Action Comics #1054
The Superman family battles Metallo, Jon finds himself in over his head, and Steel encounters a new enemy in Action Comics #1054, by writers Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Dan Jurgens, and Dorado Quick, artists Max Raynor, Dan Jurgens, and Yasmin Flores Montanez, inker Norm Rapmund, colorists Matt Herms, Elizabeth Breitweiser, and Brad Anderson, and letterers Dave Sharpe and Rob Leigh. The stories soldier on, each of them entertaining in their own way.
Osul and Jon confront Otho, who tells them that she stopped an attack by the man she “killed.” However, it’s revealed that the man isn’t a man at all, but one of Metallo’s drones. Several more drones attack, and Metallo shows up, kidnapping Osul and Otho before Superman can get there to stop him. They search the city and find them, and it ends with a battle Superman wins because of his new powers. He then promises to help Metallo find his sister, saying they can work together. Elsewhere, the captor of Metallo’s sister prepares for the next phase in his plan. In the second story, Jon wakes at the crash site with Glyanna, his powers weakened. The two walk away from the crash as Glyanna asks when Superman will find them, as Superman battles against Doombreaker on Earth. A Killamek attacks the pair, but Jon is surprised to learn that it’s under Glyanna’s control, and she’s been looking to use him all along. In the third story, John Henry Irons finds himself in battle with Amalgam before the opening of Steelworks. It’s touch and go, but he pulls through and makes it to the Steelworks press conference. Meanwhile, a new enemy watches him, planning his next sinister move.
So, the loss of the Power Girl story is a blow, but seeing as she’s getting a one-shot and series because of it, readers have won. The main story is very well done, but that’s to be expected from Johnson’s Superman run by now. Seeing Superman use more of his new powers to beat Metallo is great, reminding readers that although they’re getting a Superman renaissance, they don’t know everything about the character’s new status quo yet. As usual, Johnson gives readers an awesome Superman moment, as he beats Metallo and then promises to help him find his sister. The reveal of the villain behind it all is so cool. It’s not a character anyone would have guessed, but their place in the Superman mythos makes this twist make so much sense.
The second story with Jon and Glyanna is a little better than it was before. Readers finally get to see why Glyanna really came to Earth. While her turning on Jon is a bit cliche, this story was either going to be a good space princess or a bad space princess story, and the latter is more interesting. Superman is still fighting Doombreaker, but it’s obvious he’s only doing so to keep Superman away from Jon because it doesn’t really feel important. The Steel story is pretty cool. The third story always gets a bit shortchanged on page space, but this is a good story for anyone who doesn’t really know Steel’s deal while also working for longtime fans of the character.
Raynor’s art in the first story is really wonderful. He and Herms work well together; while Sandoval’s art was fine, it got weak at times. Raynor’s doesn’t at all. Jurgens takes over for Weeks in the second story, inked by Norm Rapmund. Rapmund’s inks make Jurgens’s linework stronger, and it looks better than it usually does. Jurgens’s old-school style makes the story look fantastic, and Breitweiser’s colors are bright and vibrant. Flores Montanez’s art is basic, but it still captures the power and emotion of the story. Anderson’s colors make it all sing.
Action Comics #1054 delivers with all three stories. The main story is the winner this month, but the third is a pretty good replacement for a Power Girl short. The second story has taken a nice twist, even if there are still some problems with it. Action Comics has been amazing for ages now, and this issue keeps that up.