Cover to Action Comics #844
© DC
Issue: 844
Authors: Geoff Johns, Richard Donner, Adam Kubert
Publisher: DC
Price: $2.99
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Action Comics
By: Kurt AmackerReview Date: Friday, October 27, 2006
This 844th issue of ACTION COMICS presents a nearly archetypical Superman tale penned by Geoff Johns and Richard Donner, the director of the first Superman film and part of the second. Virtually removed from any of the larger goings-on in the DC Universe, the story finds Superman at odds with the United States government when a young Kryptonian boy lands in Metropolis. It seems that the Last Son of Krypton might only be the second-to-last. It’s a concise, familiar story with characters and situations anyone will recognize. Superman speaks to the hologram of his father, Jor-El, in the Fortress of Solitude. Perry White yells at Jimmy Olsen over some botched photographs. Ma and Pa Kent once again find themselves with a boy from Krypton. This almost feels like ALL-STAR SUPERMAN. I say bring it on.
I often hear reviewers claim that they like Superman as an idea – the impression they have from childhood, left by years of comics, cartoons, and movies – but they can’t pinpoint a really great run featuring the character, other than John Byrne. Like ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, this issue of ACTION COMICS embodies that idea succinctly and accessibly. You don’t have to read INFINITE CRISIS or 52 to understand the context. This story occurs in the world of Superman, built in our collective imagination when we were young. And yet, by reveling in classic territory, Johns and Donner wield a double-edged sword. Readers searching for a trip down memory lane will thoroughly enjoy this. Anyone that eschews nostalgia and wants a forward-looking, evolving Superman will think “Been there, done that.”
Adam Kubert presents a detailed and nuanced, yet iconic vision of the prerequisite Superman locales. He admirably crams a lot of action into a little space, given the small, quick panels that litter the book. Donner’s influence shows here, as the panels convey a more cinematic feel as they repeatedly cut to different talking heads. Still Kubert manages to keep up with the brisk storytelling and maintain a balance between the iconic and the bland.
This is a great place for anyone to start reading ACTION COMICS, as long as you accept that you don’t have to read 843 issues worth of trades first.
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Actually, the reboot of these flagship DC characters since Infinite Crisis has lured me back. I've become a steady reader of the new Justice League and Wonder Woman. Justice was a must read of course. I also bought several issue of Batman/Superman in the last half year or so. If only my wallet could afford my going deeper back into this old addiction. Actually, I think DC and Marvel needs to create a low cost monthly subscription to all their comics in an online format.