Action Comics #41 Review

Written by: Gre Pak
Art by: Aaron Kuder, Tomeu Morey and Hi-Fi
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: June 3, 2015

The Truth is Out There

Convergence is over, the New 52 is dead and buried and Dan Didio, Geoff Johns and the gang at DC have unpacked the U-Hauls in California.  The DC You is upon on us and while I'll admit that I'm still not sure what that really means, things are certainly different.  While the Batman books may take the prize for biggest shakeup, the Superman side of things is running a close second.  When his new "costume" was first announced, the internet cried out, but little did anyone know that was just the tip of the iceberg.  Superman has been losing his powers since he dabbled with that damn Solar Flare power and then the Free Comic Book Day Superman story set up the change that rocked the world...well, at least the world of Superman's fans.  Superman's identity has been revealed.  Since then, the sneak peeks have shown the Fortress of Solitude not recognize his DNA,  Mecha Batman fight him and Wonder Woman and him have a falling out.  Cha Cha Cha Changes!  If that's The Truth, I might want The Lie instead.  It's been a crazy couple of months leading to this, but now that it's here, has it been worth the wait?  Let's find out.


The issue picks up after the Action Comics sneak peek story (if you haven't read that yet, go now...it is awesome) with Superman making his way through the Alaskan wilderness.  He's cold, hungry and bare chested as he strolls into a small town to get food and clothing.  Through his monologue and newspapers, it is clear that things have changed big time.  After Superman eats the biggest burrito I've ever seen (I want one now!) and buys a motorcycle from some locals, you think things are getting better for the Man of Steel, but you'd be mistaken.  It seems that a large majority of people are pissed at Superman for living among them and some, like these awful locals, want a piece of him.

I really don't know how I feel about this.  It has only been weeks since his identity has been revealed and the general sentiment feels too much against him.  I guess there are awful people in this world, but the "Alien go home" talk feels off to me.

The anger towards him shows even more when he returns to Metropolis.  The police hate him and people seem scared of him...except Jimmy Olsen.  Good old Jimmy.  When Superman's pal gives him a big hug, I had a smile on my face that just got bigger when Jimmy takes Clark to his old neighborhood.  They are having a big Superman celebration and I'm so glad it showed that there are still sane people out there who support a hero that has saved the planet so many times.



The love fest is interrupted by a police call and Superman (being the hero he is) springs into action. This is the reason why Superman is such a great hero, he jumps into the fray without looking back. However, if he did look back, he'd see some pretty evil people about to do something unthinkable.

This issue was really good, but it did not wow me.  I'm sure that's because it is only one part of a big crossover, but I was hoping to start with a big bang.  In the end, though, it got me excited to see what goes on and really makes me eager to learn The Truth.

I am a huge fan of Aaron Kuder and this issue shows why.  The detail he puts into each panel plays off the cartoony characters to give this book such a unique look.  Kudos also go out to Tomeu Morey and Hi-Fi's for their color work.  It's outstanding and makes everything look so good.

Bits and Pieces:

The Truth is here and while I was hoping for a bigger bang, the story has me intrigued.  Seeing Superman without his full powers and secret identity isn't something I thought I wanted, but Greg Pak is using it to show how Superman and the world deal with it.  It's not a pretty picture...but Aaron Kuder's art is.  This book looks outstanding and I can recommend it to every Superman fan out there. The wait is over and I can't wait to find out more.

8.5/10