Action Comics Weekly #631



With 11 issues left of Action Comics Weekly (though this hasn't been explicitly stated in the letter column yet), it's becoming clear that DC is running out the clock. There's very little talk of exciting new features to come in these pages anymore. Instead it's talk of Blackhawk and Deadman spinning off into their own projects outside of the book, as well as a lot of firm "no"s in response to fans requesting and asking about new features for the book.


James Owsley and M.D. Bright's Green Lantern has completely lost its way by this point and seems to have no central purpose beyond filling space. There's nothing bad about it; it's just so completely average.

Sharon Wright and Randy BuBurke's Black Canary continues to be visually gorgeous with awful characterization, forced dialogue, and a plot that's both difficult to follow and yet so thorough in its lack of remarkability. Wright is clearly trying to write real people speaking like real people and dealing with real world crime, but it isn't working. Score one for depicting a non-judgmental attempted hookup between two HIV positive gay men in this story though. At least Wright's pushing boundaries.

Paul Kupperberg and Fred Carillo's Phantom Stranger is a bit more ambitious than the previous done-in-one attempts. This is a multi-part story, bringing back a lot of old Phantom Stranger continuity, as well as Dr. Thirteen. The characterization is pretty strong, the writing decent, the inks pretty subpar, and the conflict not really in place yet. Has the potential to be decent. It is odd, however, that two pages are inadvertently published in reverse order here, making for some confusing reading.

Cherie Wilkerson and Vince Giarrano's Speedy and Nightwing continues to be a tremendous disappointment with lousy plotting and forgettable art and writing, but at least Nightwing FINALLY appears for two pages of this feature and, while not in costume, it's almost-kind-of-sort-of fun watching him fire Speedy's bow out of a speeding car.

Martin Pasko and Rick Burchett's Blackhawk also remains past its prime, forgetting that it was its simplicity and irreverence that made it so special in the beginning. Now, perhaps in anticipation for its new title, it's laying on dense but generally uninteresting plots with tons and tone of talking head exposition, and really only one vaguely fun moment that really didn't make the read worthwhile.


...And then there was Superman.


"Point Blank"
writer: Roger Stern
pencils: Curt Swan
inks: Murphy Anderson
letters: Bill Oakley
colors: Tom Ziuko
editor: Mike Carlin

grade: C

The irony is just now occurring to me that this feature is written and penciled in a throw-back style that would appeal most to kids, and yet ACW weekly isn't approved by the Comics Code anymore because the editor felt it should appeal more to older readers. Most of the other stories in this book are incredibly mature, from Black Canary dealing with infidelity and aids, to Speedy now having a child outside of wedlock with an antagonist, to, well, everything in Blackhawk. What the hell was the Stern/Swan Superman feature even doing in this book? The choice just never really made sense.

Well this is yet another installment in which very little happens, but what else can you expect from a weekly two page feature? Superman reflects on the fact we've already established that the cult worshipping him is somehow getting their powers from space, adds the secondary discovery that the bad guys attacking them are similarly getting powers in that way, and then confronts the attackers as Superman, and the cult realizes that Clark is gone.

Some generous inks from Murphy Anderson to remind us when we're underground aside, there's just nothing fun nor appealing about this installment. Even Swan's panel arrangements feel uninspired this time around.

Sigh. Only a few more chapters.

Adventures of Superman #452



"Hell Beyond"
writer: Dan Jurgens
pencils: Dan Jurgens
inks: Dennis Janke
letters: John Costanza
colors: Glen Whitmore
asst. editor: Renee Witterstaetter
editor: Mike Carlin
special thanks to Jerry Ordway for his plot assist
Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

grade: C+

I believe this marks the first time Jurgens and Ordway collaborate on a Superman story, though I wasn't as pleased with the result as I might have hoped. Superman gets his reunion with the Word Bringer, but what transpires is pretty lackluster. A large part of that is due to Superman's characterization. For the first time since Byrne's departure, we have Superman returning to the arrogant, brazen, and sometimes downright ignorant characterization that Byrne had given him, especially in those Action Comics team-ups. It was pretty much my least favorite aspect of Byrne's run -- Superman not behaving like a Superman, and thus it really irks me that he storms in, fists blazing, punches first and asks questions later, and ends up being completely right. "The Union" is a morally problematic concept to say the least, but Supes has his rights and wrongs sorted out before he really assesses the situation and is rewarded for doing this. Word Bringer = bad. Union = good. Punch a whole lot, lecture, and they'll all listen. And they do.

A real opportunity was presented when The Word Bringer revealed the truth about what happened in Trudeau (Adventures of Superman Annual #1). I was waiting for him to reveal that Superman had acted rashly there too, contributing to all those deaths, but instead, he's carte blanc exonerated. So I guess he's going to get over his insanity pretty soon, then. Why didn't The Union just tell him he did the right thing with the rogue Kryptonians too and be done with the whole arc? If we're giving out easy victories, we might as well go all the way.


Important Details:

- The Union is now in charge, not the Word Bringer, and they pledge to amend their practices.

- Superman learns that he was not at all responsible for the deaths in Trudeau. The brains there did not, in fact, make him kill them. They killed themselves.


Minor Details:

- Luthor's life being meaningless without an enemy is a fun concept to explore. I suppose he was still on his way up when he first butted heads with Superman in Man of Steel #2. Now he's achieved all his goals; won all his victories. All that was left was Superman. This helps to answer Byrne's idea that never fully went explained of why Luthor was waiting to kill Superman when he could have done so at any time.

- ...but, wait. Isn't Morgan Edge Luthor's enemy? Heck, he's far more of a threat to Luthor than Superman. And what about that stunt Prof. Hamilton pulled recently that hurt Luthor's public persona? Seems to me Luthor's got PLENTY of enemies and challenges to face right now.

- Doesn't the Word Bringer concept -- the bald green alien who assimilates alien cultures -- resemble that of the Pre-Crisis Brainiac? Granted, I haven't read much Pre-Crisis Superman, but that's the impression I always had. It's certainly a good summary of who Brainiac is in the later Bruce Timm Superman Animated Series. I guess they still had to figure out what to do with the utterly ridiculous Brainiac that Byrne had given us (and that solution is coming soon).

- Adam cruising down that hill in a speeding power wheels car while totally unattended. I assume this is foreshadowing. I'll give Jurgens credit for the subtlety with which he's handling Cat Grant. It's abundantly obvious that her life is still a car wreck waiting to happen, even without any overt clues given to indicate this.

- "Helferer, or whatever your name is, your number is up!" Is Carlin still making digs at Andy Helfer this long after his departure? This seems to be all in good fun, but Helfer is gone and Carlin is still there presumably because of their differing attitudes towards John Byrne back when he was still calling the shots. I'd assume there's got to still be some resentment there.


plot synopsis in one sentence:

Superman confronts the Word Bringer and his Union of telepathically linked brains from various planets, Perry White orders Lois to bury the story on Trudeau because he's getting pressure from the President and because the information can't be substantiated without Superman around, Lois tries not to think about Clark being (presumed) dead, Luthor's life is meaningless without an enemy, Cat Grant is still involved with Morgan Edge, The Word Bringer creates "Eon," a super powered physical manifestation of the Union, they battle, inadvertently damaging one of the brains, Superman tries to save it, and The Union begins to remember what compassion, death, and loss of life mean, so they side with Superman against the Word Bringer, keeping him as a servant with Eon now in charge, and vowing to amend their practices, only collecting brains from willing donors who are about to die.

Superman #30



The Exile storyline is finally beginning to take shape and, in the process, provide the Post-Crisis franchise with everything the Byrne run lacked by (1) finally giving Superman some rich characterization by leaving him alone in space to work through his thoughts/feelings/experiences and (2) using Superman's absence on Earth as an opportunity to develop the supporting cast and begin resolving old plotlines that were carelessly tossed aside. Theoretically, Byrne had planned to do some of this himself in the wake of Superman #22, but the letter columns have commented frequently on the amount of last minute scurrying Carlin, Stern, Ordway, and Jurgens have been doing to plan out this storyline, suggesting either that Byrne didn't leave them with much, or that the plans he left weren't all that usable. Whatever the case, getting an emotionally complex Superman and a more elaborate exploration of the franchise's supporting cast lays the groundwork for the highly regarded Triangle Era that's on the horizon.


"Alone!"
writer: Roger Stern
pencils: Kerry Gammill
inks: Dennis Janke
letters: John Costanza
colors: Glen Whittmore
assistant editor: Renee Witterstaetter
editor: Mike Carlin

grade: A-

This is what the Exile storyline should have been all along. No conflict; no convenient aliens. Just Superman working through some stuff, and having him attempt to settle on an empty but fertile planet, building a farm and taming the land with his super powers, is the ultimate expression of what the Post-Crisis Clark is: a super powered farm boy from Kansas. It's done beautifully here, especially as his immense satisfaction at finally being able to do what's always been in his heart proves hollow and empty. He's not a super powered farm boy; he's Superman, and he doesn't belong here. Gammill's art does wonders to help express this, especially with Clark's weary but satisfied face with a subtle hint of dispair on page 5. Conveying all that emotion at one time...wow.



It's worth noting that, while I was upset with Jurgens' depiction of Superman in the most recent Adventures of Superman for being too much like the Byrne version in his arrogance and ignorance, Stern is clearly writing the Superman I prefer -- a character who chastises himself for lashing out at asteroids without thinking first. This guy never would have blundered in against The Word Bringer in the way that Jurgens' Superman did. They'll have to reconcile these characterizations down the road.


Minor Details: Carlin and the gang are trying hard to drop references to past Byrne continuity whereever they can in this issue. It begins in this story with Pa Kent referencing his service in World War II (World of Smallville #1-2).



plot synopsis: Supes tries to settle down on an uninhabited planet and ultimately comes to realize he can't stand isolation; meanwhile, Matrix wishes she was more like Clark Kent.




"King of All He Surveys"
writer: Dan Jurgens
pencils: Dan Jurgens
inks: Dennis Janke
letters: Albert De Guzman
colors: Glen Whittmore
assistant editor: Renee Witterstaetter
editor: Mike Carlin
with special thanks to Jerry Ordway

grade: A-

If you'd never read a Post-Crisis Superman story before and wanted to know about the Post-Crisis Lex Luthor, this would be the story to read. It sums up absolutely everything there is to know about the character (aside from Amanda McCoy and his love for Lois Lane) in an amazingly efficient 8 pages, ending with Luthor deciding to attempt a hostile take-over of STAR Labs. And that's the weird part. The story build and builds, with Luthor deciding that making money isn't enough anymore; he's got to do something RISKY, and the end decision is a corporate hostile take-over? Even Carlin jokes after the final panel that you should "warn your broker!" Why in the world is this interesting to anyone? Yes, hints were dropped in the previous months that something shady is going on at STAR Labs under the new director (who we have not yet met), but this bold new direction doesn't exactly leave me clamoring to grab the next issue.

plot synopsis: A review of pretty much everything that's happened to Luthor since Man of Steel #2, as well as Luthor's new decision to attempt a hostile takeover of STAR Labs.

I'm really catching the Superman bug again now that I've convinced myself I don't HAVE to read the Action Comics Weekly stuff



Triangle Era was always my favorite, and my goal all along in doing these reviews has been to get back to that era. This stuff is pretty decent, but it's a pale prototype for what follows. Still, it's all connected, and that's part of what I love about this run. In the mid 1990s, they'll still be referencing stuff Byrne wrote in 1986.



I stand corrected.

From what I remember, ACW wasn't cancelled because sales were slipping, but because the weekly deadline was an absolute nightmare.  Mark Waid mentions in his introduction to Neil Gaiman's Legend of the Green Flame (which was meant to be an ACW issue or annual) that they were constantly scrambling at the last minute to get work done on the title, and because of this, they were spending three times as much time on ACW as other titles, including a lot of late nights in the office.  It was basically decided that the book just wasn't worth the effort it was taking.

Action Comics Weekly #634



Three of the five features come to a close this week, presumably to make space for what would have been Neil Gaiman's Legend of the Green Flame (We'll get into the story of what happened there once ACW has concluded), but, in lieu of that, it looks like we'll be getting a crossover to set up the Blackhawk ongoing next issue, and then a return to the regular ACW format for six more issues before the whole thing gets shut down. I'd much rather be reading Legend of the Green Flame.

Green Lantern: I can't believe this is actually getting really good. M.D. Bright's pencils are getting better and better, and Owsley is finally finding his footing after DC abruptly aborted his original concept for the Green Lantern feature back in Action Comics Weekly #623. Incidentally, Malvolio keeps referring to the Green Lantern central battery energy as the "Green Flame." I assume Gaiman intended his story to tie into what was being established here.

Nightwing & Speedy: Wow. That was bad.

Black Canary: Wow. That was worse.

Phantom Stranger: I lost interest two issues back.

Blackhawk: I lost interest long before that.



...And then there was Superman.



"Breathless!"
writer: Roger Stern
pencils: Curt Swan
inks: Murphy Anderson
letters: Bill Oakley
colors: Tom Ziuko
editor: Mike Carlin

grade: C-

Beautiful Curt Swan art as he finds unconventional poses to show Superman struggling and out of control. Very powerful.

Unfortunately, there's absolutely no story here. We watch Superman flail around, apparently disarm the machine causing all this, and then flail some more. I realize the very nature of a two page feature necessitates episodes like this one, where two whole pages exist just to set up one panel that's marginally important to the plot, but man, I am SO sick of this feature's snail-like pace and desperately want to get back to the climactic battle that FINALLY got started last issue.