Greg Pak and Aaron Kuder start a promising new run on “Action Comics”, and bring the Man Of Steel to the cold waters of Gotham City.
Written by Greg Pak
Illustrated by Aaron KuderThis BATMAN: ZERO YEAR tie-in features the reintroduction of a major character! A cocky young Superman battles the forces of nature to save Gotham City, while a woman from his past tries to do the same thing on a smaller scale. But both are headed for a collision course…
“Action Comics”, with the days as one of the flagship titles from DC long behind it, has been going through a slump as of late. The New 52 boot placed the series in the hands of comic legend and “All-Star Superman” author Grant Morrison, who crafted an arc that was as interesting as it was divisive. Andy Diggle was poised to take the reins from Morrison, before making an abrupt departure before his first issue even arrived in stores. “Superman” writer Scott Lobdell was quickly drafted to fill the void, and brought the story to the present and tied the series to his own book, essentially treading water for a few issues. Some hope returned when Greg Pak, author of “Batman/Superman” and stand out issues of Villains Month, was announced as the new writer for the series. Pak’s run begins with “Action Comics” #25, which ties into Scott Snyder’s ‘Zero Year’ story arc.
The issue opens with a flashback to a teenaged Clark Kent in Smallville, as his childhood friend/love interest Lana Lang prepares to leave the Midwestern town. Clark seems fearful of the future, while Lana knows they are both destined for greater things. The story jumps ahead four years into the future, which is still five years before the present day DC U, and finds Clark still growing into his role as Superman. This is a return to the Morrison era, t-shirt and jeans included, and follows Clark as he adjusts to his powers and his new public persona. The blackout of Gotham City, featured in the ‘Zero Year’ story arc, catches Clark’s attention, as does the hurricane approaching the city from the sea. Clark, eager to push his powers to their limits, flies to the shores of Gotham City, and prepares to take on nature itself.
In the six months that he has been working for DC, Greg Pak has wasted no time in making a name for himself, and he has turned “Batman/Superman” into a must read series different from anything else in the New 52. Pak now has the chance to focus exclusively on everyone’s favorite big blue boyscout, and proves that he has a firm grasp on the character. This is a younger, brasher, and cockier Clark Kent, which will be familiar to readers of “Action Comics”, which once again makes sense now that the book has returned to Clark’s early days. Clark’s inner monologue is present throughout the book, and Pak keeps the tone perfectly balanced between showing a young man trying to explore his potential while giving the reader glimpses of the inspiring hero that he will soon grow into.
For all the hype surrounding this issue as a tie-in to ‘Zero Year’, there is very little Gotham and no Batman to be found at all, and the story is better because of it. Pak wisely avoids retreading ground from “Batman/Superman”, and resists the temptation to make another Dark Knight/Man of Steel stare down that will ultimately lead nowhere. Instead he follows Clark as he pushes his powers to the limit. At this point in his career, Clark has never been defeated, and is only getting stronger and stronger as he hones his abilities. He has handled chaos and violence, so when Clark sees Gotham at the mercy of a hurricane, he sees the chance to face something even more powerful. The whole bit about Lana being an electrical worker on a boat caught in the hurricane was pretty convenient, but not too egregious as comics go.
Aaron Kuder is a new addition to DC’s stable of artists and, after briefly filling in on “Green Lantern: New Guardians” and “Superman”, now has a chance to shine as the regular artist on “Action Comics”. Kuder wastes no time in visually presenting some iconic Superman imagery, starting with his hometown of Smallville. Even though it only lasts a single page, Kuder captures that small-town feel, with the wide spaces of Clark’s childhood home providing a great contrast to his future adventures in Metropolis. A montage of Clark’s various early successful battles is beautifully rendered and framed on the page. One visual detail that stands out is the smile on Clark’s face as he explores his potential, it’s a great character tell moment that, in Kuder’s hands, actually feels emotional.
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As the story moves to the rain soaked shores of Gotham City, Kuder’s style changes from the starkness of the Smallville scenes, and creates images that are full of detail and heavily lined. The ocean and the rainy sky are not monochrome swaths of grey and blue, but are vivid and organic looking, and really adds to the tension of the story. As the storm worsens and Clark attempts to create a vortex to counter nature’s wrath, Kuder never lets the character design slip. His style is somewhat Sale-esque when rendering figures and, while the characters are less detailed when they’re further away, the look is always consistent.
Superman is not the easiest character to write for, even for experienced authors, but Greg Pak proves he is up for the challenge by crafting a story that is true to the core of Clark Kent, but also shows a side of him with which the reader is not used to seeing. Aaron Kuder makes a big splash, no pun intended, on art duties, as he strikingly renders a violent storm bearing down from the ocean. A bit of a caveat: there is nothing to tie this issue to the main ‘Zero Year’ storyline, but instead focuses on the wider events happening at the same time. “Action Comics” was a series in need of a major course correction, and with issue #25, Greg Pak and Aaron Kuder have done exactly that.
Final Verdict: 8.5 – Buy. A great story. Not a great “Batman” tie-in, but a great story nonetheless. One of the best single issue stories of any Superman-related comic in recent memory.
