Action Comics #1036
Superman and the Authority take the fight to Warworld in Action Comics #1036, by writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson, artist Daniel Sampere, colorist Adriano Lucas, and letterer Dave Sharpe. In the backup, by writer Sean Lewis, artist Sami Basri, colorist HI-FI, and letterer Dave Sharpe, Guardian figures out a way to find Dismember. Both stories work beautifully, making this issue of Action Comics yet another great one-two punch of entertainment.
The main story begins on Durlan as the former first Premiere writes to his people about living to lead the UP. He’s approached by an aide who tells him that Superman is going to Warworld to battle Mongul on behalf of Phaelosians. The Durlan freaks out and tells the aide not to tell anyone about it. Superman and the Authority make it to Warworld. They find a message for Superman, one written in bodies, and they are approached by a hologram of the being Superman last saw in Mongul’s throne room, who tells them about the culture of Warworld. They make their way to the arena, where Superman speaks to the people gathered about how he’s going to free them. He is interrupted by Chaytil, who introduces them to Mongul’s champions before the man himself makes an appearance to tell Superman he will be dead soon. In the backup, Guardian suspects that Julian is behind the whole thing with Dismember. He gets the teen to send him in and fights Dismember, using the EMP to hurt the cyber being and revealing Julian. He’s able to convince him to let the other kids go, and later Jimmy Olsen tells him there’s more cases out there for Guardian to help with.
Johnson has been building up to “The Warworld Saga” since his first Superman comic, and he delivers with this issue. From the beginning of the book, with the Durlan reacting to the existence of the Phaelosians to the whole thing on Warworld, this comic is a great beginning to the story. There’s a lot of interesting little things in this book, from the mysterious stranger’s history lesson about Warworld and the chains they wear to way Johnson casually lets drop how there were multiple Monguls who have fought Superman and a lore reason for it. There are some cliches, like Mongul staking out a bunch of dead to lead Superman to him, but it works perfectly for this story and who readers know Mongul to be.
The most interesting thing about the issue is how it plays off Morrison’s Superman And The Authority. While Johnson had set up Superman was weakening, Morrison showed exactly how much, and this issue plays into that in a way none of Johnson’s others have. Superman and Black have a way around it, but Mongul also knows about it. While readers saw Mongul watching Superman, the fact that he’s so successfully bugged the Man of Steel makes this version of Mongul even scarier than any other. Plus, the beginning with the Durlan’s reaction to the Phaelosians and hiding Superman’s mission from the rest of the UP? Gold. The backup is pretty great as well. Lewis tells a compact story that’s exciting and fast-paced. This backup series, with Olsen and the Metropolis B-listers, keeps getting better and better, and the way this one ends keeps it open.
The art on both the main story and the backup are top-notch. Sampere continually knocks it out of the park with every panel. Things are out on a great foot from the opening scenes with the Durlan start, and things keep getting better. Lucas deserves props for his coloring on Warworld. The oranges of the world gives the whole thing an ominous feel. In the backup, Basri keeps impressing as he has the whole time he’s been on these backups. His linework is clean and detailed, everything looks great, and his pencils really make the story work.
Action Comics #1036 is just an all-around entertaining comic. “The Warworld Saga” is shaping up to be something special if this beginning is any indication, and the backup remains just plain fun. It would be great if DC just put out a Metropolis book based around them. This comic is more bang for the superhero buck.