REVIEW: ‘Action Comics,’ Issue #1052

Action Comics #1052 from DC Comics sells the Super Family, but Metallo steals the show in the first story. ‘House of Metallo’ is written by Phillip K. Johnson, with art by Rafa Sandoval, colors by Matt Herms, and letters by Dave Sharpe. After the Super Family pulled together to usher in the new Steelworks, a newly powered Metallo (forced back into service by Lex Luthor) attacks, easily taking down Connor Kent, Superboy.

So Superman goes on a hard offensive and finds Metallo is more than a match for him, even with Supes’ boosted power levels. Just when you thought an even more powerful Man of Steel would make life dreary, think again. The villains have upped their game and their cunning.

This is one fun fight Sandoval lays out, and Herms brightens. It’s vivid and powerful. Both heroes and villains look amazing, and it’s cool to see super-breath play a significant role. But the best part of this is the background that deepens Metallo, points to bigger things going on behind the scenes, and the villain himself not only being pushed but learning how to improvise and become a larger threat. Metallo is no longer Class B. He’s leveled up in more than just power, and he’s frightening. Glad Johnson dusted him off and made him A-league. It will be something seeing the Family tackle this and the Blue Earth movement that hates the Warworld refugees. Action is hot and lives up to its title. The Super Family is fabulous; a real family played for drama and comedy. Grab this title. Seize this issue.

Action Comics #1052 moves into its second story, the second part of ‘Home Aga,’ focusing on young Jon Kent on the Kent farm. Jon has encountered an alien woman trying to find Superman, whom she assumes is the king of the Earth. That alone is funny. But Jon handles it like a kid, full of zip and confidence, eager to help…and overdo it. Great to see writer Dan Jurgens let Jon be the hero and foil due to his inexperience. Lee Weeks’ pencils astonish me. The characters are so realistic the story feels like non-fiction in the best way. Breitweiser complements this with a realism of colors (the lighting on the faces is heavenly), and Leigh excels in efficiency in letters. A beautiful, fun tale is told here. If you missed it the first time, get this issue.

Surprise. A third story, ‘Head Like A Whole, Part Two,’ again shows us the new heroine, Omega, and Power Girl opening the doors to their telepathic therapy office to superheroes. This month’s guest: Supergirl. Leah Williams writes an amazing tale of two women who are technically the same (Power Girl is an other-dimensional Supergirl, in case you didn’t know) but are a multiverse apart once PG enters Supergirl’s crystalline mind. This is a rousing tale of understanding someone else and handling insecurities. I can go on forever about Marguerite Sauvage’s light, majestic art, and color choices. The style that needs its own book and more pages, accented by Becca Carey’s attention to detail in letters. Good thing that Power Girl one-shot is coming down the road.

You get three flawless stories in one classic comic book, folks. If you still believe that Superman is dull and his adventures can’t challenge him, please get out of the 80s and step into the current run of Action Comics. Multiple members of the Super Family are getting attention, and Metallo is a force to be reckoned with. And there’s still plenty of mystery about Warowout, not to mention Luthor. So for the third time, if you want big storylines, great characterization, and bold villainy, get this issue.

Action Comics #1052 is available now wherever comic books are sold.