Now that Greg Pak can finally move past ‘Zero Year’ and ‘Villains Month’ tie-ins, we finally get to see what happens when he just lets loose as a writer on “Actions Comics”. Spoiler alert: turns out he’s pretty great at it. Who would’ve guessed?
Written by Greg Pak
Illustrated by Aaron Kuder
All hell breaks loose as Superman is caught between an alien menace and the super-powered soldier the U.S. Army has sent to kill it!
Last month, we saw Greg Pak and Aaron Kuder take the reins on “Action Comics” with a ‘Zero Year’ tie-in that showcased Pak’s strength at writing a younger Superman and Kuder’s strength at huge, fantastic visuals while only loosely being connected to the event in question. They also brought back a major player in the Superman world in a big way by reconnecting Clark with Lana Lang. Looking back on it, that issue felt like a prelude to everything here (not least of which because the backup story was purposefully so) as it set up a number of elements that Pak and Kuder use here. These two might be ushering in a storyline that brings Superman back to prominence in the New 52.
Greg Pak gets Superman. Greg Pak really gets Superman. For what should really be quite a simple concept, writers sometimes tend not to grasp the subtleties of the character. That’s not something that can be said about Pak, however, as he shows a really understanding of the character and manages to present a very specific side to him that hasn’t really been seen for a while. Pak presents Clark as just a farm kid grown up who just happens to be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound which brings a lot to making Clark more relatable as a character than he has been in the New 52. Superman doesn’t feel like the alien god present in most other titles, he feels like just a guy having to deal with a rampaging monster and that coupled with Pak’s insights into the character’s thoughts through narration makes this issue just a lot of fun, really. Living up to the title, Pak focuses on a very action heavy story letting quieter moments separate rather bombastic scenes with makes for an issue that passes quickly but never feels overburdened with just punching scenes.
That wouldn’t be all bad, though, as if there’s one thing Aaron Kuder is really great at drawing it’s action. This title is a perfect fit for Kuder whose style goes against DC’s current “house style” and brings a lighter, less photo-realistic feel to the book. It feels fun which goes hand-in-hand with Pak’s writing to bring an issue that’s just a blast to read. It all evokes the enjoyment that you should get by watching Superman swoop in and save the day. That’s not to say Kuder’s only good for punching things, either, as he brings a lot of quiet emotion to simpler scenes like a flashback to Clark as a child in Smallville. It’s a nice juxtaposition, both in art and writing, as we see a young Clark relish in being able to ride a bike without holding onto the handle bars and t’s that same fun that translates to scenes of Superman being able to save people. This issue goes against everything the New 52 tried to bring to Superman and feels more like an evolution of the character than has been seen in years.
The story of this issue is also deceptively simple as Pak manages to set up a number of elements to pay off in later stories, but hides them in plain sight as they all play a part in the main story of Superman battling the giant monster on the cover. Things like the true nature of the monster, what Lana was doing in Venezuela in the first place and even the mysterious Ghost Soldier are teased over the course of the issue, but none of those elements detract from the story itself. This feels like the true first issue to Pak and Kuder’s run with the ‘Zero Year’ tie-in operating as a prelude and if this issue is an any indication, these two could go for miles and miles.
Overall, this is the issue the level of quality “Action Comics” has needed since Grant Morrison’s departure. Pak and Kuder easily live up to the title by providing more than enough action to shake a stick at, but using all of it to delve into the character of Superman and his choices when faced with that kind of danger. These two get Superman in a way many don’t and they flaunt it on every page. This is the issue that could very well turn around a series that has been directionless for quite some time and with Pak now heading up two Superman books at DC, he could very well be the man to go to for the Man of Steel.
Final Verdict: 9.0 – Even if you missed the ‘Zero Year’ issue, don’t miss this.
