If you asked me what makes Superman an interesting character, I’d say: “He makes you want to be better.” It’s a trope that’s been explored through various characters – John Henry Irons became Steel to prove that Superman saving his life meant something, Dick Grayson became Nightwing partly because of his influence, and his son Jon even tried to fill his shoes. Action Comics #1082 asks the question: “what happens when you want to be better…and it isn’t enough?”
Part one of “Force Majeure” kicks off when Superman encounters Major Disaster, a former villain he encouraged to go straight way back in Action Comics #783. But something caused Disaster to slip back into the path of villainy, and Superman tries to get to the bottom of it as Clark Kent. In the process, he discusses with Lois Lane – and other reformed supervillains – how much of a struggle it is to do, and keep doing good.
On the surface, this is a genuinely interesting premise, and it’s one that the incoming creative team of John Ridley and Inaki Miranda explore in earnest. Most of the times when a supervillain turns to the side of the angels, it’s rare that they stay there. One former villain, Scorch, even compares living a normal life to quitting smoking (which takes on an extra bit of irony as she’s pyrokinetic and smokes).
DC
Another thing that makes Action Comics #1082 stand out from the usual Superman story is that Ridley opts to keep most of the focus on Clark Kent; Superman only appears in the opening pages to confront Major Disaster. While this is admirable, it leads to a discussion between Clark and Lois that’s practically dripping in angst. It’s one thing for Superman to feel empathy, it’s another for him to get completely bogged down by it.
I also remain at a crossroads when it comes to Miranda’s art. The opening page is a pure Superman moment: the Man of Steel is shown soaring right at the reader, grabbing a chunk of concrete that would have obliterated an incoming police cruiser. Not only does it feel big and immediately grab your attention, but it’s beautifully colored. Eva De La Cruz doesn’t take any half measures when it comes to colors – Metropolis feels like a golden ray of sunlight shaped into a city, while the Stryker’s Island prison is awash in cold blue light, adding a sense of claustrophobia.
The rest of the artwork isn’t as consistent. Faces rarely remain the same, or share the same facial expression – and I don’t mean “sharing a similar emotion”, I mean sharing the exact same face, even if it’s a different person. It took me out of reading the comic at some points, but there is some strong line work here and Miranda does take the time to showcase how differently Superman acts when he’s in hero mode or in Clark Kent mode.
Action Comics #1082 is a slow, but promising start to a story that takes a look at Superman’s power to inspire – and more specifically, its potential limits. Time will tell if this story can live up to its potential.
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