ACTIONLAND!, written by DC animation legend Paul Dini, takes us on a whirlwind adventure through the history of Superman’s life via a twisted amusement park ride courtesy of the warped reality of Mister Mxyzptlk’s mind. Leading us through this mystical museum is tour guide Ms. Gsptlsnz, another 5th Dimensional Imp.
Dini’s story is fast-paced and cartoony, typical of Mister Mxyzptlk’s powers. We visit Smallville, Metropolis, and the Fortress of Solitude. We encounter friends and foes alike. Unfocused, Mister Mxyzptlk’s story falls apart, mostly because he doesn’t want Superman’s story to conclude. Superman gives him spirit and purpose, so their goofy roleplaying comes to an end in this short story.
Actionland! – Action Comics #1000
Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez’s artwork, Kevin Nowlan‘s inks, and Trish Mulvihill’s colors are bright, fun, awe-inspiring at the beginning but turn darker and colder as the Mister Mxyzptlk’s story collapses. The panels are big and busy, keeping our eyes moving without haste or time to blink. There are lots of ooh’s and ahh’s, just as the tourists are enjoying in the panels as well. There’s a lot to see, so pay attention!
This was a fun short story and history lesson on the Man of Steel. We remember that the legacy of Superman will never end. Oh, and please keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times!
Action Comics #1000 is an 80-page issue dedicated to the Man of Steel on his 80th year of existence as a fictional superhero and it comes together from some of the industry’s best creative minds.
Eighty years ago, an alien ship crashed in Smallville, Kansas, and (arguably) the most famous superhero of all time was born. Superman’s adventures are known to both actual children and adult children across the world. In Action Comics #1000, DC celebrates their flagship character (sorry, Batman) with stories from some of the best writers, artists, colorists, and letterers in the business. It all also serves as a buildup to the arrival of Superman’s new writer, Brian Michael Bendis. Action Comics #1000 is so big that we Monkeys Fighting Robot-ers split the duties for reviewing all these sublime stories. Here, we’re focusing on “The Game” from Neal Adams and Paul Levitz.
Writing: Paul Levitz
Art: Neal Adams
Colors: Hi-Fi
Letters: Dave Sharpe
“Any game you want, Kryptonian.” – Lex Luthor
WRITING
Talk about an epic tag-team for a five-page Superman story. Neal Adams is about as much a living legend as you can get. Among years and years of work on various titles, Adams was vital for the Kryptonian’s creators, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, to get what they deserved from their creation’s success. Levitz ran DC comics as President from 2002 to 2009 and has worked for the company for more than 35 years. So, the pair put their collective superpowers together to write “The Game,” a story about Superman fighting Lex Luthor but not one punch is thrown. There’s no bombastic action scene or epic destruction either.
As the story goes, Superman is flying across Metropolis with a chess set tucked under his arm. Soon after we learn that he’s heading to meet Luthor to challenge him to a little tabletop action. Sounds weird, but if you go with it, these five pages are such a wonderful little moment between hero and nemesis. Superman is sort of the nicest jerk you’ll ever know, using the moment to put Luthor in his place. Meanwhile, Luthor is Luthor, a real jerk and a-hole who uses the moment as a chance to get a leg up on Supes.
ART
The work done in “The Game” is as wonderful as you’d expect from Adams. The first panel alone is just such a perfect shot of Superman that it’s worthy of a poster. The chess set under his arm instantly conjures up so many questions and curiosities. The smile on Superman’s face is indicative of the character’s determinedly good nature. Panels 2, 3, and four on page two work so well together. Panel two and four bleeds into each other, seemingly almost becoming one panel, but the third panel between them creates a sense of fluidity at the moment that might take two seconds if filmed.
CONCLUSION
Action Comics #1000 is a Superman fan’s dream come true. The book is littered with great stories, great art and, most importantly, great love for the 80-year-old superhero. “The Game” is a wonderful part of the whole that provides a touch of insight into the relationship between Superman and Luthor. There’s no need for villain monologuing or even Luthor having to go to prison. Superman teaches his lesson, and in the end, Luthor refuses to learn it and will continue his quest to best the Man of Steel.
The creator owned series Infidel by Pornsak Pichetshote and Aaron Campbell had an impressive first issue which was full of suspense and presented a world of racist and terrifying creatures. Will the second issue continue to keep the fear alive or are things less intense in the light of day?
Aisha seeks helps as she believes she is going crazy. The haunting images keep appearing and she doesn’t know who to reach out to for help.
Writing
This book makes sure to keep a sense of grounding, which helps to make it even more intense as events play out. Aisha believes she is simply hallucinating due to her medication and seeks medical attention to make sure her condition can be treated. Despite her efforts to try and fix her circumstances, the ghosts continue to appear but she is hesitant to confide in anyone. This makes sense as this isn’t a monster with a physical form. They are ghosts which are torturing this poor woman and not allowing her a moment to relax. A real person would be very hesitant to tell anyone what is happening because they would fear being labeled as being crazy. This aspect of realism helps the reader to connect with Aisha even more.
Writer Pornsak Pichetshote finds a way to keep the series scary even after the monsters have been shown. The ghosts keep coming out at odd times with little build up and no way to stop them. It could be said the series is employing “jump scares” but the use of this term would be a disservice to the writing and the art. Legitimate fear is being produced thanks to the human characters and the inhuman creatures which are stalking them.
Artwork
One of the main aspects which keeps this book so good is the ever changing yet constant design of the supernatural creature. Each time they appear in the panels they have a look which makes it apparent they are ghost-like beings, but at the same time the individual creatures themselves change from every encounter. Aaron Campbell’s artwork makes every moment the creatures appear feel like they would devour your soul if they truly existed.
The color work by Jose Villarrubia continues to employ a restrained approach but this is actual to book’s benefit. When brighter colors are employed they help to symbolize scenes of action and suspense which make the panels even more noticeable.
The lettering work by Jeff Powell continues to help make the creatures keep their sense of dread. The font used keeps changing as if different voices were talking to Aisha at different points adding to the torture. Also, use of tiny “blink and you missed it” font in panels is employed to help with the feeling the ghosts are whispering in ways only Aisha can hear which adds to the torture she is experiencing.
Conclusion
Infidel continues to be intense and offers no sign of slowing down. They say when the monster is shown the terror is no longer as powerful in media. Infidel has found a way to take this idea and flip it on its head. The monsters have been shown but they continue to be a force of great fear and concern.
Geoff Johns and Richard Donner reunite to co-write “The Car”, a short story in Action Comics #1000 that captures the heart and soul of Superman, despite the Man of Steel not being the main character.
Early in his career, current DC Comics President and CCO Johns was an intern and production assistant for Donner, director of 1978’s Superman. Years later, the two would co-write a fan-favorite run on Action Comics, making them a must-have team for the landmark anniversary issue. They’re joined this time around by Olivier Coipel on art, Alejandro Sanchez on colors (with “special thanks” to Matt Wilson) and Nick Napolitano on letters.
When small-time thug Butch has his car towed to a body shop, the owner asks him, “What’d you hit? An Elephant?” “A man,” replies Butch, “Wearing red underwear.” And the titular car in question? Well it sure looks a lot like the car Superman smashes on the infamous cover of Action Comics #1. As Butch wallows in misery, the Big Blue Boy Scout shows up for a stern talking-to.
First off, the entire art team crushes it on this five-pager. Coipel’s Superman is straight out of the 30s. He’s built like a brick wall, and his costume looks like a circus strongman’s, just how Siegel and Shuster wanted. He’s rugged and stern, a serious Man of Steel. But then, in just one close up panel, Coipel shows a softness that reflects the heart of gold we all know is there. His face work conveys such a wide range of strong emotion, and with such subtlety. It looks effortless.
Sanchez’s colors are muted yet bright; they add warmth and compliment Coipel’s pencils to create a more realistic world. And Napolitano’s lettering creates fluid sight lines that make an already short story just fly by.
The story by Johns and Donner also reflects a more stern, Golden Age version of Superman. It’s nothing fancy, but it reminds us of what makes the character great. He doesn’t like bullies. He believes in people, and that people can change. And, perhaps most importantly, he has a simple worldview: you either live a good life, or you don’t. As he tells Butch, “it doesn’t have to be more complicated than that.”
Superman is supposed to be a reminder. He’s meant to remind us to be the best versions of ourselves. Life is hard, and it’ll knock you down, but it’s up to us to take all that bad and still put good back out into the world. That’s the essence of his character. It’s not about fighting giant, intergalactic threats. It’s about being good in spite of all the crap that’s thrown at us on a daily basis. That’s true strength.
And that’s the beauty of making Butch the main character in this story and not Superman. Butch is the reader, a regular guy, and Supes only shows up to remind him to be good, just like he shows up at our local comic shop every month to remind us.
Johns, Donner, Coipel, and company nail their story in Action Comics #1000. There is literally no action in these five pages, but it’s still a quintessential Superman story worth revisiting whenever you need a little inspiration.
It’s official; we’ll never get tired of seeing giant dinosaurs hunt terrified men, women and children! Universal Pictures just dropped the third and final trailer for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, giving us an incredible new look at this seemingly darker and scarier sequel.
The trailer reveals a ton of new footage, including some terrifying new shots of the latest dino-creation, which might be the most frightening and lethal dinosaur ever cooked up. It’s also exciting to note that most of the footage doesn’t take place on Isla Nublar, meaning we’ll get to see what happens when these terrifying beasts make their way to more populated areas of the world.
Watch the trailer below:
It’s been four years since theme park and luxury resort Jurassic World was destroyed by dinosaurs out of containment. Isla Nublar now sits abandoned by humans while the surviving dinosaurs fend for themselves in the jungles.
When the island’s dormant volcano begins roaring to life, Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) mount a campaign to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from this extinction-level event. Owen is driven to find Blue, his lead raptor who’s still missing in the wild, and Claire has grown a respect for these creatures she now makes her mission. Arriving on the unstable island as lava begins raining down, their expedition uncovers a conspiracy that could return our entire planet to a perilous order not seen since prehistoric times.
Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard return alongside executive producers Steven Spielberg and Colin Trevorrow for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. They are joined by co-stars James Cromwell, Ted Levine, Justice Smith, Geraldine Chaplin, Daniella Pineda, Toby Jones, Rafe Spall and Isabella Sermon, while BD Wong and Jeff Goldblum reprise their roles.
Directed by J.A. Bayona (The Impossible), the epic action-adventure is written by Jurassic World’s director, Trevorrow, and its co-writer, Derek Connolly. Producers Frank Marshall and Pat Crowley once again partner with Spielberg and Trevorrow in leading the filmmakers for this stunning instalment. Belén Atienza joins the team as a producer.
What did you think of the final Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdomtrailer? Let us know in the comments section.
In their Action Comics #1000 story, Tomasi and Gleason give a strange but interesting trip through Superman’s 80 years of publication.
This week’s pull of comics has a momentous issue amongst it as Action Comics reaches its 1000th issue. For 80 years, the Big Blue Boy Scout has flown high as one of the most popular heroes from comic books. Several writers at DC united to write this issue, and we writers at Monkeys Fighting Robots have each taken one of the stories to review. This is the review for Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason’s story celebrating the Man of Steel’s 1,000th issue, “Never-Ending Battle”.
**Some Spoilers Below**
Story:
Being told by Clark after the fact, the story follows the Man of Steel trying to escape Vandal Savage. The immortal has strapped Superman to a device that would destroy him by using hypertime. His goal is to deconstruct Clark by removing all that he holds dear by trapping him in the past. The machine activates and Superman finds himself fighting his way across decades to get back to the present to face his enemy.
This doesn’t seem like a tremendous story when writing the summary, but it’s still one you need to read. The entire tale is a look back at the long history of Superman; not just through the current canon, but publication as a whole. We see his first adventures fighting in the second World War without his powers, the strange alien encounters during the Silver Age, and so much more. It’s fun to look back and see where he started to where he is now. From stopping trains to facing alien tyrants, the story is full of nostalgia for any fan of the Man of Steel.
The only conflict I had with this story is the very long-winded speech from the Man of Steel himself. Up until the final page of the story, he is the only one talking in one massive speech. It is a good speech, but there could have been an interjection from anyone to give some relief.
Art:
Patrick Gleason did a fantastic job illustrating this issue, worthy of the story it tells. As mentioned before, each page is a reference to an older Superman comics and to see them revitalized as such is a great way to honor the past. Alejandro Sanchez helps the illustrations pop off the page with his masterful colorwork. Together, this team has made this issue as beautiful as the 80 years of Superman that came before.
Conclusion:
This is a fantastic tribute to Action Comics, Superman, and his entire publication history. The story itself might not be as exciting as the others in the issue, but it’s interesting enough to draw readers in. The art is phenomenal, honoring 80 years of the Man of Steel by modernizing the past. It’s a good story in a fantastic 80 page giant of a comic.
Dan Jurgens has been creating comics since 1982. He is a majorly influential talent with an incredibly long list of contributions. It’s no wonder that he was given half of the Superman duties when DC decided to revamp the character with Action Comics.
Jurgens has been writing Action Comics throughout all of Rebirth,starting with issue #957. He and Peter J. Tomasi ushered in the new era of Superman comics centered around the Kent family finding their way in a post-New 52 universe. Action Comics #1000 will be his Superman sendoff.
***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***
“From The City That Has Everything” sees Dan Jurgens flex his artist muscle as well as his usual writer muscle. Hi-Fi comes in to do colors, Norm Rapmund does inks, and Rob Leigh contributes the letters. The story is a love letter to the “Man of Steel” and a heartfelt goodbye from a creator who truly gets the character.
It’s “Superman Day” in Metropolis and the man of the hour is too humble for his own good. Lois orchestrates Justice League interference in order for Clark to attend the ceremony and don the red undies for his adoring fans. Those fans not just being the countless lives he’s saved, but also his fellow world-saving teammates.
This really was a short and sweet sendoff. One last reminder from Dan Jurgens that Superman is the greatest of all superheroes. That final page reveal of his brightly colored crowd of fellow heroes tugs all the right heart strings.
Jurgens’ art compliments his script splendidly in both pacing and effectiveness. He’s shown time and time again that no matter the page count, he can deliver a classic Superman story. His style is very 1990’s in all the right ways. It’s a delight to see all the current DC hero costumes tastefully in this particular vision.
Dan’s tenure on Action Comics in this crucial Rebirth era is worth celebration. It’s a magnificently joyful run that was crucial in returning Superman to where he belongs, at the forefront of our hearts and heads.
Before we get to the highly anticipated debut of Brian Michael Bendis, let’s remember to thank the creators that righted the ship and got us here.
Mister Miracle #8 by Tom King, Mitch Gerads, and Clayton Cowles is a bizarrely uplifting chapter in the otherwise surreal and depressing series.
Following the death of Orion, Scott Free is now Highfather of New Genesis, leading his troops in the war against Apokalips. He’s also a new father, so he and Big Barda have to split their time and take turns fighting an intergalactic war and taking care of baby Jack.
Now, to say this is an “uplifting” chapter does not mean that it’s a straight up happy story. Scott’s still fighting a war, and it’s a gruesome one. And he’s still an anxious mess. But the scenes where he’s taking care of Jack are warm and happy. It’s somewhat alarming given the usual nature of the series.
Also alarming is how hard King and Gerads cut between the war scenes and the baby Jack scenes. It’s shocking in the same way that the random “Darkseid is.” panels usually are; it doesn’t allow you to get comfortable.
Mitch Gerads draws basically two different comic books in this one issue. He draws the happy story of a father and son, full of soothing blues and teals, as well as the brutal war story, full of death, destruction, and fiery reds. He’s a master of his craft. Just take one look at any given page – you don’t even have to read the words – and you have a perfect sense of the scene’s tone and emotion. Meanwhile, the warp effect he uses on seemingly random panels has not lost its effect after 8 issues. And his fight scenes are just so fluid and fun to read.
There’s a lot being said in this issue, as usual. King seems to be talking about work-life balance, and about enjoying the little moments of peace and happiness while you can. There’s also an argument that maybe you can’t enjoy the little moments of peace because everything else still bleeds through. Like every issue of Mister Miracle, there’s a huge valley of gray area, and it’s all very relatable.
But perhaps the biggest takeaway from issue 8 is the value of family. Scott’s been a wreck for the entire series up to this point, but we’re finally seeing him smile in his personal life. Having Jack allows him some momentary breaks from his usual crippling depressing and anxiety. King’s given him something he didn’t have when he tried to kill himself: something to fight for.
The sense of dread still builds, however, because King’s also given Scott just more to lose when things go south.
Mister Miracle is the #1 must-buy comic right now, of any genre, and any publisher. I can’t wait for this series to end, so that I can re-read it in its entirety and experience the anxiety all over again.
The third story in the epic 1000th issue of Action Comics, An Enemy Within, is a Superman story where Superman doesn’t save anyone. Written by Cindy Goff and Marv Wolfman, with art by Butch Guice and the late Curt Swan (to whom the story is dedicated), An Enemy Within uses an unusual framing device: though narrated by Superman, he is nowhere to be seen. While the Man of Steel is off in Japan battling drones controlled by Brainiac (also mentioned, but not shown), he uses his super senses to monitor a police stand-off in Metropolis, where the seemingly deranged principal of a local high school is holding children hostage.
The story shows us that we can’t always wait for someone else to solve our problems. Each one of us can and must take action in the face of evil. Superman, here a stand-in for any authority, may have bigger fish to fry, which is why we, or in this story police captain Maggie Sawyer, need to step up and do our part to make the world a better place. Sawyer and her team rescue the students by taking out the principal, but they do it with rubber bullets. It turns out the man was being controlled by Brainiac after all and, in acting as Superman would, the police manage to avoid two tragedies. They save the children and, by using non-lethal means, spare the man’s wife the pain of losing her husband.
The artwork by Swan, from a previously unpublished story, looks good but seems to be from a comic unrelated to Superman. The grittier feel of the police pages stands in contrast to the classic four-color splash page that closes the chapter, previously published in Superman: The Secret Years #2. The letters, done by Rob Leigh, are attractive and clear.
The new Sonic The Hedgehog series from IDW Comics spends its third issue reintroducing the fan-favorite frenemy Knuckles the Echidna to the story, along with two original characters named Rough and Tumble. Will these new additions keep the book on track or derail it?
Sonic meets up with Knuckles and finds a town being bullied by a pair of skunks named Rough and Tumble.
Writing
Writer Ian Flynn starts off the issue by nailing the dynamic between Sonic and Knuckles. A perfect “best friends who may throw down every once in awhile” setup is spelled out in just a few panels. This relationship has been one of the driving forces in the entire Sonic franchise for years and it’s inspiring to see it is getting just as much attention as it ever did previously.
The issue also features a decent introduction of new characters. It’s good to see it won’t simply be the characters which have only appeared in the games. The joy of the original Archie series was the introduction of comic-exclusive characters and how they had a way of shaking up the characters here and there. The only question is if some of the beloved characters introduced in Sonic SatAM will make an appearance or not. Here’s hoping as the world needs more Bunnie Rabbot, Princess Sally, and Antoine D Coolette.
Artwork
The artwork seems to synchronize with the previous issues of the series and yet harkens back to the Archie series. This makes perfect sense as artist Jennifer Hernandez used to work on the original series. The introduction of Rough and Tumble feels like the two characters have been around much longer thanks to the art style.
Heather Breckel really makes sure to add little tiny details with the color working. The details like eye color and action effects seem to pop off the page thanks to the attention paid to the colors.
The letters by Corey Breen helps to allow very energetic scenes play out. The introduction of Rough and Tumble are especially punctual thanks to the lettering work.
Conclusion
The new series continues its journey without losing any of its steam. The new villains are fun, the old characters are classic, and the energy feels just as good as it ever did. This is what Sonic The Hedgehog comics should feel like.
