Superman: Action Comics #1053 – Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Dan Jurgens, Leah Williams, Writers; Rafa Sandoval, Lee Weeks, Marguerite Sauvage, Artists; Matt Herms, Elizabeth Breitweiser, Colorists
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: The three stories in this book continue to all be top-notch, with the main story being the class of the three. Superman has really never had to face what other superheroes have at various points—a concentrated assault on his existence not just by villains but by the public. But with the new Warworld refugees and the rise of the Blue Earth hate group, that’s changed. Metallo, originally driven by Luthor but now working for an even more sinister figure, is targeting all allies of the Kryptonian—hunting Steel for assassination and nearly killing Kara with a walking Kryptonite suicide bomb. The opening segment is highly tense, but Johnson is just as good in the smaller segments. A scene between Jon and one of the super-twins, where he sorts through some of his pain at losing his childhood, is incredibly powerful. But these kids aren’t just kids—they’re warriors, and the shocking cliffhanger upends the entire core of the run. Johnson and Williamson, meanwhile, are continuing to give us one of the best Luthors ever.
The Dan Jurgens backup continues to be great old-school Superman storytelling as well, with Doombreaker hunting the signal he’s getting from the artifact Jon stole. This is around the same time that Jon has gone missing, kidnapped into space along with a refugee princess to answer for her parents’ rule. While the Doombreaker segment is genuinely creepy at times, it’s also great to see Jon cut loose as a young, kind of reckless kid hero who gets into cosmic trouble while his parents search for him. Maybe Damian will show up soon!
The Power Girl backup has always been the strangest of the three stories, trying to sort out the character’s complex backstory while also dealing with a potential psychic assault from one of the heroes’ enemies. This issue it’s Jon Kent’s turn for a team-up, as he and PG enter the mindscape to try to figure out exactly what happened with the psychic attack on Kara. Most of the story is a little slow, but the art is gorgeous and it seems to be setting up a new era for the character—with a surprise villain twist reveal that will follow into the upcoming special concluding this story.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
