Action Comics #868 Review

Creative Team
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Gary Frank
Inker: Jon Sibal

Issue Rating
Story: 9/10
Art: 8/10
Overall: 8.5/10

Issue Summary
At the Daily Planet Supergirl ask some of the staff were Clark but Lois sees Supergirl and takes her to the roof to talk alone.

Out in space Superman is being experimented on by some robots in Braniac’s space ship. But before they can slice Superman’s head open Superman wakes up and destroys them and takes of all of the devices they put into him. Superman starts to explore the space ship and goes into a room with a buch of pods containing some aliens Braniac has captured and is experimenting on. After being attacked by and knocking out an alien named Koko, Superman goes into a room were he finds the city of Kandor.

As he is about grab the city Brainiac appears and comes out of his cocoon taller and more muscular than Superman. Braniac grabs and throws Superman against a wall were some cables grab him.

At Kent Farm Clark’s parents are having a conversation about Clark when a storm starts coming at the farm.

Back in the space Braniac starts belittling Superman as an unimpresseive kryptonian. Superman breaks the cables and attacks Braniac, Braniac just shrugs it off and grabs Superman by the head telling him that he is going to go after Supergirl.

On the roof of the Daily Planet Supergirl and Lois are talking about were Clark is when Braniac’s space ship appears over Metropolis to the fear of Supergril and all of Metropolis. End of issue.

“I think I am going to be sick”

“Barry Bonds called and he wants his steroids back”

Review

Now I have never been a big Superman fan and it’s been about 13 years since the last time I picked up a Superman comic when I was seven Geoff Johns really has me interested in what is going to happen in this story. I actually picked up this issue and the other two parts of the story after my friend, and after reading some reviews online, how good Johns run on Action Comics is. I am glad I stock his advice cause this was a truly enjoyable story.

The problem I have always had with Superman is that his powers make him so powerful none of the threats Superman faces are a real threat outside of Lex Luthor and I have never been able to relate to and sympathize for Superman or his Clark Kent persona. the other problem with Superman has always been that most writters are always trying to make Superman less powerful to fit there story and make the story more exciting.

The thing about this story that Johns is writting is that it is both complex and reader friendly. What I like about how Johns portrays Superman is that you are able to see through his expressions and dialog that Superman is missing something. And when Superman sees the city of Kandor you can see how happy Superman is to see that maybe he isn’t the last of his people and that by finding Kandor maybe Krypton can be rebuilt. But it could be interesting to see how Superman may react to seeing his people especially after he actually has time to think what this will do to the connection he has made with his adoptive planet and who he would choose.

I also like the build up Johns has made for Brainiac so that when he actually appeared in this issue you could tell this isn’t a Braniac that not even Superman may want to mess with. I actually like the fear that Supergirl shows to just hearing Brainiac’s name and how worried she is about her cousin. Now even though I didn’t like that Johns choose to make Brainiac have a humanoid form and look like a wrestler out of the WWE, Brainiac is still both physically and mentally imposing. And I loved that Brainiac didn’t even flinch to any of Superman’s punches and it makes you actually think that Superman may not be the same after this confrontation with Braniac both physically and mentally.

I got to say I love Gary Frank’s art in this issue and how he draws Superman to look like Christopher Reeves is just awsome. Reeves Superman is the diffinitive Superman in my eyes and seeing his likeness being used is just awsome. Also this is probably the best looking Lois Lane that I have seen in comics in a long time. She really does look really hot.