ACTION COMICS #893

Review by: TheNextChampion

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Written by PAUL CORNELL
Co-feature written by NICK SPENCER
Art by SEAN CHEN
Co-feature art by R.B. SILVA
Cover by DAVID FINCH & RICHARD FRIEND

Size: 40 pages
Price: 3.99

Okay long story short:

When I first heard Paul Cornell was doing Action Comics I was excited. But not excited enough to try in issues. Maybe it was because I cared a bit more about JMS’s Superman series before this (and look where that has lead me…) but mostly because I am not a fan of Pete Woods. Nothing against him personally but his pencils during ‘World of New Krypton’ were absolutely atrocious. So after a couple of months I couldn’t take much more of the raving this series get. That and this site also showed a few panels in articles to show how much fun this is. So this week I have bought the three previous issues of Paul Cornell’s run and bought this most recent issue. For the issues before this I have to say the series is a lot of fun in both craziness and an interesting plot. Even Pete Woods pencils are seriously improved for this series. As for this issue though:

This issue sealed the deal for me on just how much I love this series now. Having Lex Luthor the focus on this series was the right choice from the start. Paul Cornell can handle Luthor’s many personalities. From being a calm and calculating villain, to being absolutely crazy, or to even show some of his ‘humor’; Cornell can just balance him so perfectly. But it is also the supporting characters that make this series work. Android Lois just gives me the god damn creeps as she continues to be seductive in this issue. That and Luthor’s nameless henchmen are a blast to read too. It seems like Cornell just knows how to write a group of people so well by balancing their dailouge without making one feel like they are over shadowing others. Cornell also delivers more of the crazy with this issue with Gorilla Grodd. The moment he starts to unload on a brain just made me laugh out loud. It is just so ridiculous the moment Grodd does that and from that point out I knew I was going to love this issue.

Now Pete Woods isn’t in for this issue; instead we get Sean Chen to fill in. Even though Wood’s was starting to grow on me a bit from previous issues; I do have to say Chen is a bit of an improvement. While Woods have always seemed to have a bit of trouble with anatomy and panel layouts; here Chen can almost do no wrong. The action sequences are smooth and nothing is ever confusing. He is also good with the faces, and while it probably isn’t hard to draw Lex Luthor; this is probably some of the best Lois Lane I’ve seen in a Sups comic. It’s a shame that Chen isn’t going to be on for the time being (at least that what it looks like) because his style really works well for this series.

To round up the issue at hand I have to address the elephant in the room. This issue starts the highly anticipated Jimmy Olsen back up. While it is great to see Jimmy Olsen again doing his thing; I have to say it isn’t as exciting as I hoped it would be. It starts off strong enough with Olsen trapped with an evil space genie. Nick Spencer does a good job making Olsen feel more adult then he should be but also show how much of a kid he is. I gotta tell the truth that the conversation with him and Chole on his lazy life after Sups left reminded a lot like me. Just sitting away playing video games…..Afterwords though the stuff with us being introduced to his foil got boring to me after awhile. Just nothing stood out and if it was more of just Olsen at his apartment then I would like it more. RB Silva’s artwork though is pretty good throughout, with his simplistic character designs and his unqiue panel layouts. The beginning with the genie stood out because some of the panels looked like Middle Eastern towers and the action spf resembled a lamp. It’s a good start for Spencer/Silva on this backup; but overall it could’ve been a lot better.

So yeah, this was pretty much a fantastic issue as always by Cornell. It’s crazy and downright diaobolical at the same time. Having Sean Chen reminded me on just how fantastic this series could even more (more so) if Woods wasn’t the main penciller. The backup was also entertaining (if somewhat flawed) and it is fun to see Jimmy Olsen back as the silly side character. If there is any reason, like I did, that you haven’t read this run yet. Then go out and pick up every issue by Cornell now! Trust me this is a series you are going to love for a very long time.

Feature comic: 5/5

Back Up: 4/5

Overall: 4.5/5

Story: 5 - Excellent
Art: 5 - Excellent

Comments

  1. Was interesting to me how Lois was self-aware of being an android, would’ve been a little more interesting to me if not.  Lex having a Lois android is a brilliant concept as part of Lex’s whole obsession and fixation on everything Superman, the kind of psychopathology that’s leads him to making one is compelling.  She does seem more coy and seductive than the real Lois would be, I’m sure a perk for Lex having full control of her programming.

    Yea, thought the Olson part was boring as well. 

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