Action Comics #1025 Review

 

Draining!

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

Artist: John Romita Jr.

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: September 23, 2020

Brian Michael Bendis will be leaving the Super books in December, and while some were happy to find that out, we still have months of story to get through before then.  This House of Kent arc happening in Action Comics has not been great, but maybe Bendis can wrap it up in a way that makes it at least good.  Does that begin here, with issue #1025?  Let's find out...

The issue opens with a vague "Years Ago. Another Place" that made my eyes roll a bit since I never know what Bendis is playing with, mostly since he has gone on the record as a writer who doesn't give a shit about continuity.  It sets up some intrigue with Leone, but it's not new intrigue since a lot of people, including myself, have speculated she is "not from around here."  The scene ends, though, with some hints at what is going, but it's a big mess, and I am talking about the awful John Romita Jr. art as well!

After a shit ton of narration boxes to catch everyone up with what's going on, the House of Kent (and Brainiac-5) bust into Leone's HQ, and while the OG Action Comics car is there, Superman has little to no reaction at all to it, which was odd.

We continue with Red Cloud and Dr. Glory carrying out Leone's orders to get themselves the biggest, worst Mama Jama in the multiverse to take care of Superman and his Kent crew.  While I haven't been a fan of the new villains Bendis has created, at least it felt like he was trying.  This feels like a generic play to force in a foe that can take down Superman and more by using a multiversal version of a classic Superman foe.  Do you know how we know this thing can do the job?  Because Dr. Glory says so.

While we get a slow buildup to the confrontation between this thing and Superman, we head off to the Daily Planet to argue about what the paper can and can't do during the FBI raid.  Jimmy hints that he will buy the paper (probably Bendis going with the rich Jimmy angle, not realizing that it already happened in this continuity), and Leone showing up making outrageous claims about Lois.

The issue then ends on a cliffhanger that could have some significant ramifications for this book, at least, but not so much the DCU since it's a character Bendis forced in with a half-assed explanation anyway.

I haven't liked John Romita Jr's art on this book, but this issue looks bad.  There aren't any standout pages or even panels, and he manages to make two people sitting around talking confusing to look at.  The story itself is just a forced setup to get to an ending in the last couple of issues, and while the ending feels like it should mean more, I had no real emotions from it at all.  The Super books need a change and thank god that change is coming in 2021!

Bits and Pieces:

Action Comics #1025 begins setting things up for the ending of Bendis' run on this book, and after all the setup, he forces in a generic, multiversal threat to go against the House of Kent.  The issue does not look good at all, and I can't wait for a new creative team to come and save the day!

4.5/10