There’s a lot to cover on Wednesdays. We should know, as collectively, we read an insane amount of comics. Even with a large review staff, it’s hard to get to everything. With that in mind, we’re back with Wrapping Wednesday, where we look at some of the books we missed in what was another great week of comics.
Let’s get this party started.
Action Comics #1055
Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Dan Jurgens and Dorado Quick
Illustrated by Rafa Sandoval, Lee Weeks and Yasmin Flores Montanez
Colored by Matt Herms, Elizabeth Breitweiser and Brad Anderson
Lettered by Dave Sharpe and Rob Leigh
Reviewed by Alexander Jones
“Action Comics” has continued to focus across the vast line of DC’s current Superman property. “Action Comics” has a bigger cast now then when author Phillip Kennedy Johnson first worked on the title. Johnson and “Action Comics” artist Rafa Sandoval have been building to a big confrontation between Metallo and Superman since the title shifted focus for the Dawn of DC era. However due to some climatic events from last issue, Superman finds himself in a much different scenario with Metallo in issue #1055. Also, “Action Comics” continues to spotlight other stories including an untold tale from Superman’s past and a spotlight on the vast supporting characters in the publishing line.
Over in Johnson and Sandoval’s main tale in “Action Comics” #1055, the creative team continues the focus on Cyborg Superman’s conflict with The Man of Steel. Also, there’s a fascinating newspaper clipping that connects some of the previous Warworld story threads with this current status quo. Sandoval and Johnson are able to work together to evoke strong emotion when Kenan, Jon and Connor are fighting the forces of Metallo. Johnson’s characterization of Corben hits a fascinating left-turn here as Sandoval depicts Metallo with a degree of helplessness with his strained facial expressions.
Lee Weeks and Dan Jurgens continue the untold tales of Superman story set around the timeline following the “Superman: Lois and Clark” mini-series. The plotting for this back-up story appears to be extremely sparse as we only get a few revelations to some of the threats in this chapter. The art coming in from Lee Weeks is a big selling point here. Weeks frames panels and page compositions in ways that capture the imagination of the reader. The panel with throne room in the second-to-last-page caught my eye for the design of the panel and page.
Dorado Quick’s writing in the last story in the collection captured lots of heart for Natasha and John Henry Irons in terms of the dialogue. It was fascinating to watch John’s business dealings in the issue. Also, it was enjoyable seeing the lighter artistic contributions from Yasmin Flores Montanez that really evoked the irreverent tone of this story to offset the sad nature of the other stories in the collection. “Action Comics” #1055 captures so many fascinating aspects of DC’s current Superman Universe.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – ”Action Comics” #1055 is loaded with fascinating content that fleshes out the world of Metropolis vividly in the Dawn of DC era.
Nightwing #104
Written by Tom Taylor and C.S. Pacat
Penciled by Travis Moore and Daniel Hor
Inked by Jonas Trindade
Colored by Adriano Lucas
Lettered by Wes Abbott
Reviewed by Quinn Tassin
“Nightwing” #104 is both a good read and strikingly familiar. It feels like every arc of this series is about what a good guy Dick Grayson is and how being a hero means doing good in the world not just fighting bad guys. That’s been perfectly fine given that it’s been the compliment to a very engaging larger arc and because the idea was steadily built up over the course of two years. In the context of a fun filler arc, it’s easy to feel at least a little tired. On the other hand, Taylor has a great handle on Dick and the Titans’ voices and he still knows how to write a story. In the midst of a great run, an off issue is still a perfectly good read.
It’s objectively pretty fun to see Nightwing become Superwing for an issue. The costume redesign is cool, the action is engaging iin new ways, and it gives Dick a new perspective on the world. Seeing him solve problems around the world because he and the Titans dispose of the Grinning Man so quickly is a nice twist on an issue that easily could’ve been a punch-em-up in a lesser writer’s hands. A Nightwing-Superman heart to heart is always engaging but this one happening just outside of Earth’s orbit feels special. And the resolution of Olivia’s story is definitely sweet.
Continued belowBut the “Nightwing” #104 also lacks any sense of tension. It’s clear that Nightwing is going to save the day and that his new abilities are cool but there’s no moment where we wonder if he might actually keep them. There’s no world in which he gives Olivia up to Neron for that. Of course he turns the tables and has one last batch of magic in his escrima sticks to defeat Neron. Of course Olivia ends up on Themyscira. It’s all fun but it’s also all painfully obvious.
The art team absolutely kills it. The colors are fittingly warm, bright, and beautiful. Dick is seeing the world through new eyes and we can feel his sense of gratitude and wonder. The layouts keep things paces beautifully; this is a whirlwind day in Nightwng’s life and it feels like one. That sense of momentum is, of course, reflected in the actual artwork, where there’s a constant sense of motion. All of this action is also well-staged and easy to follow despite the sheer volume of things happening. Of course that all sets up the Superman/Nightwing interaction perfectly. Suddenly, thing slow down and Dick starts to really take in the beauty of the world he’s protecting. We can feel the peace and perspective he’s feeling and it’s a great moment for the artists in the middle of a big batch of great visuals.
The backup story, meanwhile, is a dud. Nightwing and Jon Kent stop a guy from bombing the circus and then they go do circus stuff. There’s a certain charm to the story, to be sure, but there’s really nothing to gain here. Jon and Dick are nice to kids and the kinds of guys that call out carnival scammers? Duh. The bombing isn’t an actual threat given that the duo solves it in about a page and a half. There’s just no substance here. Plus, the artwork leaves a lot to be desired. The colors feel muddy and uninteresting, making this less fun to look at than it might be. Despite being a fun story, there’s very little sense of life or energy to the artwork. And the character design is plain bad, with wonky proportions and faces that look like first drafts unless we’re looking at them straight on (which happens maybe four times). This installment of “Night at the Circus” does have one positive quality- it’s the last chapter.
Final Verdict: 7.0- A well-executed retread of themes we’re very familiar with.
Supermassive #1
Written by Kyle Higgins, Ryan Parrott, Melissa Flores & Mat Groom
Illustrated by Daniele Di Nicuolo
Colored by Walter Baiamonte
Lettered by Becca Carey
Reviewed by Alexander Manzo
“Supermassive” is the annual Massive-Verse crossover with strong old-school Saturday morning cartoon vibes when the best come together for an hour-long special. Radiant Black, Rogue Sun, and Dead Lucky all join together for a one-off mission to find the holy grail, an ancient item that possesses powers and abilities that have just been rumors for centuries. Initially, it does come off as a one-off compared to last year’s crossover storyline, where it was more, end of a world vibe. The authors do a great job creating a palette cleanser by quickly giving background to all characters. For readers of the books, it may feel a little redundant, but in a bigger-picture strategy, it’s a solid tool to help new readers pick it up and understand a little bit of each character and the struggles they’re currently facing.
As for the adventure for the grail itself is a little cheesy, but even the characters are aware of the possibility of booby traps in every new room, so it eases the bit of tension there is. Each room deals with the usual gambit of problem-solving skills; intelligence, group battle, internal issues with each member, and then the ultimate sacrifice by the cast-away character. It reads quickly, but because it’s a crossover issue, it has a longer length, making it more compelling. It has that instant re-read feel that helps showcase missed details upon a closer inspection.
Daniele Di Nicuolo does a fantastic job of not only keeping the reader engaged with his dynamic artwork throughout the issue. A couple of prime examples are when the team runs into Thomasin, the new character, in the second room of the quest, and the reader can feel the emotional toll as she speaks about her trials with the original Rogue Sun and her tough past. Then following this, Di Nicuolo gets to show the team in battle against an army of creatures; he shifts perspectives to build the turmoil that comes with a group of fighters unfamiliar with each other’s war style. Walter Baiamonte’s bright color choices are an excellent tool for keeping readers hooked even during their quest’s dark corridors and rooms. It removes any chance of a Game of Thrones disaster of missing any much-anticipated action.
Final Verdict: 8.7 – A tremendous annual mash-up for the Massive-verse that gives the reader a good side quest for their favorite heroes or a chance for new readers to see what the hype is about.
