Action Comics #40 Review

Written by: Greg Pak
Art by: Aaron Kuder
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: March 11, 2015

Is This Issue Bad or Good?

Call it poor timing or a stroke of luck, but the "Horrorville" story ended last month and Greg Pak needed one more issue to get us all to Convergence.  So, what is a writer to do?  Give us a Bizarro story, that's what.  If you're like me, you have a huge smile on your face right now. You know what turned my smile into a full out laugh?  This is the REAL Bizarro and is a backdoor pilot of sorts to his solo June book. Awesome!  That's all well and good, but is it any good...let's find out.

Okay, I want to start by promising that I won't use "Bizarro talk" throughout this review.  I won't say I'm not tempted, I just don't want to annoy you all.  No, "This issue am Horrible" or "The pictures am not pretty".  Again, I promise not to do that.

The issue starts off with a little Action Comics history and reminds everyone that Superman has had it pretty hard lately.  Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it's going to get any better as he heads towards the awesome square Bizarro World.  Everything (especially continuity) went straight out the window and I couldn't be happier.

This issue is chock full of awesome Bizarro characters.  Lois Lane, Metallo, the Injustice League and some real surprises.  It is all so much fun.  While Superman tries hard to understand the Bizarro talk, all hell breaks out around him.  Metallo is the hero/villain of Bizarro World, but really only wants to clean things up.  You see, everyone on Bizarro World keeps making a real mess of things.  They love it (hate it? sorry) that way.

Just when Greg Pak makes the reader think this is a nice story all about accepting everyone in the Universe no matter how bizarre, he twists things up.  In a MAJOR way.  I don't want to spoil it here, but believe me, it ups the volume to eleven.  In fact, I think this is the best use of the Bizarro World concept...Ever!

I would be remiss, though, if I didn't mention the big loss that Action Comics fans will feel after reading this issue.  Superman's glorious beard is gone!  I don't know if this death will stick since in comics, anything can happen, but for now I'm in mourning.  We'll miss you beard...I'll always remember you.

Beard sadness aside, I don't remember having as much fun as I did reading this issue.  Granted, I'm a Superman fan and a huge Bizarro fan, but I dare anyone to read this and not laugh out loud.  To make it better, it's all-ages friendly and I can't think of a better issue to get the non-comic reader in your life interested in our great hobby.

I get to talk about the art now and if I'm already sounding like a gushing fanboy, It's about to get worse.  Arron Kuder outdoes himself here with a perfect looking issue.  If he didn't have fun doing it, he fooled me.  Wil Quintana also nails it on colors and the whole team can put this feather in their cap for a long, long time.  Great job.

Bits and Pieces:

Even if I tried, I don't think I'd find anything wrong with this issue.  Coming off a dark and dismal arc, it was so great to sit back and laugh out loud.  Greg Pak gave me a dream come true...a killer Bizarro story.  Aaron Kuder and the rest of the art team can retire now knowing that they can't possibly do anything better.  Well, maybe they can, but I don't care because this issue looks fantastic. If this is a sneak peek at what we are in store for come June, count me in big time.

10/10