REVIEW: ‘Action Comics,’ Issue #1051

Action Comics #1051 from DC introduces Metropolis to the Superman Family right before the next explosion. ‘Speeding Bullets, Part I,’ is written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, with art from Rafa Sandoval, colors by Matt Herms, and letters by Dave Sharpe. ‘Home Again’ is written by Dan Jurgens, with art by Lee Weeks, colors by Elizabeth Breitweiser, and letters by Rob Leigh. The Power Girl story ‘Head Like A Whole’ is written by Leah Williams, with art by Marguerite Sauvage and letters by Becca Carey.

Last issue’s big anniversary edition revealed Luthor’s maniacal plot and also Superman’s vast new power scale. With Lex in prison, all should be well. Nope. This series has previously shown us Lex has put his schemes into dragging Metallo out of retirement. Well, Metallo finally gets to show off later in the first story. ‘Speeding Bullets’ begins with an article from Lois Lane on Metropolis and the new, unified Superman Family. Yes, Superman (Clark and Jon), Steel (both John and niece Natasha), Kong Kenan (Superman of China), Superboy, and Supergirl arrive to stop some murderous men from driving over protestors. What follows is one of the best pieces of ‘downtime’ I’ve read in a comic, as the House of El relaxes.

We get to see these heroes in normal clothes, interacting with each other, laughing, joking, personal touches (the gag with Jon and Lois at the closet is great). Then we get into the plot, and it’s ambitious, to say the least. I really hope this builds things up and doesn’t tear it all down by 2024. This could be my anxiety or just facing the reality of comic book storytelling. Either way, the send-up can lead to a lot of epic tales in the future. Sandoval’s art is a pleasure to behold, as is Herms’ detail on colors. Sharpe is ever reliable on letters, and this story makes every Super character distinct and fun. More of this, please.

‘Home Again’ takes us back to Rebirth and a tale when Jon was still a kid. The Kents have moved back to the farmhouse in Smallville, and this is a cool look back into that little pocket when DC brought the post-Crisis Supes and Lois back but had the balls to move their lives forward and let them have a youngin.

Jon as a child is a fun read, thanks to Jurgens, and I cannot express how happy I am to see my all-time favorite artist, Weeks, on pencils. His work turns common folk on a farm into something akin to Rockefeller for comic books. Breitweiser is new to me, but her subtle coloring is great work that highlights Weeks’ solid sketching. Leigh is one of my fave letterers and having him on this one makes the art integral while balloons flitter to the edges like fine guides. There’s a lot going on in this tale, and this may be the start of my favorite Jon Kent story.

We end this issue with ‘Head Like A Whole,’ a follow-up to the Power Girl tale in Lazarus Planet: Assault On Krypton #1. In that story, Williams, Sauvage, and Carey took us on a gorgeous, bright, artistic romp into Power Girl being lost and meeting the latest comics redhead, Omen. Omen is a telepath, and now, so is Kara, thanks to the greeny goo of Lazarus Rain. We find this duo working together on a new mission: to help heroes with trauma using telepathy.

What’s brilliant is what Williams has done this with Power girl, usually one of DC’s more brusque heroes, but we know she’s got a loving heart on her sleeve interior. Omen makes a great coupling with our heroine; the story is still just as beautiful, stunning in colors and letters thanks to Sauvage and Carey, and having seen how this plot can be beneficial, this is again something I hope DC keeps around for a long time. I love Power Girl, and she needs her own series, hopefully with this team.

Action Comics #1051 has a lot to offer a comic book fan. You get an entire family of characters interacting with one another, a narration that keeps Lois relevant (as she should be in this book), exciting action enough to keep the House of El busy, previous plots coming together, a cool backstory for Jon Kent, and a great new start (a Rebirth of sorts) for Power Girl. I mean, this is heroism 101, folks. Come and get it.

Action Comics #1051 is available wherever comic books are sold.