Action Comics #1

            So when DC talked about rebooting its entire continuity, I immediately treated the thought of reading certain titles with a mild neglect. Honestly, there are just some books that you know are such a cash cow for the company, you know they're a). not going to change much, b). not going to change anything major and c). not going to change anything for long. Superman has always been guilty of this very pitfall. He could decide to walk across America talking to people, die, denounce his American citizenship, grow a mullet (no, seriously...that happened), become a being a pure electricity for no apparent reason and it will be awesome for about six to eight months. This is mostly because the new writer will forget everything Kal-El learned, endured and survived and replace it with his/her better idea that will be even more awesome....for about six to eight months. Put simply, DC Comics treats Superman like Dory from Finding Nemo. I said all that to say I had every intention to skip Action Comics #1, but Grant Morrison's writing the book so I gave it a shot figuring I'd either hate it enough to spend a blog entry railing against whatever he's smoking this month or love it enough to want whatever he's smoking this month.

       Action Comics takes place five years in the past, chronicling what seems to be the Man of Steel's early adventures as the protector of Metropolis. Ok, I know how you people are about me giving things away, but I'm just going to come out and say it. Work boots, a Superman tee shirt, a cape and boot cut blue jeans come together to equal to the worst costume I've ever seen. I'm sorry, I don't mean to be nitpicky, but any given hero's uniform should, at least be a little more inventive than that of the schizophrenic that rides my bus to work in the morning screaming about Martians while smelling of Colt 45 and discarded coffee filters. This is not your father's Clark Kent. It's really not even your older brother's Clark Kent. Although he's fairly self assured, old fashioned like you're used to and quickly gaining control of his abilities, he's headstrong, he comes home to his hovel of an apartment, pats his landlady on the forehead and makes silk thin excuses about why he looks like he's been kicked in the face by Optimus Prime all while using his dual identity to help him in his career at a respectable newspaper (sound like another superhero you know?).

          Most of the supporting characters are as they always have been. Lois Lane is tenacious although tunnel minded and misguided, Jimmy Olsen is...following Lois, Sam Lane wants to kill Superman for saving people and Lex Luthor wants to help him do it (kinda). I'll say this: Morrison writes a damn good Lex. Much like in All Star Superman and Earth 2, he wrote a condescending, arrogant douchebag who treats life and people like a game of chess. There's also plenty of action here as Morrison allows Clark to cut his teeth taking on corrupt captains of industry and running (literally) from the cops. Rags Morales handles the kinetic pacing well although facial expressions leave a bit to be desired in the non action oriented beats. It's not quite as kooky as I expected from the guy who gave us Professor Xavier's evil twin, Batman's pompous douchebag son and whatever the hell he gave us in Final Crisis, but judging by the way this first issue ends, you can tell it's building towards something psychotic and indicative of the Grant Morrison we all know and love. Bottom Line: Nice art, fast paced action, decent (re)introduction of characters....a fun ride. 8 out of 10.