Throughout Action Comics #1094, Mark Waid emphasizes that Clark Kent is stretching himself far too thin as Superboy. On top of his schoolwork, he also takes time to help out the citizens of Smallville with different tasks. Yet the weight of his secret identity is driving an invisible wedge between himself and others, including his friends Lana Lang and Pete Ross. (It also doesn’t help that Lana has a crush on Superboy, meaning Clark has to act jealous of himself.)
That all pales in comparison to the main conflict of the issue, which picks up on a plot thread from Action Comics #1092. In order to prevent Sam Lane from causing damage in Smallville, Clark agreed to help the general – and by extension, the U.S. Army. His first mission has him traveling into the nation of Modera to rescue a special ops unit, alongside Dr. Silas Stone (who DC fans might recognize as the father of Teen Titans member Cyborg). Clark’s foray into the world of military ops opens his eyes to the harsh realities of war and how he’s been running himself ragged.
The idea of a superhero intervening in foreign affairs might hit a little harder than expected, especially given how this year started out. Being a rather skilled writer, Waid takes a page from James Gunn’s Superman and explores why the idea of a superpowered being in a war zone isn’t the advantage one might think it is – especially since Clark is a teenager, and unaccustomed to the field of battle. This hits home when he discovers a soldier’s body and barely has time to process, since he has to help the other soldiers. There’s also the fact that his powers haven’t developed to the level that he has as an adult, meaning that he has to push himself to unknown limits.
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When Clark isn’t dealing with conflicts abroad, he also has to deal with issues at home. Whether it’s his feelings for Lana or his friendship with Pete, Waid’s script does a great job of honing on the fact that Clark’s powers separate him from the rest of the world; it’s a similar approach to what Waid did while writing Superman: Birthright but it hits far harder now that Clark’s a teen. Some of the dialogue feels geared toward setting up future issues, especially a moment surrounding Lana’s father, but for the most part, it’s engaging and well-crafted.
Once again, Skylar Patridge steps aside, letting new artist Patricio Delpeche take the reins. Delpeche captures the chaos of war, illustrating a shadowy background punctuated by white hot bursts of gunfire; his color work helps set the mood, whether it’s the war-torn rubble of Modera or the sun-soaked plains of Smallville. In the biggest departure from a typical Superman story, Delpeche has Clark wearing black-and-blue riot gear with a Superman shield on one of the pockets. It looks like something you’d pitch for a “grounded” Superman reboot, but it fits the darker tone of this story.
Action Comics #1094 takes a surprisingly emotional turn, as Clark Kent grapples with the harsh realities of war. Waid’s run has taken some surprising swings, but this issue might be one of the biggest – especially with the way it ends.
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