Action Comics #1017 // Review
With the Legion Of Doom, Leviathan, and the Invisible Mafia arrayed against him, Superman has his hands full in Action Comics #1017, by writer Brian Michael Bendis, artist John Romita Jr, inker Klaus Janson, colorist Brad Anderson, and letterer Dave Sharpe. Bendis is bringing his plots together in this issue, and it’s pretty good, but it does suffer from a Bendis-ism or two.
The story opens a day in the future with Metropolis in flames. Superman and the Justice League have been defeated by the Legion Of Doom. Superman offers his complete surrender, but Luthor doesn’t want that. Instead, he declares to Superman what he wants. A day earlier, Clark is interviewing Ms. Leone, the new owner of the Daily Planet and secret leader of the Invisible Mafia. As they are talking, a fiery mass streak by, and suddenly Superman is flying after it. He breaches the fire and is sent to Gorilla City, where he is attacked by guards before escaping and returning to the newsroom, where he begins a story… just as the Ace Club explodes. Later in the night, Superman and Lois talk out the events of the day, realizing that he was teleported by Leviathan tech for so the group could attack the Invisible Mafia, and they come to a reason why they would try that- Luthor. A day in the future, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman get ready to face down the full power of the Legion Of Doom.
Bendis hits the reader with a surprise right off the bat, opening with Batman in his Justice Buster armor and Superman beaten. Metropolis is in ruins around them, and the Legion Of Doom is lording over the heroes. It’s a grand opening, immediately making readers ask questions that they NEED answers to. This storyline feels like it’s the culmination of most of the plots Bendis has laid out in Action Comics lately, pitting Leviathan and the Invisible Mafia against each other, while showing the Legion Of Doom standing triumphant over the heroes. As far as it goes, this is a near-perfect way to open a storyline and get readers hooked.
That said, showing readers that the Legion Of Doom has triumphed in just one day feels like this story is going to sell the Leviathan vs. Invisible Mafia short. Of course, that whole thing could be a Legion Of Doom ruse, a misdirect for readers, so they think one thing about the story when it’s really other. This being a Bendis comic, there’s a lot of talking, some of it not exactly crucial to the plot. Like Clark interviewing Ms. Leone, and it skips on the action to instead have Superman describe what happened instead of showing it, like when Superman tells Lois about what happened in Gorilla City. These are common Bendis-isms and don’t detract from the story very much, they’re just kind of annoying.
John Romita Jr.’s art is hit or miss. Over the years, there have been instances where it lacks detail and polish in places. Here, it’s facial detail. There are a lot of places where the facial details are nonexistent. There are also places where his pencils are gorgeous- the splash page showing Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman surrounded by the Legion Of Doom is terrific, wonderfully detailed, capturing the scope of the devastation. The art hits more than misses, and that’s important.
Action Comics #1017 is such a great way to open a new story arc. Bendis grabs readers right away, making them anticipate how things got the way they are and keep turning the pages. There are a few Bendis-isms in the book, but they don’t hurt the story as much as they could. The art has a few problems, but for the most part, is pretty good. Small critiques aside, this is an outstanding issue, and it will definitely keep readers coming back.
