Review – Action Comics #982 (DC Comics)

Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Dan Jurgens
Pencils: Jack Herbert, Jose Luis
Colours: Hi-Fi
Inks: Jack Herbert, Ray McCarthy
Letters: Rob Leigh
Release Date: 28th June 2017

With Clark still reeling from his time in the black vault and the loss of his sight, his enemies finally reveal their plan and make their move. Never before has such a force been assembled with one common goal, and it could well spell the end for Superman as he runs out of time.

Dan Jurgens finally plays his hand and brings us one of the most interesting twists in this story so far. All too often in these kind of situations, we are left with a simple question – if Superman/Batman etc. are facing such terrible odds why not call in the Justice League for backup? Well, we finally get something of an answer to that question here, confirming something merely hinted at last issue and it left me we the biggest smile on my face.

Of course all this would be pointless if not for the writing of our band of villains. It would have been all too easy to have them just team up and attack Superman but this story is far better than that. We have a fragile alliance between some of the most powerful beings in the DCU that could potentially collapse at any time. They are not happy to be working together, they don’t trust each other and they all believe themselves to be smarter than their comrades. Watching them squabble and bicker is definitely one of the highlights and adds so much to the believability of the situation.

Jack Herbert and Jose Luis are on pencils this month and have a mammoth task ahead of them. That said, I am happy to report that they more than rise to the challenge, providing us not only with some brutal action sequences, but also with those bombastic super hero pose scenes we all know and love. Watching Zod and his team beat on Superman whilst he is unable to fight back is a little uncomfortable, but is ultimately necessary for the final panel to really have its maximum impact.

Hi-Fi breathes life into an already visually stunning issue and gives each connection in the battle sequence a true sense of impact. The explosions carry a sense of heat whilst the crimson eye lasers are on full display searing through the pages threatening to rip them asunder. The final panel carries additional weight because of its vibrancy and suitably helps it become the best page of the entire book.

Jurgens and his team have been building to this moment for a long time and it is great to feel the intended impact and know that next month’s issue will be truly phenomenal because of it. The post-Rebirth series has always been a steady title, but this arc has been one of the best yet bringing together so much of the classic ‘Superman feel’ that was sorely missing from the New 52.

It’s great to see both Superman books being so well presented and really making the Man of Steel relevant again. An easy recommendation for those looking for a series that lives up to its name, as ‘Action Comics’ is a great way to describe the story contained within these pages.

Rating: 5/5.

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