"Blame it all on the monster" Action comics #43 (focused discussion)

[Superlad93]

Okay so I know Action Comics #44 is coming out in no time at all, but I'd like to take a step back and look at a very specific idea in issue #43. The idea I'm talking about is obviously the fact that the bad cop Sargent Binghamton appears one of the shadow monsters. Not only that but it seems that city hall is run by these shadow creatures too. There's been mixed reactions to this with the most prevalent complaint being that it took away from the emotional realism of the more universally liked (as far as I could tell) issue #42. The thought was that the shadow was a cop out (no pun intended) and now it's devolved into "Superman beats the bad shadow guys back from where they came". Binghamton's hate on for Superman? He's an evil shadow guy that's what they do. The city allowing all this stuff to go down? It's run by shadow creatures, and all the good infallible humans are away on holiday or something.

But I don't think that's what the issue was saying at all. In fact I think the issue went out of it's way to let you know that. We start with Superman realizing that he still lost his cool and hit that cop. For all intents and purposes that was still a cop and all Superman was doing was feeding a riot. Then there's this nervous shame and relief that comes over everyone in the situation. The cops turn and fire on Binghamton. They now have a scapegoat to put them back on the side of the angels. Most of the police men and women where ready to rundown that whole block full of people and beat Superman down to do it. Superman himself isn't even absolved. He was ready to knock out an officer of the law and continue to fan the flames of an already bad situation. He still laments on how he feels the shame of what he'd actually still done monster or not. He let that guy get to him

Then officer Petruzzelli puts the fine point on this comic. She went through the academy with Binghamton. She says he was a good cop and that he cared about the city. She talks about the other side of the argument and how rioters knocks gas back at the cops. It seems to her that the mayor and thus the city has turned it's back on them. When a fellow officer says "well he did turn out to be a shadow monster" she says something that flips the whole scrip: it's no crazier than Superman.....the alien. I thought that was a fantastic idea to bring up.

I don't think this addition of shadow monsters effects the real ideas and emotions that these issues were dealing with. It's still about community, corruption, gray lines, discrimination, and a bunch of other very real very strong ideas that we must all deal with in life. What this comic is doing though is working with it's medium (superhero comics) and it's avatar, Superman to express these ideas. Now the only thing is how do Pak and Kuder follow up to a satisfying conclusion that respects the implied complexity of this situation? It's really not easy to be honest and I don't at all envy them, but I have faith in them.

But anyways what did you guys think about this idea in particular? Do you see it from a new perspective now or are you unchanged? And if you liked it or not what's it gonna take to sell this ending?