Diggle and Daniel were able to bring the quintessential part of Action back into Action Comics with Issue #19.
Picking up the broken and complicated pieces that Morrison left behind, a new creative team begins their work on the release of Action Comics # 19. With Andy Diggle writing, and Tony S. Daniel doing the artwork, it seemed that Action Comics could finally hit the Kryptonian nail on the head. But did they? Yes. Yes. A thousand times, Yes! Diggle and Daniel were able to bring the quintessential part of Action back into Action Comics.
Positive
Diggle and Daniel were able to grab the reader’s attention and keep a hold of it from start to finish. The creative team screams of chemistry and it’s refreshing to read intelligent dialogue with a touch of the farm boy humor that Morrison began to lack towards the end of his run.
Diggle’s Lois Lane was tenacious, spunky, and spirited throughout her brief role in the comic. Superman was awe-inspiring, majestic,
Action Comics #19
and destructive when it was called for. The inner dialogue, such as, “Didn’t throw the first punch. I’ll throw the last,” resonates very well with the Superman that this team is trying to introduce. Diggle was able to portray each member of the cast of Action Comics that we were familiar with and gave us a fresh take on them.
The artwork was beautifully done and Daniel used full advantage of large splash pages in order to really convey the strength and speed of the “Man of Steel.” There were moments of pure terror when Superman displays his power alongside hauntingly glowing red eyes. Daniel wanted the readers to be fully aware that the Superman ideal is not only something honorable to strive towards, but also something to fear.
Negative
The fear that Superman can induce is where the comic tends to miss the mark, although only slightly. Superman is a symbol of hope. He is meant to inspire people to be better to one another. We should strive to be the person that he is. Fear isn’t the way to inspire hope. Fear is for Gotham, not Metropolis.
Despite its shortcomings, the run’s only other shortfall is that there isn’t going to be enough of it. Andy Diggle and Tony S. Daniel both stated that they were leaving Action Comics after their three-comic story arc came to a close. One could only imagine the horizons this team could have reached with the ongoing battered series that is Action Comics.
Verdict- 4/5
Although the end will come shorter than anyone would have liked, this team will leave a resonating pulse on the New 52’s Action Comics for years to come.
Andy Diggle and Tony S. Daniel started their arc off strong, and it is an understatement to say that Action Comics #19 is one of the best Superman stories to come since the arrival of the New 52. It is just a shame that it will end so soon.
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