PKJ Action Comics Discussion and Spoilers

[Mantis-Ray]

Oh man Metallo talking about how he can go straight just before we find out Henshaw's depravity is some good dramatic irony.

Guy is gonna go apeshit next issue seeing his sister's body desecrated and turned into a weapon just like he did.

And here we see that ultimately Metallo is just an abused little kid who just wanted to be strong so he couldn't be hurt anymore. Sadly he took it to the worst logical conclusion.

[magha_regulus]

My hope is that come Sept, DC will just have one backup in Action and give more pages to PKJ for team interactions. I like the little bits he’s done, he just doesn’t have much space to give everyone a lot of focus on account of only having 20 pages.

Right there with you. He needs more space to tell his story.

[Kuwagaton]

Re:The preview, I'm enjoying the banter between Kenan, Kon and Jon but it still feels like, too little to justify how cramped this all is. Anyway, the Young Supermen crew seem to have no issue just wrecking these cyborg corpses, while Natasha and Clark are emphasizing that they should pay attention to whether one is alive, so that's okay for your contrast between members, I guess.

I'm sure it would be second nature to them

I will never forgive DC for ruining the villain reveal in the solits a few months ago. Henshaw is one of my favorite characters and it would have been a great “holy ****!” moment when he showed up.

Cyborg Superman seems even more powerful than ever. Able to transport his consciousness through every part of his cybernetic body.

Right, I don't think solicits need to show us so many covers and tip so many hats to give us an idea of what we're buying. These things are too expensive for casual spoilers.

My hope is that come Sept, DC will just have one backup in Action and give more pages to PKJ for team interactions. I like the little bits he’s done, he just doesn’t have much space to give everyone a lot of focus on account of only having 20 pages.

It's tough. With a few less pages and a big splash style, the story moves much slower than it could. But I also feel like that's the best way to go with so many supporting characters. At least it's not a team book where they're all fighting for space and we can see them in the context of a single protagonist's story.

With the back up stories... Jurgens has been around for over 30 years and I'm not sure more or less pages than the standard monthly are all that comfortable to him. He wasn't really like his old self in Rebirth and I think that was a decompression thing if not just it being a different era altogether. I kinda like this story but I really wouldn't call it economic and look: it's the 30th anniversary and we get all sorts of cool nods. His old collaborator Carlin just retired this week and they'll always be remembered for the one game changer at least. But I wonder if he can take a break from Doomsday. Or Doomsday Jr in this case. He's got such a great range as a storyteller but here we are, y'know?

[Quinlan58]

Re-reading the issue:

- On Metallo: Yeah, GoodGuy!Metallo who's more than a little desperate through the whole thing to save Tracy is 100% set-up for him to get even further broken and blame Clark for everything, but hey, he's pretty charming throughout the whole thing. That panel in which he proclaims that he doesn't really care about what happened to him because Tracy is the one that actually matters even gives off some Charmingly Weird Uncle vibes (ignoring what he's actually saying, of course). Sandoval really gets every ounce of emotion he can from that inhuman design. His backstory is the most predictable thing in the world, but PKJ executes it pretty well.
- On the Twins: I really don't like that there's no given reason for them to be in this final showdown. Like, in-universe, if you can't get them to stay in the Fortress while the adults are handling it, then at least send them with the B-team to face off the mooks. There is no reason given why they're coming with Clark and the rest; even this same choice in the Warworld Saga at least had a justification (as bad as I found it back then). I'm fine with the idea of Otho and Osul getting to be there for the big climax, but... it's just not well handled here. That aside, Otho continues being pretty good in how cynical and how protective of her brother she is, and I really like her expression when this mechanical abomination that just tried to kill them suddenly goes "hey, you and I are pretty similar, that's cool". Oh, and Osul is the one that actually tries to empathize. That's okay I guess.
- On the rest of the family: Generally speaking, we're given crumbs on everyone, but more often than not those crumbs are pretty good. We get Kara being cynical about Metallo and Eradicator, we get a pretty neat interaction between Clark and Jon, we get some fun banter between Kon and Steel (it feels so much more natural than his earlier banter with Kenan). Also, Jon calling Kon "Superboy" is absolutely hilarious. As for what I don't like at all... Clark saying "sullied clone" instead of just "clone" when talking to the Eradicator. Kon is right there, just because Eradicator said it and you don't have time to address it, doesn't mean you have to use the exact same terms.
- On Henshaw: Yes, he only appears at the very end, but... I feel like this issue does an very good job at building him up for those who might not have read earlier stories with him? Like, all the talk about how the Eradicator is a monster not to be trusted... and he's right there in the initial flashback, fighting alongside the heroes to stop Henshaw. The choice to have this final battle in an underground technological "cemetery", his redesign, Kon and Steel's banter about how he's the creepiest one, his new design that just looks more monstruous... it's just a very cool build-up.

Overall... yeah, bunch of stuff I didn't like but it remains overall a very satisfying read and I'm hyped for whatever PKJ may do after this arc is over.

[HsssH]

With the way PKJ is writing I'm sure that we'd asking for more pages even if he was writting both backups. He'd just add more characters and more subplots.

Am I the only one who thought that Kenan looked like Malik from Black Adam? Other than that Sandoval is killing it on the art. And hey, if this turns into Metallo wrecking **** then maybe Sandoval will end up drawing the "real" Metallo vs Superman fight.

[The Frog Bros]

With the way PKJ is writing I'm sure that we'd asking for more pages even if he was writting both backups. He'd just add more characters and more subplots.

Am I the only one who thought that Kenan looked like Malik from Black Adam? Other than that Sandoval is killing it on the art. And hey, if this turns into Metallo wrecking **** then maybe Sandoval will end up drawing the "real" Metallo vs Superman fight.

Yeah I love Sandoval’s art. Think he’s one of the top artists out there currently. But my one minor knock is that sometimes his characters can look a little similar.

And yeah, his action sequences are second to none, he’s been a pretty perfect fit for this book.

[Vordan]

Yeah I love Sandoval’s art. Think he’s one of the top artists out there currently. But my one minor knock is that sometimes his characters can look a little similar.

And yeah, his action sequences are second to none, he’s been a pretty perfect fit for this book.

He’s not the best at faces, but everything else is top tier which makes up for that failing.

[Mantis-Ray]

He’s not the best at faces, but everything else is top tier which makes up for that failing.

Amusingly distinct faces are always a bane for many artists.

Sandoval isn't the only artist who falls into the only 6 faces trap.

[Vordan]

I'm sure it would be second nature to them



Right, I don't think solicits need to show us so many covers and tip so many hats to give us an idea of what we're buying. These things are too expensive for casual spoilers.



It's tough. With a few less pages and a big splash style, the story moves much slower than it could. But I also feel like that's the best way to go with so many supporting characters. At least it's not a team book where they're all fighting for space and we can see them in the context of a single protagonist's story.

With the back up stories... Jurgens has been around for over 30 years and I'm not sure more or less pages than the standard monthly are all that comfortable to him. He wasn't really like his old self in Rebirth and I think that was a decompression thing if not just it being a different era altogether. I kinda like this story but I really wouldn't call it economic and look: it's the 30th anniversary and we get all sorts of cool nods. His old collaborator Carlin just retired this week and they'll always be remembered for the one game changer at least. But I wonder if he can take a break from Doomsday. Or Doomsday Jr in this case. He's got such a great range as a storyteller but here we are, y'know?

It’s funny because there’s another Jurgens OC I wouldn’t mind seeing him write: Conduit! I like that guy and PKJ just brought him back. Kenny knowing Clark’s identity would make him a way more interesting fit for a story about a villain showing up while Clark is trying to hide. Conduit stalking the Kents and trying to hurt their son would be a way more interesting story than Doomsday Jr. showing up out of nowhere, but DC can’t pass up the chance to milk Death of Superman I guess.

[The Frog Bros]

Thoughts after re-reading the issue:

The action sequences are stellar. Sandoval really excels in this book. The banter during the fight scenes are pretty solid all around too.

I really like how PKJ has written Jon so far and the relationship between him and Clark.

Second time Corben is socked at Super family having empathy for him. Last time it was when Supes wanted to help him, this time its when they felt sorry for him after hearing his sad childhood tale.

Both times I read it, it left me wanting and waiting for more. Part of this is because its obviously a well-written story that you want to know what happens. But part of it for me anyway, is that it just feels cut short to fit in the backups. Speaking of which, they just seem like filler. I liked the Steel one more than the Jurgens one, but the Jurgens one did at least give some cool Lois kicking ass action.

[Vordan]

Thoughts after re-reading the issue:

The action sequences are stellar. Sandoval really excels in this book. The banter during the fight scenes are pretty solid all around too.

I really like how PKJ has written Jon so far and the relationship between him and Clark.

Second time Corben is socked at Super family having empathy for him. Last time it was when Supes wanted to help him, this time its when they felt sorry for him after hearing his sad childhood tale.

Both times I read it, it left me wanting and waiting for more. Part of this is because its obviously a well-written story that you want to know what happens. But part of it for me anyway, is that it just feels cut short to fit in the backups. Speaking of which, they just seem like filler. I liked the Steel one more than the Jurgens one, but the Jurgens one did at least give some cool Lois kicking ass action.

PKJ has nailed Metallo’s sympathetic nature imo. Metallo is a bad guy, he acknowledges this himself with his admission last issue that if the tables were turned, he wouldn’t forgive or help Clark out. But there’s just enough desire on his part to be something other than a villain that you can’t help feeling hopeful that maybe he could bury the hatchet with Superman and move on, especially since he got forced back into villainy by Lex and Henshaw. If my suspicions are correct about what will happen next issue - Tracy dies, Metallo snaps - then I wonder what his characterization will be going forward. Maintaining the sympathetic nature of a villain while still using them as a villain is tricky, Mr. Freeze is an example of that.

Metallo continuing to deteriorate as a human being while improving as a weapon is the trajectory his life has followed thus far, would only be a continuation of that if the fallout from this is he gets worse.

[Kuwagaton]

It can only make me hope that Tracy herself is written as an interesting character but as a part of Metallo's story I'm quite satisfied. He's always been a little second rate and so I never considered sympathy, but PKJ gave him something to where he can go, "okay, if I get this then I have peace about serving my time."

Again I don't want her to end up as a plot device, but I'm not worried because I have nothing to complain about with characterization so far

[Vordan]

https://twitter.com/phillipkjohnson/...487sLx_4UoiJsQ

Hah, what are the chances PKJ follows Williamson in making another one of my ideas for a Rogue revamp come true? Someone asked me about Hellgramite a while back on my blog, basically how would I rework him, and my pitch was to turn him into the Xenomorph of Superman’s Rogues Gallery. Obviously PKJ has some experience in writing those with his Alien series. Could just be reading too much into this, but Hellgramite certainly isn’t someone I’d ever expect to be casually name dropped like that.

Oh and here’s something for the Battle boards I guess:

Apologies, just seeing this! He’s phasing through the wall like the Flash would do. Been looking for opportunities for Superman to use his powers in different ways post-Warworld.

https://twitter.com/phillipkjohnson/...487sLx_4UoiJsQ

[Kuwagaton]

Haha, did you just catch that reference? This title is pretty good at working stuff like that in

[Vordan]

Haha, did you just catch that reference? This title is pretty good at working stuff like that in

Saw it before but seeing the script made me remember that PKJ wrote some Alien comics, and then I remembered that turning Hellgramite into a Xenomorph-esque creature was what I wanted to see done with him. Not too much of a stretch to think we might see Hellgramite show up, after all Conduit came back and that’s not a villain I was expecting to see again.