Superman: Action Comics No. 1067 – Gail Simone, Rainbow Rowell, writers; Eddy Barrows/Danny Miki, Cian Tormey, artists; Rex Lokus, Romulo Fajardo Jr, colorists
Ray – 9.5/10
Beam: In what may be the first Superman issue ever written by two different women, DC’s latest Superman: Superstars arc begins very differently than the last. This isn’t an event comic or a world-threatening catastrophe—in fact, it’s a flashback, and one in which Gail Simone’s main storyline attempts to get to the heart of Superman. Set during the WGBS era (which has a distinctly 1970s aesthetic, though given the sliding timeline, it’s likely set in 2006), Superman, Lois, and Jimmy help Jeff Pierce save a youth center in the early days of DC heroes. But that’s quickly interrupted by an alien invasion, with a brutal alien sentinel nearly turning Metropolis into a free-fire zone—and a smaller, peaceful alien begging Superman not to interfere.
The second alien turns out to be a representative of a race colonized by the first, and is now forced to compete in high-stakes tournaments for the fate of their world’s resources. They ask Superman to serve as their champion – but it goes downhill from there. First, Lois and Jimmy are inadvertently chosen as Superman’s seconds, and then the evil aliens literally put the fate of Metropolis on the line to motivate Superman – just as he’s about to battle a Lovecraftian abomination in round one. Skewed timeline aside, this is a brilliant story that perfectly captures how Superman fights and what he fights for. It’s big, occasionally funny and silly, but with a great heroic core and high stakes.
Backed up by Rainbow Rowell and Cian Tormey (in Rowell’s debut at DC), it’s a modern-day tale that focuses on Lois’ tenure as EIC of the Planet. She struggles to fit into her new role as boss and has to grapple with several thorny ethical questions – like what to do when you know your husband is a little too close to the story by literally writing about himself? It’s a great idea for a tale that addresses some of the unanswered questions about the Daily Planet, and it’s great to see that setting once again take center stage in the book.
Reviews of all DC issues can be found under “DC This Week”.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
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