Buy Action Comics #844, Or You’ll Regret It!

Action Comics #844
I rarely buy Superman comics. So when the new issue of Action Comics hit the stands today, I completely forgot why it was THE book to buy this month. It took someone in the shop to remind me, and as soon as he did, I was ashamed at having forgotten. See, this arc of Action Comics is being co-written by Geoff Johns and Richard Donner. That’s Richard Donner, as in, director of the first Superman movie. The one who was recently granted the opportunity to re-cut Superman II with old, lost footage he shot way back when, just before he got unceremoniously kicked to the curb. This alone is reason enough to make a person sit up and take notice.

But then I bought it.

I tend not to review books or storylines too much. Normally, I think that there’s enough buzz for such things to take care of themselves. But this book… This book demanded I sing its praises. The second I held it in my hands, I noticed the subdued cover. It’s a nice shot, a sort of calm before the storm on the inside. Turning it over, the ad on the back cover for “Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut” is surprisingly well done, with a short letter from Donner speaking personally and heart-warmingly about his passion for that project. Before I cracked the book open, I began to suspect there was something special waiting inside.

And then I read it.

For starters, Adam Kubert is at the top of his game in this book. His pacing is phenomenal – The action scenes made my heart race and my eyes rush to keep up, and the serene beats that followed were skillfully placed to let me catch my breath. He clearly poured his heart into creating the facial expressions – from editor Perry White bawling out Jimmy and Clark, to – most memorably – when Superman couldn’t find the boy…

The boy? Well, as the story goes, a ship comes crashing into Metropolis, and Superman tries to catch it. After a rough stop, we find find out that there’s a boy inside. Now, I adore what J. Michael Straczynski has created in Squadron Supreme, showing a dark, troubled view on what a world – and our government – would do were a vessel to land with a superhuman, alien child inside of it. But here, in a universe already teeming with superheroes, the novelty isn’t that such a thing could happen, but in wondering what the connection could be with Superman. The government is one party that wants an answer to that. And so is Superman.

Honestly, I don’t want to talk about the story any more than that. I want you to experience the pleasure of reading this book on your own, without any preconceptions being rammed down your throat. I’ve said too much already, but I wanted to give you a glimpse of what there is to see.

I swear, I am so freaking excited for what comes next.