Superman: Action Comics #1087 – Mark Waid, Writer; Skylar Partridge, Artist; Ivan Plascencia, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Superman is going through a golden age right now, with some of the best books the character has had in recent memory. That includes Mark Waid, finally doing an ongoing run – but he’s not writing Superman, per se. He’s writing Superboy, taking us back to the Silver Age and putting Clark Kent’s earliest years in costume back into continuity. That’s always a dicey prospect, as the tone of the comics has changed so much since then, but if anyone’s up to the task, it’s Waid. And this first issue is extremely promising – picking up on Clark’s fifteenth birthday, as Ma and Pa Kent take him to Metropolis to visit a expo of the future he’s been dreaming about. This issue is full of fantastic characterization for everyone involved – from the way Pa Kent has been teaching Clark how to be a hero with lessons about the JSA, to the way Superman is now bringing the expo back to the modern day with the help of Mayor White.
This is set when Clark hasn’t made his superhero debut yet, but is itching to try out his new costume. It’s rare to see the Kents act like actual parents instead of idealized figures, but so many scenes in this issue will be highly relatable to moms and dads. Naturally, the expo gets interrupted by a new villain named Raze, giving Clark the opportunity to test out his powers – but the combat turns out to be harsher than he expected, giving him a rough lesson in the real stakes of being a superhero. There are some big surprises at the end of the issue, with one antagonist making a very early appearance and another possibly new villain throwing Clark’s early years for a complete loop. This might be a flashback story, but it feels like an iconic Superman story in the making, one that perfectly sums up what makes him a hero and gives us new insight into how he became the man we know today.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
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