Action Comics #1028
Bendis wraps up his Superman run in Action Comics #1028, by writer Brian Michael Bendis, artist John Romita Jr., inker Klaus Janson, colorist Brad Anderson, and letterer Dave Sharpe. This issue is a nice, quiet affair, tying up some of the loose ends of Bendis's run and serving as a nice goodbye from Bendis to the Man of Steel.
Jimmy Olsen reveals how he had the money to buy the Daily Planet- his family is related to the Luthor family, and half of Lex's fortune is his. He hands creative control over to Perry White as Superman, Supergirl, and the Superboys are called to the Hall of Justice. They give the Superfamily the results of their tests on Conner- he is a clone, he'll live a long life, but he may lose his powers one day. Superman and company bring him to the Kent farm, where Ma and Pa take him in again. Supergirl leaves, and Superman and Jon decide to have a day of just helping the people of Metropolis, helping Batman and Robin foil the Penguin, and buying tacos. Jon returns to the future, and Superman and Lois go to a meeting at the Daily Planet. There's a crisis in Kahndaq, and Superman goes to resolve it. All is right in the world.
This is a classic Bendis comic but in the best possible way. There's no action at all, just a lot of beloved characters talking. Often times, this is a very bad thing, but in this issue, it's perfect. This is the denouement of Bendis's run, the falling action. The big fight to end his run was over in Superman. This issue is all about setting things to rights, cleaning up, and saying goodbye. Bendis nails this. He doesn't leave any lingering plot threads; he never really reveals why Superman doesn't remember Conner, but other people do, but that feels like something he'll resolve in his own books.
He's basically wiping everything down, mopping the floor, and putting the chairs on the table, and he does an excellent job. The book's two biggest highlights are the moments at the Kent farm between Conner and Superman and the conversation between Superman and Jon as they do their good deeds. While Bendis got a lot of flack for breaking up the Superman family early in his run, these two moments show just how good Bendis is at showing Superman interacting with family members. It's moments like these that make a reader wonder exactly what could have been and show just how good Bendis is at writing the Man of Steel.
John Romita Jr.'s art has its ups and downs. On the long shots or panels where there are a lot of characters in the frame, the detail suffers. In other shots, close-ups, and when there are fewer characters around, the art looks pretty great. Basically, this is pretty standard latter-day Romita Jr. art.
Action Comics #1028 puts the capstone on Bendis's run, and it's pretty wonderful. This isn't an action extravaganza. It's just a bunch of very well done character moments. It's a great goodbye from Bendis to Superman and his cast. Romita Jr.'s art is a bit uneven. It isn't bad, but it's great in the places where it needs to be. This is a great send-off for Superman.
Grade: A
