surprise at the end which will make this a little bit different from what anyone expects.”

Wolfman stated that his new story would have many elements of his ‘80s run – complete with captions and editorial notes – but his ultimate aim was to tell a good story. “I think the plot will feel like an ‘80s plot, but it's subtly not. I am hoping people will think it gives the feel of an ‘80s story without looking back on those days with the irony of nearly 30 years passing,” said Wolfman.

Hmm ... any guesses on the character that is now famous?

I am going to guess the Monitor or the Anti-Monitor.

As this is the 80s (and I suppose the same holds true for the 70s Superman with Marty Pasko) Supergirl is still around in the DCU. I can only hope that she shows up in these Superman Retro-Active issues.

The issues are going to be released over the summer.