Because one Superman or Earth isn't enough, Gran Morrison gives us a closer look at a different Superman.

The Good

I'm a little torn over the concept of this issue. The idea and acknowledgement to other existing "Earths" is an interesting idea. Getting to see more of the "Black Superman" that we last saw in FINAL CRISIS raises some questions and let's us get the chance to explore more of his world. The idea of Superman being the President of the United States in his secret identity is a fascinating one and has been lightly touched on in past stories. Now we get the chance to see it play out a little more.

Not only do we get to see this Earth's Superman but also the Lex Luthor as well. The idea of alternate Earths opens the door to allowing anything to happen. Characters can be maimed or killed and there's just the freedom to explore areas writers are unable to in the normal continuity.

Gene Ha's art works here in creating a vibe to set this world apart from the regular DC Universe. Seeing his interpretations of each character makes you want to turn each page to see who's going to appear next.

The Bad

Part of me wants to believe there's a reason we're getting this little detour from the regular Superman story. Next issue begins a three part arc but it just feels like we're getting an Elsworlds filler issue. We may see elements from this story later on but there isn't really any indication of it. It was an interesting story but it just failed to blow me away.

The backup story by Sholly Fisch and Cully Hamner delved more into the life of this Superman but again, it didn't really offer anything that made me jump up and down for joy. The $3.99 price point is a concern for many and unless this will play into a bigger story later, it's almost hard to justify having this as part of the main ACTON COMICS series.

The Verdict

Reading ACTION COMICS is getting to feel like riding a roller coaster. Some issues are highs (and great to read) while others dip down a bit. This is one of the dips. Having an issue focused on the Superman from Earth 23 is interesting and gives us a chance to see more of the character Grant introduced during FINAL CRISIS. While the story is nice to see, Superman as President, it feels like a filler issue. Have we come to expect too much from Grant Morrison these days or is there just something I'm absolutely missing here? This issue was fun at times and a curious read. It just didn't feel like it fit in as an entire issue of ACTION COMICS.