Strong Enough
This review was originally posted on my website Imagination Centre (here).
I have been looking forward to the release of this issue for some time now, as with Greg Pak taking over writing duties I expect the series to sore back to the amazing quality it was when it started. Also the fact that it's a Zero Year tie-in has me even more excited.
Plot
After dealing with a group called the Supremacists, Superman heads to Gotham City to try and stop a storm.
Review
This was an astonishing issue and a brilliant start to Greg Pak's run on this series. Pak would do a great job of showing the young Superman, but what I loved most was that he had a slightly different tone compared to the Batman/Superman version that Pak has been writing, showing that it is the actions around him that affected his attitude in his younger years. I also loved how Pak managed to tie this in with the Zero Year story that's happening in Batman, as although there was a while I was thinking that this was a unnecessary tie-in, Pak would eventually manage to tie it in very nicely, making it feel slightly more connected the the events of Zero Year.
The artwork on this issue would also be amazing, as although Aaron Kuder isn't the best artist to feature on this series, his art is still outstanding. The detail in Kuder's art would be very consistent, as although it wasn't spectacular, there weren't many imperfections. What I loved most about Kuder's artwork in this issue had to be the layouts, as although the ones from the preview pages are still the most exciting, the rest would also be very dynamic and unique The action in this issue would also be handled perfectly, and although you'd think that Superman beating baddies would be the most exciting part, it would turn out to be Superman's battle with the storm that would steal the show, and Kuder did an excellent job.
Not to far into this issue Superman would face a group called the Supremacists who have a plan that involves human sacrifice and fifth dimensional plasma gods. Now the group itself wasn't extremely interesting, but the fight between them and Superman was outstanding, being extremely exciting and entertaining. I also enjoyed how hard this fight was for Superman, as although it would prove to be relatively easy, he'd use more effort than he would've if it had taken place in the present day, with this showing just how far his strength has progressed over the years.
The main part of this issue however would see Superman try and stop a storm in Gotham City. Now you could easily say that this is a relatively coincidental way of making this story a tie-in to Zero Year, but the development itself would make the story not just a justifiable tie-in (even if unnecessary) but an exciting story in it's own right. I also loved the concept itself of Superman going up against the elements, and testing his abilities to the max. On top of that it would also be interesting to see just how naive this young Superman is, as it would make it much more interesting, and would show just how much he's progressed over the years.
This issue would also feature Lana Lang, in both the main story and the back-up story. Now I won't go into too much detail about Lana's appearance as to avoid spoilers, but I will say what I though of her appearance, as well as the possibility of her being a regular feature in the series. First off the interaction between Lana and Clark at the start of the issue would be very interesting, as although it wasn't anything spectacular it would give a building point for her appearance in the issue as a whole. I also like the idea of her becoming a regular feature in the series, even if it's only in small back-up stories, though if she does become a regular addition we'll need to see some interaction between her and Clark in the present.
Final Verdict
This was an outstanding start for Greg Pak who has once again proven just how well he knows the Superman character, producing an amazing story in the process. The issue would be exciting and suspenseful, also having a lot of depth. It would also be very dramatic and overall is the kind of Superman story that Action Comics deserves. Due to this I'd highly recommend this issue as it's a great opportunity for new fans and old to get into Superman.
