Review: Action Comics #1067
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writers: Gail Simone and Rainbow Rowell
Art: Eddy Barrows & Danny Miki and Cian Tormey
Colors: Rex Lokus and Romulo Fajardo, Jr.
Letters: Dave Sharpe
Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd
Summary
Going back to the early days of Superman’s career, the Man of Steel must face an alien invader with a unique proposition. Plus, the back up tale pits Lois vs. Clark as Lois recognizes the inherent conflict of interest in Superman’s two jobs.
Positives
Gail Simone is no stranger to the DC Universe with celebrated runs on Secret Six and Birds of Prey amongst others. This isn’t her first go at Superman, either. Simone wrote Action Comics back in 2005. With Action Comics #1067, Simone begins a story set in the early days of his career. Simone sets up a conflict with a familiar ring. If you’ve read Superman vs. Muhammad Ali, the premise in this issue may feel familiar. Superman is forced to enter an alien contest as he represents Earth as its champion.
Simone brings in different iterations of Superman not only the comics but film and animation as well. The voices of Lois, Clark and Jimmy sound like they are from the Donner Superman films. Superman’s “S” shield is clearly from the Fleisher cartoons of the 1940’s. Lois herself is dressed in an outfit that could be from the late ’60’s or early ’70’s, and the threat is something that one could easily find in the Superman comics of the ’70’s written by Cary Bates or E. Nelson Bridwell and drawn by the gold standard of Superman artists, Curt Swan. The dynamic between Lois, Clark and Jimmy is some sort of hybrid between those Bronze Age comics and the Donner films. Simone even has them working at GBS television news which was the status quo for most of the Bronze Age.
Positives Cont’d
Eddy Barrows has a really nice textural quality he brings to the page, and he also draws Superman with a lot of power. His storytelling is dynamic and interesting. He channels a bit of the great Gene Colan at times which is enjoyable. He also imbues the characters with a lot of personality. It works best with Superman.
Rainbow Rowell’s back up is an intriguing look at Lois and Clark’s relationship as Lois struggles to maintain objectivity and promote ethical behavior at the Daily Planet as its editor. She sees the conflict of interest between Clark’s roles as a reporter and Superman. Lois is in a unique position as she knows both roles and can see the conflict. She points out to Clark that his attempts to help reform the Atomic Skull in his role as Superman bias his objectivity when writing up the news story on their altercation. There’s a lot of potential for this angle!
Rowell’s She-Hulk run is ending soon and in that comic she has brought the romance element of superhero comics to the forefront. It’s been a fun and enjoyable comic and exploring Lois and Clark’s relationship through this different lens brings a realism to the book in a similar fashion.
Negatives
There are some times when Barrows faces become exaggerated and Lois and Jimmy especially become cartoonish in a way that doesn’t fit the book. Similarly, Simone’s decision to have so many different iterations impact the status quo are jarring at times. It’s not clear if it is not quite balanced or a lack of context. This makes the lead story in Action Comics #1067 feel like a timeless tale, or perhaps even pre-Crisis Earth-One as opposed to a story early in the current continuity of the character. Rowell’s back up clearly exists in the world of “House of Brainiac” that just wrapped up last month, but Simone’s does not. Perhaps, there’s more to be explained as the story progresses.
Verdict
Lacking context, Simone’s story is a little unsettling. One one hand, it’s great to have Bronze Age/ throwback tale with influences from different iterations of Superman, but perhaps more will be explained. As a throwback tale it’s a ton of fun and very enjoyable. Rowell’s story takes a more serious approach that is a nice contrast to the fun in the main story.
