Action Comics #857
Writers: Geoff Johns & Richard DonnerArtist: Eric Powell
This issue was a little better and took me longer than 10 minutes to read. It may even warrant a re-read later on, but the first two books certainly didn't. This issue, like the last, is an all-out battle on Bizzarro World. Superman is trying to get Pa Kent off Bizarro World after he had been kidnapped by Bizzaro (Don't ask). The Bizzaro JLA show up, but only for 5 pages. The rest of the issue focuses on how the rather cool way that Superman makes Bizarro a hero on his own world. Bizzaro was hated by Bizarro world (dont' ask), so he wanted to destroy it, but here Superman helps him save it, but only after Pa Kent has to goad him to. This issue also features the debut of Superman-vision (don't ask) which I hope never makes an appearance again. Eric Powell finishes out this arc, and it's nice to see that there is an artist out there on a Superman book who can finish an arc without it being finished in the Annual. Carlos Pacheco I'm looking at you, as well as one of them Kuberts. Powell's art really only works for this type of an arc. I think if he were to do a non-Bizarro Superman story a lot of it would fall flat. He has all the energy that is needed for Superman, the iconic poses and all that, but he's certainly suited for stranger stories. Bring on Gary Frank next issue, which I think comes out next week? Won't that be great. It looks like DC is trying to win us back from this book's lateness more recently. C+
