Thursday, September 6, 2012

Action Comics #0

I must admit that I've been really enjoying Grant Morrison's take on Superman's early days as presented in Action Comics.

(Sadly, he's apparently leaving the books in a few months.)

It's been entertaining to see a young Clark Kent figuring out how to be a hero, deal with corruption, fight unusual menaces and suchlike.

This issue starts with the moment he orders the T-shirts with the "S" emblem. We actually learn a surprising fact about Superman's costume (at least it was a surprise to me) that offers a nice nod to the Silver Age (as much of Morrison's work has so nicely done).

Longtime fans will also enjoy a few Easter eggs, including the name of his landlord's husband. Well, it got a smile out of me.

So why has Morrison's Superman succeeded where others have failed?

I'd say it's because his Superman seems much more... human. He's a decent guy who's fighting back against the problems he sees - crime, corruption - the kinds of things a newspaper reporter would run into.

He's a nice guy (as demonstrated by how he handles an unusual thief), but he's also a bit cocky and brash, as you'd expect from a young man. And he actually has a "real" sense of humor. I know, amazing, right?

The art is by Ben Oliver with colors by Brad Anderson, and it's a bit different from what we've seen in this title so far. It has a watercolor look that is wonderful when it focuses on faces and emotions, but seems to struggle a bit with action sequences, which tend to be a bit jumbled and difficult to follow.

Still, it's another strong issue in this series, and one we should treasure - along with the writer - while we can.

Grade: A-

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