“The Fire of Rao sprang to life inside Red Son’s cheat, saving not only the lives of his tribes, but his sister’s as well.”
The beginning of the end.
Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s tenure on Action Comics is slowly coming to its end with Action Comics 2023 Annual releasing later this December. With that in mind, it becomes clear that the need to stick landings and spark new beginnings are eminent, and Johnson and co. have been tasked with setting up this new age. On Johnson’s end, we see the fourth part of his storyline with various other artists, “New Worlds, Part Four”, continue on with revelations and a twinge of parental terror as Superman and John Constantine look for Clark’s daughter, Otho-Ra, who was kidnapped in the previous installment.
Something to note about this installment is that Johnson works with three different comic artists for this one singular story due to the large scope of the story. Due to this, however, the largest strength of this installment is not the script, despite its strong writing, but the various creative interpretations of these characters and their environments. When Eddy Barrows takes control of the art, you can feel the weight of his horror-inspired designs and worldview, and when Eber Ferreira takes control there is a striking visual style that takes over his short panel time as does Fico Ossio With his striking Vertigo-like art style with sharp inks and facial features. Johnson uses the artists at his disposal well and creates a natural progression between artists that flows beautifully with the overarching tale.
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However, the largest problem of this fourth chapter lies with the underlying themes of the story becoming somewhat jumbled as they take a shift from a political lens to a mystical reality. The inclusion of John Constantine is both a benefit and fault to the story as John’s punk history allows for a strong anarchist lens to the current happenings around Metropolis and the rest of America, yet falls short for light gags and explanation to the reader and Superman just how magic works. At least, though, Johnson manages to deliver a continuation off of Action Comics Special: King Doomsday as we see a new teaser for the upcoming 2023 Annual. Altogether, “New Worlds, Part Four” is a strong but shaky start to the end. However, I have faith Johnson can end his tenure in style.
“Precog versus Precog”
On the other end of the spectrum, Nicole Maines, Steve Orlando, and Fico Ossio continue their Beast World: Metropolis story with “Squad Dreams” and subsequently plants the seeds for Maines and Orlando’s upcoming Suicide Squad miniseries. Unfortunately, the seeds being planted aren’t as strong as they could’ve been as the story finds itself trapped within the binds of the larger Beast World event. Maines and Orlando have strong concepts ready for Nia Nal but it’s hard to feel intrigued by the series’ setup knowing that the character is, once again, a product of an event within the universe. Thankfully, Bad Dream and Suicide Squad: Dream Team have the potential to show the character off in a non-event function.
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I feel like Nicole Maines has done her best with the character. Making new characters or adapting TV characters (one that happens to be tied to one of tied to a team DC hasn’t thought much about in a while) to comics takes a lot of work and dedication, so ultimately the wish is for Dreamer to stay around long and take lead on stories that aren’t tied to events. I have hope she can do that with the help of Waid and Orlando, but this installment into her larger story doesn’t add much aside from teasers and Doctor Hate’s really buff design. Thankfully, Fico Ossio’s heavy art style takes center stage as we see his interpretations of Dreamer and her abilities in a striking manner.
“Do not speak to me of ‘unity,’ Coluan. That is an abstract concept, at best.”
To me, one of the strongest entries in Action Comics #1060 has to do with the return of Joe Casey’s work at DC with the teaser to his upcoming series Kneel Before Zod with artist Dan McDaid. To say “Past is Prologue” was a strong example of Casey and McDaid’s abilities together would be an understatement. Casey focuses his attention to setting up the larger world-building of New Kandor and Zod’s political reign. Casey’s Zod is terrifying; he walks around as a grand political leader who can cut you down if you dared to speak out against him and the United Planets find themselves at the mercy of him as we see the rumblings of war in the distance. It’s a breath of fresh air to see the character put back into a diplomatic position; most times, we see Zod he is portrayed in more of a brute force manner as he declares himself the better to Superman and Supergirl.
DC
Zod, at his core, functions as a military general. One that isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty for the sake of his country/planet, which leads to striking scenes of horror as readers could witness Zod do the worst so he can live peacefully in his own eyes. The complexity of his character is shown brilliantly in this teaser alone.
Dan McDaid’s art is perfect here. His style fits the world of New Kandor brilliantly as McDaid uses his heavy ink style to show off the technological advances that Zod’s planet has to offer while having stylistic nods back to classic Superman and Legion of Super-Heroes comic books. McDaid’s Zod is also a striking figure on the page with his Kryptonian armor and a face that felt inspired from Zod’s appearance in 1980’s Superman 2. He presents a brilliant mix of new and old with this world and its atmosphere that is addicting to digest. Casey and McDaid have a strong miniseries lined up in January.
Altogether, while Action Comics #1060 has strong stories and setups, it falls short in tone and emotion at times, but carries itself with strong art and promises of the future. I have no doubt in my mind that Johnson and co. can nail the ending of his Superman saga with Action Comics 2023 Annual. I also can’t wait for what Nicole Maines and Steve Orlando have in store for Dreamer. As for Joe Casey and Dan McDaid, their tenure on Zod begins soon and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
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