DC screwed up its relaunch already. This book should have been readers’ introduction to the DCnU, not last week’s Justice League. While Justice League #1 was an entertaining team-up between Batman and Green Lantern, it left a lot of readers wanting in the action department. But Action Comics #1 delivers all that and more.
If Superman is going to be the first super hero of the new DCU, he should have been the first one we met. It feels a little wierd to have met an older version of the character on the last page of Justice League last week only to come back to the beginning of his career this week. Also, Morrison just wrote a better, more organic introduction to the new DCU than Johns did.
Morrison devlivers an old-school Siegel and Shuster-style Superman. Lots of other writers have tried to do this over the years. But none have succeeded. Usually, attempts to role back Superman to his early days make Superman seem like a bully. But Morrison makes it clear that his Superman is a champion of the common man.
As the issue opens, Superman is shaking down a corrupt business man whose wealth has allowed him to live above the law. But not above Superman. Superman scares him into confessing his crimes.
Not surprisingly, the citizens of Metopolis aren’t really sure what to make of this unstoppable alien visitor who roughs up its wealthiest citizens. The authorities don’t trust him. But the common people have come to understand that Superman is looking out for their best interests.
Where Justice League #1 was decompressed, Action Comics #1 is dense. Not only is the action non-stop, Morrison seemlessly re-introduces all the main characters. We see Clark as a schlubby reporter making a name for himself. Jimmy is his best friend and Lois is a fierce rival. We’re also introduced to Lex Luthor and Sam Lane who are already plotting Superman’s downfall.
All the ingredients for a classic Superman run are there. There’s not a wasted panel. And Rags Morales’ art crackles with the same intensity. It’s everything you hoped Grant Morrison on Action Comics would be and so much more.
Justice League International #1
Like Detective Comics, I really didn’t like some of the dialogue. “That ain’t Superman”, the bullet-catching scene and even just before he leaps up to the dirigible.
On the flipside, I love the “We used to have laws in this town. Like gravity.” line.
I’m interested to see where things go from here.
I’ve always hated Morrison’s dialogue. It’s very elliptical (like his storytelling in general), as though he deliberately cuts out whole or parts of sentences. So we get a lot of lines like “A red parachute!” and “200 miles an hour!” Nobody talks like that.
But I agree, that gravity line was great. That’s the other thing about Morrison: even though his dialogue is awkward and choppy, he occasionally throws in great lines like that.
I can see why Superman’s attitude would rub some people the wrong way. This isn’t the Christopher Reeve boy scout Superman. And don’t get me wrong, I love that version of Superman. But I found this take to be very fresh.
Morrison’s Superman is basically a young idealist with a bit of a chip on his shoulder about corruption and injustice. I remember being kind of like that in my early 20s. The only difference is, Superman has the power to back it up.
Also, he’s still experimenting with his powers. And it’s clearly a rush for him. The “Let’s see if I can make this jump” attitude was fun and believable.
I think Morrison’s Superman works. It ust requires you to rethink the character. He’s taken him back to his crusading roots. And if you look at it through that lens, I think his take is spot-on.
Agreed. I did find the characterisation a bit different and expect it will have to grow on me, but I’m willing to give it that chance.
The jarring dialogue, though, just irritates me are breaks the illusion. Others mightn’t have the same reaction to it.
“That ain’t Superman” did jar me a bit.
I had to stop and think about the bullet scene. UItimately, I came down on the side of liking it. But I could see going either way.
Like you, this intrepretation will have to grow on me. And I suspect that when Morrison leaps forward to the present, his Superman will mature and mellow. But overall I found it a fresh approach on what the early days of Superman’s career might eb like.
As much as I love Superman the Movie, this beats Superman flying around Metropolis resucing cats from trees.
So I finally got to reading my copy of Action Comics number one and before I make any actual comments on it I want to say I have a love/hate thing going with Superman as a character. I love him partially for I grew up watching the 70s cartoon show reruns and the Reev movies which I still love today (as well as Superman Returns). Also there are just some times he is bad ass to watch, like him devastating Darkseid’s army after finding Superman’s body. I also hate him though for I generally find him a boring character as he is nearly invincible with a ton of powers that very few can really be interesting.
That said, I do want to say I liked this comic (minus those jarring lines like “That ain’t Superman!”). We got to see a still maturing Superman who either hasn’t absorbed enough rays yet to have all his powers – mainly flight and the issue stating his super strength and speed are still developing – or he just hasn’t figured them all out yet. Maybe both? Either way, I liked that and seeing a maturing Superman is a good reason I enjoyed a lot of the series Smallville.
Overall I enjoyed his personality too. He was the geeky and awkward Clark and though he was a little too full of himself (mainly with bad lines like “That ain’t Superman”) the cocky attitude does fit him being a younger man. It especially works for we do get to see that there is a bit of that loving and gentle side of Superman most know him for when he stops to save the people in the building. That is the side we all know he’ll become as he gets older, and it wouldn’t make sense if this young Superman was purely a brash wrecking ball that didn’t show any compassion at all. Really a nice job done there getting both sides of his young personality in while making it seem believable too.
Just a few other things to mention. First is that seeing the cover early on I didn’t like the concept of a costume for Supes that took a note from Superboy, but in the pages it actually worked for me. His eyes constantly glowing red I’m confused about (was it to try and show him more menacing?) but I do like how his eyes were glowing blue while using his x-ray vision. Personally I wouldn’t call this an A rank issue but it was still good and would have been a better start than JL. Finally, the first panel Lex was in really made me think that he looked like Micheal Rosenbaum (played Lex Luther in Smallville) and I was wondering if anyone else noticed that.
Like you, Superman isn’t my favourite character to begin with.
When I was a kid, Batman was my favorite. All the other kids on the block wanted to be Superman because he was the most powerful. I wanted to be Batman because he was cool. My poor brother got stuck being Robin. When I got older, I reexamined Superman. There’s just something about him. He is the most iconic super hero of all. He’s the pure embodiment of what a super hero is. That makes him really hard to write. DC has a lousy track record. But when they do get Superman right, it’s incredible. I won’t say Superman is my favorite, but he has a special place in my heart.
Batman still the cool one though.
Yeah, Superman will have a place in my heart. But then the 90s Batman cartoon came along and Batman and Robin became a favorite. And me being the younger sibling always ended up being Robin
The younger siblings are always Robin.
I grew up on the Adam West Batman and the Superfriends. So it was weird to me as a young adult to see Batman without Robin in the 90s. It’s kind of a mircale I ever thought Batman was cool.
Agreed that Superman has been written poorly more often than not and that is one part of the reason I haven’t enjoyed him as much.
He’s tough to write. Whereas anyone can write a decent Batman story.
What I like about Superman is the image of the iconic here. I like the primary colors. And yes, I like the red trunks. But there aren’t a lot of great Superman stories. Or even really good ones. The recent ones that showed promise all got dragged down by cross-over nonsense and editorial mandates.
Editorial mandates – lol@Didio XD
But yes, Superman is hard to write just as he is so powerful. Then again, I disagree that Batman is easy to write. Superman is hard to write good stories for just because so few things can actually phase him. But Batman is a normal human who often goes up against metas and so at least writing those stories can be hard to really make them good as it can be hard to really be believable that a normal person could take down someone who wasn’t a normal human.
I’m just going by track record. DC has a history of taking some pretty good writers and putting them on the Superman books and the results are usually abysmal. Greg Rucka’s Action Comics (which didn’t actually feature Superman) is but one of many examples. But you put almost any writer on Batman, and it seems to elevate them. Heck, Tony Daniel wrote a passable Batman story in this week’s Detective Comics. He’s kind of hard to screw up if you stick to the basics.
Also, Batman’s more adaptable. You can put Batman in almost any situation or genre and he works. Superman works best in science fiction-style super hero stories and not a lot else.
Where Batman’s power level gets tricky is when you start teaming him up with Superman. Then you need a threat that will challenge Superman but still have a role for a guy in a Batsuit. Batman in the Justice League or World’s Finest is hard to write for that reason. But almost anyone seems to be able to write a decent solo Batman story. (Except Kevin Smith – lol)
For Superman, it’s a short list. I liked some of Geoff Johns’ Action run. And Morrison had All Star Superman. Beyond that, elseworlds stories?
I think it’s easier to write a passable Batman story than a Superman one. There are a lot of hidden pitfalls with Superman and it seems most fall into them.
I think it still takes talent and inspiration to write a great story – Superman OR Batman.
True. Only great writers write great stories. It doesn’t happen by chance.
And both are great characters. Superman, due to his inherent pitfalls, just has a lot fewer great stories. Or even good ones.
I’ll agree on the fact that it’s harder to make a complete crap Batman story than it is to make a complete crap Superman story, but I still think making a great Batman story isn’t that easy. Daniels for example wrote a barely passable story in my book.
Something has kind of been nagging at me about this issue.
The way Superman extracts the confession from Glenmorgan really doesn’t make a lot of sense. Firstly, it was given under duress and therefore wouldn’t be worth much. Only cops were around to – maybe – hear it (it seemed like Glenmorgan whispered it) and they were more focused on Supes.
And Supes makes a strange declaration that “You know the deal Metropolis. Treat people right or expect a visit from me.” Who the heck was he talking to? Seems like something you might say into a news camera, but there was no hint that any were around in that scene.
Finally, the little guy with Glenmorgan at the start was shady and weird … how did he get Glenmorgan’s tie and why was he holding it as he slinked off. And Glenmorgan look like Donald Sutherland.
There. That’s all my random observations.
I agree with you about the forced confession. But it’s kind of a convention of the genre at this point. Batman does it all the time. Most super hero convictions would never stick in a court of law. So I gave it a pass. But it was cliche.
I assumed the declaration was for anyone who happened to be listening. Kind of reassuring the common man and sending a warning to any corrupt fat cats who were standing around. It also might be that this young Superman just likes to crow after shaking down “the man”. But the truth is, it was probably for the reader’s benefit.
I didn’t notice the tie bit. I’m going to have to go back and re-read the issue for that.