I
wasn’t terribly impressed with Action Comics Rebirth when I started reading it,
but I am pleased to say it has consistently improved. I wasn’t expecting to
enjoy the latest issue as much as I did. The latest issue demonstrates a
subtlety of Jurgens’ writing that I really appreciate.
I don’t mean
to damn Jurgens with faint praise, but Superman is an iconic character, and
every fan has a slightly different expectation of him. Ask ten different people
and you’ll get ten different versions of the Man of Steel. Trying to please
everyone is an impossible task, and it seems that with every issue, Jurgens is
intent on telling a better story than last time.
In the latest
issue, the trial of Lex Luthor for crimes he has not yet committed comes to a
head, and judgment is pronounced. I won’t spoil it with details as to how he
avoids said judgment, but what follows is a multi-layered scenario that is
slightly less than successful, and reverses the predicament of Superman and Lex
significantly.
We haven’t
seen the artwork of Segovia and Thibert for five issues, when I took issue with
their occassional inconsistency. Apparently a little break has done them good,
as the overall quality of their collective work has elevated.