Action Comics (vol.2) #38 (March, 2015)
"Home is Where the Hell Is"
Writer - Greg Pak
Artists - Aaron Kuder & Jae Lee
Partial Inks - June Chung
Colorist - Wil Quintana
Letterer - Dezi Sienty
Assistant Editor - Jeremy Bent
Group Editor - Eddie Berganza
Cover Price: $3.99
S'funny, well... maybe not "ha-ha" funny (or even "interesting" funny), but before we discussed Action Comics (vol.2) #36 a couple weeks back, I had originally grabbed this one from the longbox. This is always the cover image I associate with this story arc... and I guess I imagined that it was what kicked it off! Even set up the very post you are reading now!
I mean, what a cover it is, right? A wonderfully striking image... even if I wasn't reading Action Comics, this cover would entice me to give it a shot!
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We open with a flashback of Lana Lang as a young girl facing off against a stringy-looking Lovecraftian horror bathed in flame. Worth mentioning that the flashbacks are being drawn by Jae Lee... who Pak had worked with on the first arc of Batman/Superman. It is vastly different from Kuder's "present day" bits, but not as jarring a transition as you might think. Speaking of the present, our bearded Clark Kent wakes up to find his childhood home burning... with Lana inside it!
In a really well-done few pages, we see Clark attempt to save Lana... running down a hallway that continues to stretch... it's like something from a dream, and again, really well-done! She is engulfed in the inferno before he can reach her... and he lets out an amazing bellow! Another great use of the comics "language" to express urgency!
Suddenly, the fire is out... and Clark is left standing alone at his folks' house. He is summoned to the kitchen by a pair of familiar voices... why it's Eben and Sar... er, Ma and Pa Kent! They're back... in zombified form!
They have a pretty uncomfortable chat... as you might imagine. The folks say plenty of hurtful things about their son... including that they'd always feared him. Upon getting a closer look, it's clear that the Horrors are behind this. Lana has been taken over by one... but is still "her" enough to apologize to Clark.
Clark responds by eye-beaming the baddie. This doesn't appear to hurt the beast... but, amuses it in a way. It releases its hold over the Kent-elders, and Clark gets to watch them thud to the ground. He, Clark that is, lets out another shout before carrying the bodies of his adoptive-parents out of the now-really-burning house.
Outside, Steel and Amadeus... er, Hiro are doing some small-town crowd control... which is to say, they're watching over some kids. They ask where Lana is... and after Superman fills them in, they get to planning. Unfortunately, this is cut short by the discovery of disgusting parasitic horrors attaching themselves to the upper-back of everybody remaining (this is a sentence I typed out like a dozen times, and still don't like how it reads!). Steel yanks his off... and squishes it... which causes him great pain.
The townies approach and give Superman the quick and dirty on their newfound "abilities". Ya see, during the "Doomed" storyline, Brainiac placed the entire town in a coma. When they "came to", they had powers. They reveal that they're not responsible for the horrors... instead, they were responsible for containing them! Further, they do cop to being responsible for the mist... because that will keep the horror quarantined to Smallville, at least for now.
One of the townies suggests Superman figure something out quick... because once the little attached critters bring their host-bodies into the "second stage" of their horror-morphosis, they start liking the feeling of fear. Wouldn'tcha know it, no sooner do we learn this, than folks start really diggin' the feel of fear!
We close out... nearby, where Lana has almost been completely incorporated into a horror... to the point where it almost looks as though she's the parasite of a much larger host body!
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A(nother) surprisingly good issue of New-52! era Superman and that ain't a compliment I go doling out all that often...
Horror elements-notwithstanding, this issue made me a bit squirmy. The idea of parasites is one that... I dunno, really skeeves me out. I doubt that's a particularly unique viewpoint or anything... but... how do I put this?
You ever see a picture of something that particularly grossed you out or scared you? Perhaps it's a giant hairy spider... or maybe a snake or something? Like you're looking at it in a book... and it bugs you so much that you don't even want to touch the picture of it? Like, you wanna ask someone else to turn the page for you because the thought of touching... just the picture of the thing... makes your skin crawl? That's kinda how I felt here with the squishy-back-horrors. So gross.
I think that's a pretty good sign that your horror story is effective. I actually didn't want to go through this a second time to synopsize it because it skeeved me out so! That's certainly a testament to Aaron Kuder's art... where he can craft something that can skeeve me out, especially when that was (I believe) the intent!
The story... while good, relied on some pretty predictable pathos. I mean, it didn't take a rocket-surgeon to figure out that we were eventually going to see the Kent corpses.
Where the story shined though, was in the twist. We were led to believe that the townies were responsible for the horrors... when in fact, they were the only things effectively holding them back! That was unexpected, and I thought it was really cool! Great use of past storylines too... which is something I'd all but given up hope on ever happening again post the September, 2011.
Overall... I'd say this arc is definitely worth checking out.
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Channel-52!
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Action Comics (vol.2) #36 (January, 2015)
"Horrorville"
Writer - Greg Pak
Artist - Aaron Kuder
Colorist - Wil Quintana
Letterer - Carlos M. Mangual
Assistant Editor - Jeremy Bent
Group Editor - Eddie Berganza
Cover Price: $3.99
Well, the Bloggiversary is over... and what a day it was. I was overwhelmed by the kind words from my friends and our little community. I can't even begin to thank you all for making me feel like this silly little blog, in some small way, matters.
That was yesterday, and as they say... no rest for the ridiculous. I can't promise we'll have a three years of daily posts celebration next year (I'd say it's unlikely... but I've been saying that all along), so well just do the best we can. Today begins:
And, how are we gonna start it? Well, it's business as usual! We're diving right back into our #Action100 Project... and we're going to discuss a book from pretty late in The New-52! run. It's actually the last story arc under that branding!
This was one of the first storylines I was "back" for... this was during the time where Futures End was a "thing", and I was pretty psyched by the possibilities... and rumors that everything was about to go back to how I remembered (and wanted). Also remember, the Doomed storyline that just wrapped up showed us some verrrrrry familiar things.
Let's see how it reads with all we know now. This issue, by the way, would have been Action Comics #940 had they kept the original numbering.
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We open in the wake of Superman: Doomed (well, two months hence)... where Brainiac did some stuff. A bearded Clark Kent looks on while Metropolis rebuilds. We suddenly shift scenes to Smallville, where Lana Lang is awoken from a nightmare in which her (recently departed) parents ask her "Whyyyyy?"
She springs awake, which also wakes her boyfriend... John Henry Irons. I never glommed onto Steel being a younger guy. I always appreciated that he was an older, more established dude. Just makes more sense to me that way. Anyhoo, we learn that these nightmares have been haunting her for a month now, and John gets up to fix her breakfast.
We jump ahead a bit... to Lana and John arriving in town to test the townsfolk for residual Brainiac-related maladies. Here we meet a trio of older fellas... who bring with them some down home sass.
Lana notices that a fog has rolled over the town, and is surprised at the sight of a hearse riding down the street. I guess having just lost her parents, things like that sorta stand out to her. For some reason, she insists that she and John follow it... and it leads them to the graveyard, where we see that the Langs are no longer in the ground.
We check back in with Superman, who has also noticed the odd fog surrounding his hometown, and decides to call in his friend Amadeus Cho... er, waitasec... ahem, I mean Hiro, the Toymaster. This dude is... annoying. Anyhoo, he taps into his satellites (did you know he has satellites?) to peek in on Smallville... and finds that there's nothing there!
Speaking of "there", back in Smallville Lana's zombified parents approach!
Also, a local Sheriff... who looks to have been taken over by some sort of Lovecraftian horror!
Back to Superman... he makes his approach toward Smallville. Let's look at this "logically". Superman can travel around the world in the blink of an eye... but still called freaking Amadeus Hiro to use his satellites instead? Seems our writer really wants to include this kid. Anyhoo, Superman is making his approach, while Hiro "beat-boxes". I've mentioned that he's annoying, right?
Superman arrives in Smallville, just in time to beat the glorp out of the horror. The beastie bugs out at the last second, leaving the now-dead Sheriff in its wake. Superman checks in on Lana... who really ain't in the mood for a chat.
In a neat bit, Superman attempts to get a hold of the Justice League... only to learn that there's no escape from Smallville! Also worth noting, phones no longer work.
We wrap up back in front of the Barber Shop where our three sassy elders are loitering... they wonder aloud how Superman's going to react when he learns just what's going on. The camera pans back to reveal the townsfolk... well, they be weird.
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All in all, a pretty great issue here!
This definitely takes Superman out of his element... I'm not used to seeing him take on actual "horror". I mean, we've seen him face vampires... and magically-powered baddies, but this feels like new territory for the Man of Steel.
This is a very atmospheric tale... Smallville, even on it's best day... feels a little, I dunno, too idyllic? Ya know, the kinda "perfect" where you can sense a sort of evil lurking just under the surface. Feeling as though there's something sinister behind every smile and neighborly wave.
Here... things are a bit more obvious... and ominous. Was never really keen on zombies, always felt like they were one of the lazier "scares", but under the circumstances... this was handled quite well. Also, the idea that nobody can escape Smallville lends a claustrophobic element to an already tense situation. This was really quite well done.
And then there's Aaron Kuder. Holy cow, this dude is great! From the Lovecraftian horror... to the dead-eyed Smallvillians... to a bearded Superman, everything looks phenomenal! Truly a gorgeous book to behold. Such a great creative team here.
My only complaint... and it should be obvious if you read the synopsis... but, what's up with Hiro? This kid... this kid is so annoying, and his inclusion feels so forced. I was only half-joking when I referred to him as Amadeus Cho, because I felt very much the same way when that character was crammed into Hulk and Herc stories a decade ago at Marvel. I wouldn't mind as much if we weren't going to such lengths to illustrate how "quirky" he is. He's just... annoying. Not a character I care to follow.
Overall though... it's a relatively rare thing where I read a book from The New-52! and wholeheartedly recommend it! It's decompressed as Hell, but that's just the day we're living in... that said, it's still a rather satisfying read. We wrap up with a strange and unsettling cliffhanger, which only makes me want more.
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Action Comics (vol.2) #41 (August, 2015)
"Hard Truth, Part One"
Story/Script - Greg Pak
Story/Art - Aaron Kuder
Colors - Tomeu Morey & Hi-Fi
Letters - Steve Wands
Assistant Editor - Andrew Merino
Group Editor - Eddie Berganza
Cover Price: $3.99
We haven't talked much about DCYOU here on the humble blog. By the time I took up the digital-pen, the initiative was barely limping to the finish line.
I've mentioned in past discussions of The New-52!, that it felt like DC was pulling something of an "Ultimate Marvel" with their entire line... but, I gotta say... these books never felt more "Ultimate" than they did during DCYOU. In their attempt to look "with it", it seemed as though DC went further and further out of their way to prove just how out of touch they really were.
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We open with a de-powered, beaten, buzz-cutted, bare-chested... and rather chilly Superman shambling out of an Alaskan field onto a highway. He makes his way to a convenience store to buy a shirt... and burrito. He notices that a Superman-logo t-shirt is on clearance, likely a result of the big secret coming out. Wha--? Clark eats a burrito, actually satiating his hunger for the first time ever.
Outside, he approaches a pair of friendly-looking Alaskans and offers to buy their motorcycle. The incredulous fella tells him it'll cost him eight-hundred bucks... and is shocked to find that our man is able to peel that much off with ease.
Clark drives away, when a bunch of young rubelettes from inside recognize him as Superman. The goobers give chase, and lucky for them, their target hasn't gone far... just across the street to a Motel. They proceed to jump the former Man of Steel... but get their clocks cleaned for their trouble.
At this point, Superman realizes he just might've outstayed his welcome in the near-Arctic... so he hops on the motorbike and putt putts his way back to the east coast. Along the way, he eats some corn! He also comments on how his life has been ruined since his secret was made public. Fired from The Daily Planet and sued by all sorts of folks.
Arriving back in Metropolis, Clark is surprised to see that a block leading to his old neighborhood has been quarantined. The officers tell him to "turn it around", before one recognizes him as Superman. They draw their guns on him... until a stand-down order comes across on the walkies. Further, they're told to allow him to pass.
The next two pages feature a rather unfortunate Twix ad with a creepy humanoid synthetic robot... or something. In the slim bits of the page that actually feature comics, Superman is reacquainted with a very Bohemian-looking (and apologetic) Jimmy Olsen. Clark tells him he doesn't blame him for what happened.
Jim brings him around the corner, where it's a party in Kentville! I guess Clarksville was already taken. Anyhoo, this is Clark's old neighborhood... and a place where Superman is still celebrated as a hero. Women still love him, kids aren't scared of him... it's a pretty nice place, if you're Superman.
While Superman play-wrestles with some kids we're introduced to a short-lived L.L. in his life, Lee Lambert of the Fire Brigade. I remember feeling like this was kind of forced... and a couple of years later... yeah, it still kinda feels that way.
As they flirt each other up, an emergency call comes over Lee's radio. Without much thinking, Clark rushes into action. It takes him a bit longer to get to his destination... plus, he's gotta be a bit more creative about the path he takes. Remember, he's somewhat depowered at present. He finally arrives to confront this Gozer-looking creature. After wrapping his cape around his fist, he socks the shadow-beast.
Off to the side, an officer passes the information along to... somebody. He notes that, while depowered, Superman is still much stronger than a normal human.
With Superman occupied for awhile, the order is given to... burn down Kentville!
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This isn't a bad issue... nor is it a bad story. To me it's not really a Superman story... but that's okay... I doubt very highly that it was written for me either.
It feels like over the past few comics-reading generations (if that's even a "thing" anymore) we've written off concepts as "silly"... among them, the secret identity. Not sure why all of a sudden we're too cool for that... but, here we are letting just about the biggest cat out of the bag. I thought it was a bad idea than... and still do today. I've gone on at length in the past... it's just one of those genies you can never fully put back in the bottle. Sure, you can wipe memories of the people inside the books... but, we readers now know how such a thing would pan out. We know how everyone would react. There's no putting that away.
There's also this ridiculous (at least to me) notion that superheroes need to be relatable. Superman's supposed to be... young and cool? Hell, how many comicbook readers are (or ever were) young and cool? This smacks of rattling the chains of an audience that doesn't exist. I look at this cover... and it's a nice cover... but I think to myself, would a "young person" even give this a second look? And, let's say they do... what happens when they look to the left and see that it costs four-dollars? I don't think it matters how "relatable" the character is at that point... they probably have a better use for their four-and-change.
Not really sure where this rant is going... I probably ought to reel it in. Well, maybe a bit more. I know I've mentioned this... either here or on the podcast, but I have a theory that most kids picture Superman as being their father's age when they start reading. I don't ever recall wanting Superman to be "my" age (or God forbid, younger)... for that, we had Superboy! This "look" they're going for here would make for a really good Superboy! But... it's not Superboy. Thankfully, post-Rebirth, it's not Superman either.
With that disjointed ramble out of the way, let's talk story. Superman's been outed and depowered... but how? Well, ya gotta pony up another four-bucks a month for that, kemo sabe. It's all well and good though... working our way through a mystery isn't a bad thing. His homecoming is... odd. He meets a new L.L. who I have a sneaking suspicion was supposed to become a love interest had DCYOU panned out the way DC hoped. Then he fights a shadow-beast. The story gets Superman where he needs to be, so I can't fault it. It flew by, while at the same time didn't feel decompressed... which is a testament to the creative team.
Speaking of the creative team... this Aaron Kuder is pretty phenomenal! Just wonderful work here. From beating up baddies to eating an ear of corn... this was a very pretty book to look at. I wasn't sold on his Bohemian-Jimmy, but whattayagonnado?
Before we call it a day, a bit more on DCYOU, since I'm not sure if we'll be talking about it again anytime soon. I remember when the solicits came out, a lot of eyebrows were raised (mine included). It seemed like DC was using a shotgun to look for an audience. Everything had this kind of "pinch" of relevancy... but, there was an undercurrent of non-commitment. It was easy to look at the upcoming books and know which ones were going to be supported... and which ones were going to get the ol' Marvel "they were always meant to be miniseries" line of bullcrap two-months down the line.
I mentioned during the preamble that DC seemed rather out of touch throughout this era. This was the year of Convergence and DCYOU... now, when was the last time any of us thought about either of those things? I mean, even looking at some of the ads placed in these books... a Grayson ad with "You don't know dick" as a tagline... a Justice League of America (by Bryan Hitch) ad that uses the buzzword "widescreen" as a selling point. Widescreen comics? That was a big deal in the late 1990's... fifteen years before these books! What the hell was going on?
Okay, okay... I'm done. Apologies for the rantiness today... I guess sometimes it just happens. Even with all my gobbledy-gook, I still think this is a fairly decent story... even if I don't like it as a Superman story. At this point, it might be worth a pull just for the novelty (and the amazing art).
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