Review: Action Comics #900

Adam Hughes variant cover

Action Comics #900
By (take a deep breath) Paul Cornell, Pete Woods, Jesus Merino, Dan Jurgens, Norm Rapmund, Rags Morales, Ardian Syaf, Jamal Igle, Jon Sibal, Gary Frank, Damon Lindelof, Ryan Sook, Paul Dini, RB Silva, Rob Lean, Geoff Johns, David S. Goyer, Miguel Sepulveda, Richard Donner, Derek Hoffman, Matt Camp, Brian Steltfreeze; DC.

(spoilers)

Everyone's talking about the back-up story by David S. Goyer and Miguel Sepulveda in which Superman says he's going to renounce his American citizenship. (I'm not even going to bother linking to any of the blog posts about it, because if you pay any attention to comics, you've definitely already seen them.) When I read the story, I thought two things: 1. DC planted this on purpose because they knew it would get them media attention, and 2. it's going to be retconned within a year. As it turns out, I seem to have been wrong about the first one, judging by how unprepared DC seemed to be when the media shitstorm hit them. As for the second, it remains to be seen, but I still think someone's going to find a way to make sure Superman remains a US citizen. Of course, we all know that IT DOESN'T MATTER and this was all blown way out of proportion.

So let's talk about the main story, which was, for me, the main attraction.

It's difficult to tell to what extent Paul Cornell is responsible for the "Reign of Doomsday(s)" nonsense. Is this a story that he pitched to his editors as a follow-up to "The Black Ring" and that then spiraled out of control into a crossover event? Or was the whole thing planned by editorial and Cornell just ended up having to squeeze it into his story? In any case, he does a better job of integrating it into his narrative than any of the other super-books that have been affected so far (at least from what I can tell, as I've only read two of them). But even though he comes up with a relatively plausible link between the two, it still feels in this issue like we're moving back and forth between two separate stories (which is emphasized by the different art team on each story), and I don't know about anybody else, but I just happen to only care about one of them.

The conclusion of Lex Luthor's story is suitably epic, and the return of Superman is satisfying and handled without fanfare. Pete Woods' art is clean and elegant, as it has been throughout the story line. I loved the way Cornell managed to reference all the issues that came before and give us a little extra payoff with those characters when Luthor's wave of pure bliss spread through the universe. And I'm extremely happy that Robot Lois Lane is not dead after all, though it sounds like she's going to be getting a new face and, if/when she returns, may no longer identify as Lois Lane. I hope Paul Cornell gets to write her again, no matter what form she takes, because her character remains the highlight of the story for me.

Meanwhile, the Doomsday shenanigans continue. The various characters wearing S shields are stuck with him in a spaceship that appears to contain a black hole. As they fight him individually, they notice that he appears to have different powers (mimicking their own) depending on who's fighting him. Finally, Superman makes his way there to save him, and they find out that they're not only dealing with Doomsday but with a bunch of his clones.

I don't know about you, but the only thing I find more boring than Doomsday in a Superman comic is four Doomsdays in a Superman comic. So much so, that I am seriously wondering whether I should bother to pick up the next issue, because I have zero interest in this story. On the other hand, I've enjoyed Paul Cornell's writing on the title since the beginning of his run, and the new artist coming in (Kenneth Rocafort) looks pretty good (judging by his covers anyway - I don't really know anything about him). So I guess I will give it a shot and hope that the story resolves quickly and we move on to something more interesting.

About some of the other back-up material:

"Life Support," by Damon Lindelof and Ryan Sook, is a story set in the last days of Krypton. It was very similar in tone to the story about Jor-El in this year's 80-Page Giant. The story's not bad, but it's Ryan Sook's art that really shines.

"Autobiography," by Paul Dini and RB Silva, is probably the weirdest story in the book. It's only three pages and involves a conversation between Superman and a weird purple hippo alien. Nice art.

"Friday Night in the 21st Century" is a four-page story by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank. Light-hearted and fun, with a guest appearance by the Legion.

I haven't read the last story yet. It's in a screenplay format, written by Richard Donner and Derek Hoffman, with storyboards by Matt Camp.

GOOD

One-paragraph reviews: Action, Detective and Teen Titans

Wow. Good books from DC this week.

Action Comics #899
"The Black Ring, Part Ten"
Written by Paul Cornell; art by Jesus Merino; DC.

Oh, man. I don't even want to say anything about this book, because it's just full of surprises and crazy twists. If you've been reading Paul Cornell's Lex Luthor story in the pages of Action Comics for the past ten months, then you kind of know what to expect - and yet, there are still some shockingly awesome reveals in this issue, as even seemingly random details from previous chapters click into place. And there are bits of dialogue like this: Brainiac: "Engage micro armor burrowers!" Luthor: "Engage micro armor burrower defenses!" This is why I love super-hero comics. It's a shame that Pete Woods is not the artist here, despite what it says in the solicitations and on DC's website. But as far as fill-in artists go, you could do a lot worse than Jesus Merino. And Woods is back next issue for the epic conclusion of "The Black Ring" and the return of Superman! This is...

AWESOME.

Detective Comics #875
"Lost Boys"
Written by Scott Snyder; art by Francesco Fancavilla; DC.

Holy shit! This book is so good! When this story about Jim Gordon's son started a while ago as a back-up feature, I wasn't that thrilled by it. I kind of dislike back-up stories and I tend to dismiss them and pay more attention to the main feature. I know that's unfair, but it happens almost subconsciously. I can't help it. So it's a good thing that the back-ups were cancelled and that this ended up as the main story of the second arc instead, where it gets the attention and focus that it deserves. James Jr. is a much more fascinating character that I initially gave him credit for. What's amazing is that at this point I have absolutely no idea whether he's going to turn out to be a psychopath or not! It could go either way, and I trust that no matter what happens, Snyder is going to handle it well and make it interesting. Last issue was great, but Francavilla just knocks this one right out of the park. And trust me, I don't normally use baseball metaphors, so that means it's really something.

AWESOME.

Teen Titans #93
"Step into the Light"
Written by J.T. Krul; art by Nicola Scott and Doug Hazlewood; DC.

It's amazing how much damage Fabian Nicieza has done to the character of Tim Drake during his short run on Red Robin. About a year ago, I was kind of obsessed with Tim Drake. He was my favourite character. And I loved what Chris Yost was doing with him in his last arc on Red Robin. Then came FabNic and less than a year later, I've now dropped the title and I can't stand the character anymore. So much so that when he unexpectedly shows up in this book (he's not on the cover), I can't help but groan a little. "What's he doing here?" Especially after the awful way that Damian was more-or-less booed off the team last issue. And now he's not just in the team but actually leading it also!? Ugh. I can only hope it's temporary. Aside from that, though, I thought this was a pretty good issue. I'm excited about this new character, Solstice. Krul seems to be getting better at finding the right voice for each character. And Nicola Scott's art remains gorgeous.

GOOD

One-paragraph reviews: Detective Comics, Action Comics, Secret Avengers, Abyss: Family Issues

Detective Comics #874
Written by Scott Snyder; art by Francesco Francavilla; DC

When Scott Snyder and Jock took over Detective Comics a few months ago, I was immediately impressed by their work together and have been saying ever since that this is the best Batman ongoing currently being published. With Francesco Francavilla on art, this continues to be true. The story picks up where the back-up featured in the first couple of issues left off. (All back-ups were cut from DC books for their "Drawing the Line" initiative, which saw page counts as well as prices reduced.) The first eight pages of the book feature Commissioner James Gordon and his son sitting at a diner and having a conversation. This may sound like a pretty boring opening, but it's anything but, thanks to both Snyder's dialogue and Francavilla's amazing art and colours. The rest of the book features Batman (Dick Grayson) and Red Robin (Tim Drake) on a little adventure, which follows more directly from the previous story line, with Dick still suffering from the effects of the drug he was infected with last issue. I'm guessing that this part wasn't originally supposed to be drawn by Francavilla, as it seems to be more of a prologue to the story arc that kicks off next issue, with Jock back on the art. While it feels a little disjointed here, it's nice that it provided Francavilla with the opportunity to draw a really cool action sequence in addition to the more noirish material in the James Gordon Jr. story. Presumably, both of these seemingly separate plots will come together in the next arc.

AWESOME

Action Comics #898
Written by Paul Cornell; art by Pete Woods; DC

It makes sense that Larfleeze would show up near the end of this story, since what triggered all of this was Luthor's brief stint in the Orange Lantern Corps during Blackest Night. That fight brings everything full circle as Luthor draws closer to his goal of acquiring new power from the mysterious black orbs. But as has been the case since the beginning of this story, for me the real start of this issue is Robot Lois Lane, the most complicated, fascinating and oddly sympathetic character in the book. We've known for a while now that she's been manipulating Luthor since the beginning, and at the end of this issue it's finally revealed who she's been working for. I won't spoil it, but let's just say it should come as no surprise to anyone who's been paying attention. Surprise is not the point though. What's great is the way this adds depth to her character. Robot Lois is very much her own person - she has a personality and her own will and possibly even feelings. But there are aspects of her programming that force her to be subservient to her "master," even though she resents him for it. My only fear is that her character will be killed (or destroyed) at the end of this story. I think that would be a real waste. She's my favourite new character since Damian Wayne and I think there's a lot of potential for great storytelling with her after this ends. Fingers crossed. (PS: I love Robot Lois's fashion sense. Those head scarves!)

GOOD

Secret Avengers #10
Written by Ed Brubaker; art by Mike Deodato and Will Conrad; Marvel

The second story arc concludes and I come to the conclusion that this title really does nothing for me. There's really nothing terribly wrong with the story or with the art or with the characters. I'm just not interested in any of it. I don't really care what happens. I've been reading this for 10 issues waiting for something to really grab me and make want look forward to the next issue, but it's just not happening. I'm dropping this, but I'm not giving it a "DROP" rating, because I think my lack of interest has a lot to do with the fact that this is Marvel and I'm not really invested in any of these characters. (On the other hand, if this was really good, it should have made me like these characters enough to keep reading, no?)

OKAY

Abyss: Family Issues #1
Written by Kevin Rubio; art by Alfonso Ruiz; Red 5

I wanted to give this title a try because the premise sounded good and while I haven't read the previous mini-series (or volume, as Red 5 calls them), this seemed like an easy enough jump-on point. While the story isn't very original, with the right execution this would've been easily overlooked. Unfortunately, neither the writing nor the art rise to the challenge. The attempts at humour fall completely flat and a lot of the exposition is clunky (and jokey editor's notes about the necessity of this exposition don't really make up for the clunkiness). But it's the art that really kills it. Some of the sequences are difficult to follow because the continuity between panels is unclear. Faces are inconsistent and there's a general lack of detail in the backgrounds. A long scene in the middle of the issue features two characters sitting in a room having a conversation, which is the kind of thing that an artist like Francesco Francavilla (see Detective Comics review above) can make visually interesting, but here it's just boring and repetitive. The most offensive part, though, is the obvious photoshopping of photographs found online and planted in the background. I think it happens throughout the issue, but it was most jarring in the scene at Stanford University, where a quick Google Image search allowed me to find the exact photo that was being swiped:

(Click to enlarge)

This is just incredibly lazy and, frankly, kind of insulting. I would have expected more from Red 5, considering how awesome their Atomic Robo titles are - hilariously funny, original and featuring consistently strong art. I was hoping for something similar and I really wanted to like this, but Abyss: Family Issues just isn't any good. (The publisher provided a PDF of this issue for my review.)

AWFUL

Five reasons to love Paul Cornell's Action Comics

Action Comics #890

Recently, the Mindless Ones tore Paul Cornell to shreds in a podcast full of "sniggering snark" (to use B. Clay Moore's expression).

I have to agree with them that Knight and Squire has been disappointing. As they said, Cornell should stop talking about England and just tell a super-hero story that is set in England. I was so underwhelmed by the mini-series that I decided to stop buying it just two issues before its conclusion.

I couldn't disagree more, however, with what the Mindless Ones had to say about Cornell's ongoing story "The Black Ring" from Action Comics. I thought their critique was unfair and most of their arguments amounted to pointless nitpicking. Failing to see the forest for the trees, they obsessed over bits of dialogue that, granted, sound pretty absurd taken out of context, but aren't really that outrageous when you consider that this is a fictional universe in which aliens that look identical to humans develop the ability to fly and shoot lasers out of their eyes when exposed to our yellow sun's rays.

Cornell's story makes at least as much sense as any other outrageous story found in books published by Marvel and DC every month, and it's unclear to me why the Mindless Ones demand from it a level of realism rarely found in super-hero comics. I'm also pretty sure that Cornell knows how absurd some of his dialogue is. He's aware of how silly all of it is and is banking on the fact that his audience accepts that and is willing to go along for the ride. Maybe I give him too much credit, but I find it difficult to believe that Cornell could have Vandal Savage talk about Luthor "meddling with his pustules" and be oblivious of just how utterly ridiculous that sounds.

Maybe the Mindless Ones just have higher standards than I do. It's true that "The Black Ring" is not without its flaws. I, too, have problems with the way the story is structured around a "villain of the month," and I think some of the individual issues fall a bit flat. (The ones featuring Deathstroke, Vandal Savage and the Secret Six were the weakest so far.) But overall I think Action Comics is one of the best books that DC currently publishes. And here are five reasons why I love it:

1. Robot Lois Lane

It's too bad there is no way of promoting the awesomeness of this character without spoiling the surprise in the first issue of "The Black Ring". From her first appearance, it was clear that something weird was going on with this version of Lois Lane. Why is she having dinner with Luthor? Why is he casually discussing his plans with her? Why is she acting so out of character? Has he brainwashed her? Is she just playing along and manipulating him? Is she a clone? Out of all the possible explanations, one that didn't occur to when I first read the issue was that she was in fact a robot. So 23 pages into the story, when Luthor suddenly tells her to go into safe mode – to which she replies, "Wha-- *glurrk*" – before he pulls the skin off her face to reveal the metal skeleton underneath – it was both shocking and exciting. Luthor's assistant then reveals that she was constructed from parts coming from Kryptonian Brainiac technology, some of which they're not even sure what they're for, which would freak anybody out except an overconfident egomaniac like Luthor. And then, as if that wasn't already amazing enough, when they get attacked, Luthor reactivates her and tells her to go into "smash mode." The next page is pure over-the-top madness: the red eyes, the impossibly excessive artillery, and best of all: "Grrr!"

Action Comics #890

This is simply one of the best character introductions I've ever read. Cornell had to then deliver on the promise of that exciting debut, and I think he succeeds. Robot Lois Lane is my favourite character in the series, and her scenes are almost always the highlight of even the weakest issues. She's sophisticated, stylish, intelligent, funny, and as I always suspected but is only now becoming clear, she has her own agenda. Her personality comes from a combination of the Brainiac technology she's built from, sampled Lois Lane DNA, and the way she was programmed by Luthor to challenge him and offer an outside perspective. These are three different and probably incompatible forces pulling her in different directions and making her a very complex character.

2. Lex Luthor

I think Lex Luthor is a fascinating character, but it takes a really good writer to be able to make him a compelling protagonist in a story of this length. And here too I think Cornell succeeds brilliantly. He writes Luthor as a calm and charismatic genius who is so full of himself that he is almost completely oblivious to some of the ways in which he's making a fool of himself. The best issues so far have been the ones that focused more on characterization than action (which is a bit ironic, given the title of the series), like the ones featuring Death (#894) or the Joker (#897). 

3. The humour

There are usually at least a couple of laugh-out-loud moments in every issue. Sometimes it's in the dialogue. Other times it's just something Lex Luthor does that reveals how much of a boob he really is. And most often, it's just the sheer over-the-top absurdity of what's going on that just makes it funny. Like Gorilla Grodd trying to bite Lois' head off and finding out she's made of metal (in #893), or the fact that a singing magical pony is a recurring plot point. It just feels like Cornell is having fun writing these stories and that fun transfers to my reading experience.

4. The story

Never mind that this ties into Blackest Night and the whole Green Lantern emotional spectrum mythology. Never mind that the reason this story even exists is that Superman happens to be taking a walk across America in the most boring super-hero story of all time. And never mind that Luthor's quest for orbs of black energy on the surface seems like an excuse to feature a different villain every month. In spite of all that, there is a story being told here, and it's not nearly as nonsensical or difficult to piece together as the Mindless Ones would have us believe.

It's a story that is being revealed in small increments, and it requires both patience and a fair amount of suspension of disbelief. I can see how someone picking up a random issue or analyzing bits of dialogue out of context would get frustrated by how esoteric it is, but if you've been following it from the start, it shouldn't be that hard to figure out.

Of course, we won't know for sure until issue #900 whether it all holds together and comes to a satisfying conclusion or not. But with all the hints that have been dropped so far, I think it has the potential to be pretty amazing. We've got two unseen, major antagonist pulling strings for unknown reasons: whomever Robot Lois Lane is working for (my guess is Brainiac) and whomever Mister Mind is working for (my guess is maybe Cyborg Superman, which would tie neatly this into the Reign of Doomsday event). We know that Robot Lois has planted the scientific articles that sent Luthor on his quest in the first place. And we also know that Death herself has taken an interest in all this. So all signs point to the shit hitting the fan in a major way before the story concludes, which of course will also coincide with the return of Superman to the title in issue #900.

5. Pete Woods' art

I know Paul Cornell can't take credit for this one, but I think it's more than fair to mention Pete Woods' art as one of the contributing factors to the story's success. His Robot Lois Lane is stunning, and I don't mean in terms of how hot she is, but more in the sense that she seems like a real character, with her own style and mannerisms and facial expressions. Pete Woods really brings her to life, and I think he does the same for Lex Luthor and even for the minor characters like his assistant, Spalding. He doesn't necessarily do anything visually striking or innovative with the layouts, but he's a good storyteller. And it's nice to have a consistent artist on a DC book, which seems like a real luxury these days. (It's a shame that David Finch's covers are so unappealing compared to the interior art.)

So if you haven't been reading this, I think you're missing out. Since Cornell took over in issue #890, Action Comics has been loads of fun, and if my predictions are accurate, the milestone issue #900 in April is going to be spectacular.
 

Quick Reviews: Teen Titans, The Flash, Action Comics

Teen Titans #90

(Written by JT Krul; art by Nicola Scott; DC Comics)

Last month I was so pissed off at the way J.T. Krul had written Damian Wayne completely out of character in TT #89 that I not only decided to immediately drop this title from my pull list, but I even vowed never to spend another dime on a comic written by Krul. And yet, as the release of this new issue drew closer, I realized that I wanted to keep reading. Why give this book another chance? First, because I do think that for the most part Krul has found the right tone for this book. Aside from his blatant mishandling of Damian, he seems to have a good handle on the characters and the relationships between them. Second, I'm also really enjoying Nicola Scott's art. And third, I try not to be a stickler when it comes continuity between titles in a shared universe. I always say that each writer's take on a character is a possible interpretation, and that all these different versions can co-exist and contradict each other, and this is part of what ultimately makes the characters compelling and multi-layered. So never mind that this is not the Damian Wayne I've been reading in the pages of Grant Morrison's Batman for the past year or so. I'll keep an open mind and let Krul play with him.

I'm glad I decided to get over my initial fan rage, because this really is not a bad book. In fact, it's a pretty good one. I still think Krul's characterization of Damian is a bit of a caricature, but it was toned down a little in this issue, and Damian's budding friendship with Rose is something I can definitely get behind. We also got a couple more pages of Kiran, a Hindi girl who I'm guessing will join the Titans in a few more issues. So far her appearances are nothing more than teasers, with no obvious connection to the main story, but my curiosity has been piqued.

The Flash #8

(Written by Geoff Johns; art by Scott Kolins; DC Comics)

Like the last issue, this is another "filler" with art by Scott Kolins, giving main artist Francis Manapul a breather before the next big storyline gets started. Last time we got the secret origins of Captain Boomerang in a series of flashbacks, as he broke his way into prison to free the Reverse Flash. This time we go back to the future as the Reverse Flash zips through time, retconning his own history in the process. It's cleverly structured, with the Reverse Flash gradually removes every obstacle from his life until he gets it right, almost à la Groundhog Day. Kolins' art is very good, making this a cut above your usual filler issue, although I find his style is a little too caricature-like for my taste.  I'm looking forward to the return of Francis Manapul next month.

Action Comics #896

(Written by Paul Cornell; art by Pete Woods; DC Comics)

Greg Burgas, over at Comics Should Be Good, didn't really enjoy this comic. And who can blame him? He was coming at it as a regular reader of Secret Six, since for some unfathomable reason, the editors at DC thought it would be a good idea to turn their guest appearance in this issue of Action into a mini-crossover. (This issue ends with a "To be concluded in Secret Six #29!") The problem, of course, is that this issue is also part seven of "The Black Ring," the long story arc starring Lex Luthor that Paul Cornell has been writing for about half a year now. So any Secret Six reader who gets suckered into buying this issue because it ties into the series they're reading are of course going to be completely lost, as Greg's review demonstrates.

So what's the point of this crossover? Nobody is going to pick up this issue and get hooked. So at best, it might temporarily boost sales for one issue, but at what cost? Pissing off the fans of both series who get suckered into it? Fucking things up for the collected edition of this story, which is now presumably going to have a gaping hole in the narrative, unless they include the Secret Six issue in the trade, in which case it'll probably stick out like a sore thumb. So who does this really benefit?

This just seems like yet another example of the shortsightedness of DC editors. They have a really good thing going in Action Comics right now. Paul Cornell's run has been thoroughly entertaining and relatively self-contained up to this point. By all accounts, Gail Simone's Secret Six is just as good if not better. (The only reason I'm not picking it up is that I missed the boat on it and I want to read it from the beginning, so I'm planning to pick up the trades at some point instead.) If the editors of both series were at all concerned about quality, artistic integrity and how these stories are going to read in their collected formats (which have a much longer shelf-life than the single issues), they would just leave them the hell alone instead of imposing this pointless crossover.

Anyway. Within the context of "The Black Ring," this was a great issue. Not only was it laugh-out-loud funny in a number of places, but it also included a few important clues as to what is really going on in this story and who is pulling strings behind the scene. As I suspected from the beginning, robot Lois Lane has a hidden agenda, although exactly who she's working for isn't clear yet. We also get evidence that whoever Mister Mind was working for in the first couple of issues is still around and that this is not the same person robo-Lois is working for. I've been reading the solicits for the upcoming issues and I have to say I'm really excited about where this is all headed.

Now I'm left with the question: Do I pick up the tie-in issue of Secret Six, or will I be able to follow the story if I just stick to Action?

For whatever reason, I haven't been reading the Jimmy Olsen back-up, although I've hear nothing but positive comments about Nick Spencer's story and R.B. Silva's art looks great. Now that it's all going to be reprinted/concluded in the Jimmy Olsen one-shot, I might as well wait until then and read it all in one sitting.

Quick Reviews: Teen Titans, Secret Avengers, Action Comics, Hellblazer

TEEN TITANS #88
Written by J.T. Krul; art by Nicola Scott.

I’ve been very cynical about this new creative team, because although I think Nicola Scott’s art is wonderful, JT Krul wrote a certain scene featuring a dead cat that we all know about and that I probably don’t need to elaborate upon. So even though I really desperately wanted to like this book, I went into it with very cautious optimism. And I'm glad to say that it didn't suck! In fact, this was pretty damn good. I mean, there's nothing amazing about it, but just there's nothing terribly wrong with it is already kind of remarkable, considering how bad this series has been (by all accounts) for the past few years.

I’m not 100% sure I like that scene with Raven in the middle of the book. I don’t know why, but I have a bad feeling about where that’s going. Maybe it’s nothing, though. We'll see.

I’m officially adding this to my pull list and looking forward to the next issue.

SECRET AVENGERS #6
Written by Ed Brubaker; art by Mike Deodato.

It still doesn’t feel like this series is as good as it should be. It’s weird. I can’t put my finger on it, but something seems lacking. There’s nothing really wrong, but also nothing really amazing. I think maybe it’s because it’s very plot-driven, and what I expect from Brubaker is really great characterization.

Still, I enjoyed this. I like Deodato’s art and this issue was probably the best looking so far. The colouring was also much improved, compared to the first arc, which I thought was too dark and lacking dynamics. All things considered, this is still a very good title. Maybe my expectations are just too high, because Brubaker’s Captain America is so amazing.

ACTION COMICS #894
Written by Paul Cornell; art by Pete Woods.

I've been in love with this series since Paul Cornell started writing it. Everything about his writing here is exactly right. Luthor is amazing. Death (from Neil Gaiman's Sandman) was also amazing in this issue. And Pete Woods’ art also shines.

My only slight complaint is that the whole villain-of-the-month format of the story risks getting kind of monotonous. There’s obviously a larger story being told in small increments here, but it’s hard to get a sense of where it’s all going. I kind of wish Cornell wasn’t dead set on following this structure.

But the characterization and the dialogue and the ideas and the weirdness… loving it all.

JOHN CONSTANTINE: HELLBLAZER - CITY OF DEMONS #2
Written by Si Spencer; art by Sean Murphy. 

This is somewhat embarrassing to admit, but this mini-series is the first thing I've ever read featuring John Constantine, so only two issues into it, I'm still getting a feel for his character and exactly what he's all about. But I have to say he's a very easy character to like! I'm already thinking I need to read some of the older, classic stories about him.

This is petty good so far. Sean Murphy's art is fantastic. (I can't wait to read Joe the Barbarian! I missed the boat on the first couple of issues, so I'm eagerly awaiting the trade paperback.) Also, Dave Stewart is becoming my favourite colourist.

Review: Action Comics #890

ACTION COMICS #890 "The Black Ring, part 1"
Written by Paul Cornell; art by Pete Woods.

(This review contains spoilers.)

This comic was great!

JMS is taking Superman on a year-long tour of America as part of his über-lame story arc "Grounded" in the other Big S title, which leaves Action Comics without a protagonist. Marc Guggenheim, who was originally set to take over the title with this issue, wasn't too happy about that, so he quit. In steps critically acclaimed writer Paul Cornell with this story starring Lex Luthor.

Some have argued that Luthor is not really interesting enough as a character to sustain a story without his arch-nemesis Superman, but the way Cornell kicks things off with this issue seems to suggest otherwise. Cornell has a firm grasp of Luthor's character and motivations. He writes him as a brilliant, though delusional, ego-maniac, his calm and calculated demeanor covering the seriously twisted nature of his ambitions.

In the aftermath of Blackest Night (as the banner points out), Luthor has had a taste of almost limitless power when he wore the orange power ring, and now he wants more. But the ring had the unfortunate side effect of revealing his deep, hidden motivations – his desire to be Superman. Luthor now seems almost embarrassed by the greed and lack of self-control he displayed as a member of the Orange Lantern Corps. "The things the orange ring makes one desire. Ridiculous." And yet, when he has his team run a holographic simulation of the possible outcomes of his new plans to acquire a black power ring, it shows him all-powerful as the supreme leader of humankind, with Superman on his knees calling him "master."

So basically, it's business as usual for Luthor and his underlings at LexCorps. What makes this new story so promising, though, is all the crazy Silver Age-inspired sci-fi twists that Cornell throws into the mix, including a group of mind-controlled weirdos who have Luthor hanging upside down from a skyscraper in the first pages; a bizarrely out-of-character Lois Lane who turns out to be a robot built from Kryptonian technology; something called the "isopod," which Luthor uses against the advice of his assistant Spalding (new character?), who warns him that it "hasn't even been tested on animals yet, let alone homeless people"; the famous purple-green power armour; and last but not least, a giant alien caterpillar.

All of which I absolutely loved and can't wait to find out how it all comes together. My favourite part was the Lois Lane robot, which is quite obviously a disaster waiting to happen. As Spalding puts it, "the parts used to construct her came from Brainiac – we don't even know what a lot of them do." Three pages later, at Luthor's command, she goes into "smash mode" – her eyes turn red, she says "Grrrr!", and her arms turn into a ridiculously over-the-top arsenal of machine guns. It's like something out of a manga, and it rules.

Quick note about the art from Pete Woods, who apparently has been drawing Superman comics for a while. I'm unfamiliar with his previous work, but I thought the art in this issue was outstanding and a perfect match for Cornell's storytelling.

I'm super-excited about this comic and can't wait for the next issue. I did not expect Action Comics to turn into my favourite monthly title, but if Cornell and Woods keep this up, that's exactly what's going to happen. Go buy this comic!