Action Comics #1020
Young Justice joins the fray in Action Comics #1020, by writer Brian Michael Bendis, artist John Romita Jr., inker Klaus Janson, colorist Brad Anderson, and letterer Dave Sharpe. This issue fleshes out more of the battle between Superman and the Legion Of Doom. It’s fun and action-packed.
Before the attack on Metropolis, Young Justice shows up to the Hall of Justice to meet the League. Superman crashes down in front of them, locking down the Hall as the Legion attacks and sounding the call to the League for help. He puts Young Justice to work, having them help evacuate the city. He and Superboy have a conversation, and they come up with a plan. They attack the Legion together, with Superman taking on the Legion of Doom and Superboy pushing their headquarters into the sea. The Justice League shows up the battle begins in earnest. Meanwhile, Leviathan prepares to unleash their true plan.
This issue finally sheds some light on the events of the present time that readers have already seen in this story arc, showing how the battle got to the point it was at. The inclusion of Young Justice seems a bit strange. It’s not strange that they would show up to help- Metropolis being attacked by the Legion of Doom is an all heroes on deck moment. However, the fact they show up coincidentally before the battle began and get to have some time with Superman alone is a bit weird. It kind of seems like Bendis is advertising his other books in this one, sort of like he did when he included Naomi a few issues ago.
That said, it was nice to see Connor and Superman work together again. Superman doesn’t know anything about Connor, but Connor remembers him. However, they still work together, like nothing at all has changed. This issue is full of great action set pieces that keep the whole thing exciting as well. The ending, with Leviathan moving in for the kill, is also pretty great. Again, it sort of feels Bendis doing more advertising of his DC work- he loves to create his own continuity within titles he’s working on while ignoring outside continuity- but it also feels right that Leviathan would try and play Lex and the villains.
John Romita Jr.’s art in this issue proves why he’s one of the most foremost action pencillers in comics. His style may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but there are few artists out there who can capture the Sturm und Drang of a superheroic conflict like him. Beyond that, his character acting is always top-notch, and his attention to detail is second only to guys like George Perez or Phil Jimenez.
Action Comic #1020 goes a long way in redeeming a story that has been all over the place in terms of quality. While it does feel like Bendis is advertising his other titles a bit, it’s nice to see Young Justice interacting with other heroes, especially seeing Superman and Superboy interact again. John Romita Jr.’s art is the icing on the cake, capturing the scope of the massive clash between good and evil. Bendis still has a few more things to clear up in next issue’s conclusion to this story arc, but this issue fills in a lot of the blanks from previous issues and has some great action.
Grade: B
