Action Comics #844-845

DC Comics

Writers: Richard Donner, Geoff Johns

Artist: Adam Kubert

Colorist: Dave Stewart

The headline doesn’t refer to the comic, it refers to my ego. Today, for the first time, I did something I never thought I would do…I bought…a new issue of a Superman title. I’ve never been a fan of big blue. He’s too boring, too normal, too generic hero-y. But this time, I couldn’t resist, what with Richard Donner as co-writer…

Geoff Johns started his career in Hollywood as Richard Donner’s production assistant, which makes this collaboration an event on multiple levels. Admittedly, the plot isn’t anything new: another Kryptonian appears and is taken away, Superman becomes fiercely defensive of said Kryptonian and adopts them as a family member. It happened with Supergirl, Power Girl, Supergirl II, and in a unique way, with the previous superboy, Connor Kent. This time, however, the adoption is literal—apparently Lois and Clark are going to be mom and dad.

These issues aren’t good because of any innovation in plot, they’re good because Donner’s enthusiasm and director’s eye (and fantastic layouts) have been mixed with Johns’ talent as a writer. The duo crams both issues with enough goings-on that you feel as if you’re watching Richard Donner at his finest—there’s the same breakneck pace in these issues are there is in the original (and best) Lethal Weapon.

Adam Kubert’s art is so good it counts as a guilty pleasure. His backgrounds are meticulously detailed, yet there’s a conscious roughness to his characters. The juxtaposition blends an exuberant love for the medium with a rare intelligence, and makes both issues visually stunning. It takes a talented penciler to make the landscape a character—Cary Nord does it in Conan, Jim Lee did it in X-Men, and Adam Kubert does it here for Metropolis.  

Worth the money? …this is harder than saying “I’m wrong…” Y-…Ye-…Yeeee-eeees. There. I said it. Now leave me with my remaining shred of dignity.