ACTION #957 Discussion (SPOILERS AHEAD!)

[manofsteel1979]

Okay, it's that time again! Let's talk about the first real chapter of this era of Superman. First a summary. Spoilers ahead.
























Issue starts with the preview from earlier this week, A hostage situation leads to Lex Luthor stepping forward as Metropolis' New Superman. Watching from their new home upstate, Clark White, the Pre-Flashpoint Superman has had enough and decides to finally come out of the shadows and not allow Luthor to desecrate the symbol of his "brother". He rushes upstairs, quickly shaves via heat vision and puts on his new version of his costume (no mention of where it came from) and zips off to Metropolis to confront Luthor.

Luthor, who is making a speech to the crowd outside laying it on thick with his feigned admiration for his old foe, and he mentions to the crowd that this world's Superman is dead (which apparently is news to most there, even Jimmy, as it seems most of the media has just been saying Nuperman was missing, not confirmed dead). Superman appears to confront Luthor, who realized immediately it's a Superman he doesn't know and calls him an imposter in front of a confused crowd watching the specticle before them. Jimmy calls Perry to tell him he should send a reporter straight away. We cut away to the Daily Planet as Perry gathers his team and he tells them whats going on. A voice, a familiar voice to Perry, volunteers to go cover the event and before he or anyone else can see the man's face, he's out the door.

Meanwhile,several blocks away and not far away from all of this as Luthor and Superman and the crowd are distracted, the rest of the group that caused the hostage situation are continuing with their "job". It turns out the hostage situation was a cover and distraction to steal something, something large and heavy, which they were told was "inert.".

Things escalate when Superman reaches for Luthor activating his armors fail safes and knocks Supes for a loop. The fight is on! Watching all of this, including the stealing of the object, is.....Mr. Oz and it looks like things are going according to plan from his cryptic reaction. Also watching on TV from their farm is Lois and Jon. Meanwhile, the mysterious reporter who answered Perry's call arrives on the scene, and Jimmy is shocked to discover it is......Clark Kent, alive and well. He tells Jimmy that he can't explain right now,but he's back,but doesn't recognize the other Superman fighting Luthor. As Luthor pauses and notices Clark Kent, adding to his confusion at the current situation, the thing the crooks are stealing breaks out of it's shell. As Superman gets ready to attack Luthor again, this thing arrives and Superman immediately recognizes it. It's Doomsday....HIS Doomsday it appears, dressed in the green suit and restraints we first saw him in 24 years ago in MAN OF STEEL# 18.


That's it. Overall it wasn't bad. Very quick moving and action oriented, and the art is gorgeous. However, as usually the case with Jurgens, the dialogue is clunky and sometimes just outright terrible, especially any scene Jon and Lois are in. However the art, the plot itself, and the way the mysteries are all piling up do make me want to pick up part two in two weeks, So that's something. I will say this does feel like "classic" Superman, as in, the 90's Superman comics. Which If you liked that era, you will get nostalgia pangs...and if you hate it...well...I'd just keep moving along.

Also, the next time someone calls Nuperman a "bully" and a "jerk" when comparing him to this Superman...well...lets just say this Superman can be just as hardheaded and reckless in the right situation. I've already said that many times in the past and thank you Dan Jurgens for illustrating that the two Supermen were pretty much the same in personality and compacity for being a dick.

All in all....7 out of 10.

[Sacred Knight]

Well, like I said in the other thread, here's the turn-off for me: New 52 Superman wouldn't have denied starting the fight. Absolutely fine with, in fact LIKED, that Superman went at Luthor hard. He doesn't trust any version, has never met a good version, and the symbol means a whole hell of a lot to any Superman. These are arch-enemies (albeit incarnations with different world origins but arch-enemies all the same in multiversal lore). To react like he did, totally fine with it. Just don't pretend that Luthor started the physical nature of the confrontation, bro. You did. By making it clear that you were reaching out with aggressive intent to rip that shield right from his person, you started the fight. He just was johnny on the spot with a prepared defense is all.

[ijacksparrow]

I just don't see it. I've been tracking some reviews and Twitter reaction and people seem as surprised as I am at how good this is. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

[Dolores - The Worst Poster Ever]

He knows Luthor and the reasoning for his actions are easily explained.

Except that he doesn't.

He tried to find incriminating evidence oN Luthor and couldn't find any, Lois even mentions that to him. What he does know is that Luthor is a member of the Justice League, and had just saved some people.

So taking out the symbol of Luthor's family out of his chest after politely asking him to remove it is an attack?

Yes, he tried to forcibly remove something from Luthor's armor, when Luthor had yet to attack him. He also called Luthor evil, a murderer, and agent of destruction, despite having seen no evidence to indicate such things. Not very polite.

Post-Crisis Superman being unconformable with an alternate version of his arch-nemesis wearing the Superman symbol and taking the place of New 52 Superman, makes sense, but the way their interaction was written does no favors to Post-Crisis Superman.

Luthor DID attack first, all the Superman went to do was to remove his family's crest from Luthor's chest.

Luthor's suit reacted to someone trying to forcibly remove something from it. It was acting in self-defense.

You can't just forcibly remove something someone is wearing, when they are not being aggressive. And once the fight starts, Luthor is the one that tells people to get to safety.

Now obviously Luthor is putting on an act, but it's been established that Post-Crisis Superman has found no evidence of any wrongdoing on this Luthor's part.

[Dispenser Of Truth]

Reposting what I had to say before:

I'm genuinely curious how the "Superdad is the One True Blue Supes, Nuperman was a reckless jerk that hit Nazis like some kind of punk" crowd is going to spin this issue, because boy, he is a flat-out prick in this. Probably not fully the writer's intent, but this hit a point where Luthor arguably had the moral high ground as far as their confrontation goes, which is...something.

Also:

Well, like I said in the other thread, here's the turn-off for me: New 52 Superman wouldn't have denied starting the fight. Absolutely fine with, in fact LIKED, that Superman went at Luthor hard. He doesn't trust any version, has never met a good version, and the symbol means a whole hell of a lot to any Superman. To react like he did, totally fine with it. Just don't pretend that Luthor started the physical nature of the confrontation, bro. You did. By making it clear that you were reaching out with aggressive intent to rip that shield right from his person, you started the fight. He just was johnny on the spot with a prepared defense is all.

God yes. For the guy being presented as Classic Superman, he sure has become jaded about Lex given how often he used to talk about the hero he could become. The hero this guy seems to be: with all his powers and no concern for privacy Superman couldn't dig up any dirt on this guy, who publicly saved the Earth and then joined the Justice League. This isn't even a "I know he's crooked but can't prove it" thing like they used to have, he's literally just going by the assumption that Lex being a dick is a Multiversal force of nature. Hell, he's met at least one heroic parallel universe Luthor before! But he just plain attacks him on the spot (and that's absolutely what that was - when Luthor refused to tear his armor apart in the middle of the street for a guy that appeared out of nowhere wearing a dad man's face, he lunged for him, and Luthor defended himself) and then has the gall to claim Lex started the fight. Dude's a royal ******* in this, and when the whole point of the issue is that they're going for a "Real, Hopeful Superman is back, baby!" flavor? You're doing it wrong.

Also, what's with the suit? He pulls it out like it's the classic uniform he's had in storage for however many years, but it's totally different with no explanation.

[Dolores - The Worst Poster Ever]

Hell, he's met a good parallel universe version of Luthor before! All he knows about this one is "with all my powers and not caring about invading his privacy I still couldn't find dirt on him, and he saved the world and joined the Justice League". For a version of the character that often liked to go on about what a hero Lex could be, he's become pretty jaded.

I actually mentioned him having met the good Luthor when that issue of Lois & Clark came out.

But is it just me or is Jurgens ignoring the continuity of his own Superman comics? Here Lois tells Jon that his and Post-Crisis Superman's powers are to only be used for special occasions, not in their everyday lives, but I seem to remember Jurgens writing Superman stories where Clark did use his powers in his everyday life.

But it's been so long, that I could very well be wrong.

Superman's unwarranted aggression could very well be a plot point, where he has to prove to the world that he's the Superman they need and that Luthor is a criminal, but it's written so poorly here.

Just Superman mentioning that he knows this Luthor has been to prison would make the interaction so much better, but no, he doesn't of any wrongdoing on Luthor's part.

[manofsteel1979]

Well, like I said in the other thread, here's the turn-off for me: New 52 Superman wouldn't have denied starting the fight. Absolutely fine with, in fact LIKED, that Superman went at Luthor hard. He doesn't trust any version, has never met a good version, and the symbol means a whole hell of a lot to any Superman. These are arch-enemies (albeit incarnations with different world origins but arch-enemies all the same in multiversal lore). I don't want to see them siting down for a cup of coffee, they hate one another. Period. To react like he did, totally fine with it. Just don't pretend that Luthor started the physical nature of the confrontation, bro. You did. By making it clear that you were reaching out with aggressive intent to rip that shield right from his person, you started the fight. He just was johnny on the spot with a prepared defense is all.

The point I was making though is if the situation was reversed and it was say, Nuperman in the preflashpoint universe, he would totally do the same thing. Of course we would have already had the usual suspects already screaming about Nuperman being a bully and a " dude bro" or whatever, but will likely give this Superman a pass for being just as impulsive and reckless, because...well...we know why. remember how people were up in arms about Nuperman at the DEO with Supergirl a couple months ago? I just find it funny that what I've said about the two Supermen all along is right. They are both prone to sometimes punch first.

[ijacksparrow]

Well, I'm still grinning from ear to ear. And I can't believe it how much I really like this issue, and how people can say that Superman's actions compare to New 52's Matrix (remember what happened with Matrix when she died?). I'm very happy with this new direction and hoping that Tomasi will be able to keep up, Jurgens and Zircher have set a very high bar here.

9.5/10, one of the best comics released this year so far to me.

[Sacred Knight]

That was not a patch, this is a completely silly comparison. If someone that you know that represents everything that you stand against was using the symbol of your family's chest, especially knowing how shady Luthor is, I don't know how that could be looked like Superman acting like New 52 Matrix did or Snyderman. Supes did the right thing, and I fail to see how that is hypocritical whatsoever, Luthor did attack him first, all he wanted was the symbol of his heritage out of his chest. That doesn't validates Luthor shooting and blasting at him, which he did first.

Its a perfectly apt comparison. Superman went to forcibly remove something from Luthor's person, in this case, something he was wearing. I asked if you would feel physically assaulted if someone tried to rip something forcibly off that you were wearing. The symbolic nature in question in this regard is irrelevant here. Its just a question of whether it was a physically violent action. It was. Thus he started the fight. The symbolic nature of the symbol is why, as I've already stated, I understand and don't mind what he did. All I'm saying is he did start it, nonetheless. I'm not debating the morality of the verbal confrontation. I'm simply stating the fact that Superman initiated the physical part of the confrontation first. Period. He reached out, with clear and stated malicious intent, to rip apart his armor, essentially. That's an attack. Then he tried to deny it and make it that Lex attacked first. He did not, he defended himself first. That, and only that, is what bothered me. If Jurgens wanted to make it look like Luthor played some sort of clever trick on Superman in this regard, well he did not succeed.

[Sacred Knight]

The point I was making though is if the situation was reversed and it was say, Nuperman in the preflashpoint universe, he would totally do the same thing. Of course we would have already had the usual suspects already screaming about Nuperman being a bully and a " dude bro" or whatever, but will likely give this Superman a pass for being just as impulsive and reckless, because...well...we know why. remember how people were up in arms about Nuperman at the DEO with Supergirl a couple months ago? I just find it funny that what I've said about the two Supermen all along is right. They are both prone to sometimes punch first.

Oh I agree with you. He would do the same thing. He had no problem grabbing Lex by the neck when he stole his cape, the only keepsake he had at the time of his biological parents. So he most certainly wouldn't hesitate to try and rip his and his family's symbol off his enemy. Alll I'm saying is that, what Jurgens tried to do here and failed at, was that he seemingly wanted to make it out that Lex "tricked" him or something, to make him look bad in front of the public. But since he didn't successfully craft that scenario, when Superman claimed that's what happened, it just looks like he's denying starting a fight. And while I certainly don't at all mind a Superman throwing the first punch sometimes, its a bad look to then appear to be not owning it.

[blaster86]

Superdad was a superjerk in this. The art in the book is amazing to look I'm just sad the writing was just poor.

[vasir12]

This issue was very enjoyable. Nice art, nice everything except some dialogue. 8.5/10

What's interesting is that Clark Kent seems to know that he was superman. I just figured he would have only his human memories. Could this be a construct for Oz? He seems to be the puppet master in all of this. I wonder what his game is. Clark Kent is acting like Clark so... I don't know.

Sidenote: How did Lex get Supe's cape? That's a blow.

[ekrolo2]

This version of Lex was in prison in both Unchained and at the very least in the Lobdell stuff, so the whole point about him potentially not being as bad as same old Lex is already moot. Especially if you factor in Pre-N52 Superman listening in on events we've read and hearing Lex be same old Lex. So yeah, N52 Lex is a dickhead as usual and I don't have a problem with Superman treating him as such. The only real issue I had with Superman is him trying to spin it as if Lex made the first move when it clearly wasn't.

Him treating Lex with a no bullshit attitude from the start though? Fine by me, then again Superman having a spine doesn't make him a jerk in my book so maybe I'm not the right guy to say this.

[sunofdarkchild]

That was disappointing. This Superman just turned into the biggest hothead of them all. After being so careful throughout L&C it was weird to see him be the one to pick a fight like that. This was more like how he acted during the King of The World storyline, except that the point of that story was that he was out of character.

[Kuwagaton]

Two things: he HAS seen this Lex before. He was acting like regular Lex up until recently. And about the first attack thing, I guess he either doesn't believe the automatic defense thing (I don't: he presses right up against it later and nothing happens), or he believes a reformed Lex would have complied, probably meaning the "first attack" was wearing the shield. The fact that it's brought up, either way, means that the scene looked the way it should.