Superman: Action Comics #1086 – G. Willow Wilson, Writer; Gavin Guidry, Artist; Trish Mulvihill, Colorist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: Superman: Superstars wraps up this month, with Mark Waid and Skylar Partridge taking us back to Smallville for a new era next month. But before that, G. Willow Wilson and Gavin Guidry are giving us a throwback story as Superman heads to the Arctic to take on a villain we haven’t seen in a very long time – the sinister AI Kilg%ore, a killer robot with a deep contempt for humanity but a much more opportunistic approach to things than Brainiac usually has. He’s been attacking the research base Clark Kent is visiting for an assignment, with mind-controlled polar bears leading the charge. And as Superman confronts the villain, Kilg%re tries to get him on board for an unlikely plan – to take advantage of climate change to profit on it, and turn the entire polar region into a new base for the evil robot’s new power base. Well, it’s an original plan, but I can’t say he’s really thought through his recruitment plan much.
This is very much a retro tale, even though it takes place relatively close to modern continuity. That’s partially because of the very campy villain, but it’s also characterization-based – it’s been a long time since we saw a story run so heavily on the trope of Clark Kent as a milquetoast weakling who is disregarded by everyone around him. It’s definitely funny in a few places, and makes it easier for Clark to sneak around unnoticed, but it feels a bit like a relic of the silver age. The dialogue is also a bit oddly casual in places, such as Superman making a snarky comment about rooting for orcas to sink yachts. The old-school style has some fun elements, though – where else could you see mind-controlled orcas taking down the polar ice caps? It’s a fun, quick read, but it doesn’t quite have the ambition of the other Superstars arcs. Still, as someone who grew up during the Triangle Era of Superman comics, it was a lot of fun to see some of these plot threads again.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
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