Superman: Action Comics #1055 – Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Dan Jurgens, Dorado Quick, Writers; Rafa Sandoval, Lee Weeks, Yasmin Flores Montanez, Artists; Matt Herms, Elizabeth Breitweiser, Brad Anderson, Colorists
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: The Superman line is as good as it’s ever been, thanks to a one-two punch of lead books. Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s lead story would be a fantastic book on its own, thanks to its combination of high-octane action with deep continuity lore and great character moments. Little beats like Jon and Kon’s growing friendship with Kenan and Otho and Osul’s more ruthless streak than the rest of the family bring the story to life. Now that the murderous Cyborg Superman has been revealed as the mastermind behind Metallo’s attack, Clark is forced to call on the forgotten fourth member of the Reign of the Supermen clan—Eradicator—for help. Surprisingly, though, Metallo winds up stealing this story to a large extent. The tragic story of his start of darkness, combined with his slowly returning humanity, make him a compelling tragic figure, and one that I suspect is headed for a sad ending given the cliffhanger.
The Jon Kent backup by Jurgens and Weeks is also great, as Clark and Lois battle the out-of-control Doombreaker while Jon is missing in action. We last saw Jon’s companion Glynna be revealed not as a teenage refugee from ruthless alien Jacobins, but a conquering alien desperate to hold on to her ill-gotten power. The cliffhanger reveals that things may be even darker than that. In many ways, this feels like Jon’s first solo adventure outside of Damian’s orbit, and I think we’re seeing some foundations here for what he’ll become.
The rotating backup this month focuses on Steel, in the second part of the Steelworks prelude. John Henry has assembled Metropolis luminaries to test the limits of Steelworks, with Natasha and Superboy in action to deliver some fireworks. This backup has done a great job of establishing just how much Steel has advanced as a tech powerhouse in the DCU—something that gets the attention of one of the smartest men in the world. I’m excited for Michael Dorn’s take as well, but this backup is so good I’m wondering why Quick didn’t just get the whole series.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
