DC Comics reviews for 8/22/18

Action Comics #1002

Brian Michael Bendis’ take on Clark Kent’s daily life has made Action Comics a bit of a revelation. Bendis understands the fun and drama that can come from Superman as a reporter. It’s not always just racing off to stop a meteor from crashing into the planet…Earth, not the Daily in this case. Sometimes, the nitty gritty can come from Clark investigating a case to clear Superman’s name.

Bendis also has a little fun with the opening page with various post-its referencing Superman’s pals like Jimmy Olsen and Hal Jordan, DC creators and events like Batman’s wedding and Doomsday Clock. It’s a fun insider page that I’d kinda like to see become a semi-regular feature for the title.

There’s also a guest appearance from a classic Superman supporting character. I’m very interested in seeing how Bendis handles this character as they’re right in line with his comfort zone type of hero.

Patrick Gleason has revealed he won’t be sticking around much longer as artist so we’ll just have to enjoy his work while we can. Gleason does a great job of making Clark and Superman look like different people despite Clark’s burly physique. Alejandro Sanchez’s color work is very effective in conveying various settings like a nightclub, a bar and the Daily Planet.

The mystery of the arsons gets resolved this issue. It was a neat little tease for a few issues, but it wasn’t something so major that needed a long, drawn out subplot. For Clark, the knowledge that people plot crimes around his schedule will prove a far bigger problem anyway. Bendis also tackles another lingering subplot of his early run, which I won’t spoil. This one has been months in the making and I’m curious to see where he goes with it next.

Thanks in part to my apathy towards Rogol Zaar and his ongoing storyline in the main book, Action Comics has quickly become my favorite Superman title these days. Bendis has a great voice for the office politics setting and Superman engaging more with regular people. It’s classic Bendis in the best possible way on a Superman title. This issue was another easy winner.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10