Action Comics Special Discussion and Spoilers

[Miles To Go]

A cancer-ridden Lex Luthor from the future travels back and infiltrates the fortress where he hacks into Kelex and observes Lois and Jon. Lois is on her way to Paris, but future Lex targets her plane and nearly brings it down but Clark intervenes. Later Clark confronts present day Lex about the attack, which angers him. It is brought up that Lex no longer has the S symbol on his super suit (continuity from the adventure on Apokalypse). Lois is targetted again as she arrives for work, with an explosion that sends her right out of her shoes and plummeting hundreds of feet. Future Lex arrives and snatches her, but Clark takes her back. Clark and Lex battle it out across Metropolis with present day Lex eventually helping out. As Lex attends to some injured civilians, Clark learns the identity of future Lex and is unable to save him as an explosion is triggered in a building. Present day Lex demands to know who it was that "framed" him, Clark responds by saying it was a bitter twisted soul that had died long ago before flying off.

The second story sees Clark roasting various heroes and Lex at a White House correspondents dinner. At the end, Lex decides he's going to run for president.

Th third story is from Max Landis and is a leftover Christmas story. Lois loses her car of over twelve years in a traffic accident and is distraught. She and Clark travel to her Aunt's house where Clark salvages the car seat from her destroyed motor and flies her over the mountains in it.

Overall, a very good issue and I wish the main story had been included in Action#1000. I actually thought the future Lex would have been revealed as the degenerative Lex Luthor II version from the mid 90s (the one who destroyed Metropolis)

[DragonPiece]

I enjoyed the Jurgens story. Can't say I will miss him, but it's been a enjoyable run and I can say I've collected every trade.

Did they add trunks to Max Landis Christmas Story? Can't remember if they were always there or not.

[Digifiend]

The Landis story already appeared in the digital version of the Holiday Special.

[Soubhagya]

-Jurgens story was really good. I enjoyed that. A compact story done really well. I liked the idea of playing with the mind of Superman. Mental torment. I thought it was a bit undercut by the final attempt on Lois' life.

-The second story was okay. I liked the art work here. What is Lex's actual backstory? I thought he was rags to riches. But it looks like well to do to riches. Interesting line thrown here by Lois. The 'joke' about murderous president. On the same day as the truth in DC Nation #0. I maybe reading more into this. Also, is it real? Powerful people laugh to show that they can take it. Interesting thought.

-Of course, i love the Christmas story. Sweet and great. Wonderful artwork too. This one reminds me and wants me to change my answer to the other thread where it was asked this. What is more important? Strength or being inspirational. As much as i like reading strength i must be kidding if i say what i find most attractive about Superman is his strength. All of his stories shall be like this.

-Its the Landis issue which bugs me. It comes to my mind and makes me uncomfortable to like it. I loved his Superman stories. I liked hearing his ideas on Superman and hoped he would do more Superman. They felt fresh. But now i don't know. While one is innocent until proven guilty, even the possibility raises a question. Makes one uncomfortable.

[Rakzo]

This was mostly worthy because of Jurgens' story which was simple, yet effective which is something that I can say about most of his Superman work.

I was actually surprised that I didn't like Russell's story as much as I would have expected. Some of the jokes are good but others are awkward, especially the one where Lex celebrates with a "Victory Moon Pie" which would have worked better in some of Russell's satires but not in a typical superhero story.

Landis' tale already appeared before and is still good but I was expecting some new. Not a bad special overall but not great as a whole.

[Clark_Kent]

I expected Luthor to be the one from pre-Flashpoint, the one who disappeared after gaining godhood at the conclusion of 'The Black Ring'. Miles' guess of the degenerative Luthor II was also something that crossed my mind, but then I remembered Neron restored him in exchange for his soul back during an event. Seeing as this one is from the future, I half expected Superman to approach Lex about at least attempting to bury the hatchet & perhaps start over, to try to save Lex from a lifetime of hate...only for Lex to rebuff him in the end (shades of Joker in Killing Joke: "No, I'm sorry, but it's much too late for me."). It was nice to get a final Luthor tale from Jurgens, to supplement his final Superman one in A1K.

Also...Jurgens destroyed the statue. I know it's been wrecked several times over the years, but having it happen in Jurgens' last story is pretty symbolic.

In the other story, with Luthor wanting to run for President...is this short story in continuity? A different book today made mention that Luthor was already President in this continuity. Perhaps the story in the Action Special is set in the past?

[Superlad93]

Perhaps the story in the Action Special is set in the past?

It is. The first word on the first page of that story is "long ago" and that's when Lex is going to the dinner.

[Clark_Kent]

It is. The first word on the first page of that story is "long ago" and that's when Lex is going to the dinner.

Oh, crap. I was reading this on my Kindle & I completely missed it! Thanks for the heads up

[Superlad93]

Oh, crap. I was reading this on my Kindle & I completely missed it! Thanks for the heads up

No problem at all. Very easy to miss those on a single read.

[Flash Gordon]

I expected Luthor to be the one from pre-Flashpoint, the one who disappeared after gaining godhood at the conclusion of 'The Black Ring'. Miles' guess of the degenerative Luthor II was also something that crossed my mind, but then I remembered Neron restored him in exchange for his soul back during an event. Seeing as this one is from the future, I half expected Superman to approach Lex about at least attempting to bury the hatchet & perhaps start over, to try to save Lex from a lifetime of hate...only for Lex to rebuff him in the end (shades of Joker in Killing Joke: "No, I'm sorry, but it's much too late for me."). It was nice to get a final Luthor tale from Jurgens, to supplement his final Superman one in A1K.

Also...Jurgens destroyed the statue. I know it's been wrecked several times over the years, but having it happen in Jurgens' last story is pretty symbolic.

In the other story, with Luthor wanting to run for President...is this short story in continuity? A different book today made mention that Luthor was already President in this continuity. Perhaps the story in the Action Special is set in the past?

Lex Luthor was PotUS in this current continuity?

[Clark_Kent]

Lex Luthor was PotUS in this current continuity?

spoilers:

Yes. In DC Nation, The new DP reporter tells Clark how much she "enjoyed <your> exposé on President Luthor."

end of spoilers

[Sacred Knight]

Oh good. I was just about to rage about redoing the President Lex storyline. Glad it was just something set in the past. Ideally I wish it never happened altogether but, can't win 'em all.

[Dispenser Of Truth]

Lead was, while scripted alright enough - Conrad seems to pull Jurgens enough - otherwise as mediocre as expected, and superflous enough that it's odd that Jurgens felt any need to 'wrap up' his run with it at all. spoilers:

Future Lex seems to have no reason to go back in time (even a simple "Superman was weaker back then" or "he ruins my life truly beyond repair later" would have done it), with his learning Clark's identity coming to basically nothing. All of it seemingly for the sole purpose of convincing Superman that Lex is still bad, and 1. That's an incredibly odd and cynical route to go out on, especially for Superman - even if that kind of anger made sense in the moment, you'd think after the fact he'd feel bad about Lex turning out like that, and hope all the harder to get through to him while there's still time - and 2. That's the opposite of the message he delivered to Superman earlier in his same run where he learns he shouldn't judge Lex by other potential versions of him. Dumb, pointless, and an unwitting downer, which makes it a pretty perfect cap to this run.

end of spoilers

Russel's backup, on the other hand, was killer, with a perfect punchline; very curious to see what he does with Hitch in the Superman Special. The last story is good, but pretty hard to take joy in given what we know now. I wonder why Superman's suit was redrawn back there though, but not on the cover?

[Flash Gordon]

spoilers:

Yes. In DC Nation, The new DP reporter tells Clark how much she "enjoyed <your> exposé on President Luthor."

end of spoilers

Talk about just "playing the hits".

[Sacred Knight]

I just hope it hasn't been brought back into history so it can be referenced for Trump jabs. As I've said before, comics have and comics always will have cultural and political references, but in regards to the latter, I prefer it subtle, and woven organically into whatever tale is being told.