ACTION #958 Discussion (SPOILERS AHEAD!)

[sunofdarkchild]

Big improvement over the last issue. No Superjerk this time around. The stakes actually feel high with Clark and Lois' narration of how much of threat Doomsday is, along with the concern both Superman and Luthor show for the surrounding populace.

[JLH]

I really enjoyed the issue. I can't remember the last time I looked forward to the next issue of Superman or Action Comics this much--or for a comic that has anything to do with Doomsday. Loved when it nabbed Lex.

[SuperCrab]

He specifically seems to recall how he revealed his identity to Jimmy and seems to have some explanation about it. So, yes, he has New52 Superman's memories.

I don't think he ever demonstrates that he has new52 Superman's memories at any point in the story.

Here is the dialogue at one point...

JIM: You can't act like this is *normal*, "Clark"! Like you're fine. Lois outed you as Superman! To the whole world! Even before that, you *confided* in me, man. You told me the *truth*!

But now, here both of you are, like nothing happened. Even as Luthor claimed that Superman was *dead*! Wearing his *cape*, no less! How am I supposed to believe you are who you say you are?

CLARK: I know what you're saying, but I did what I *had* to, Jim. I did it to *survive*!

No where in that dialogue does Clark ever really demonstrate that he has new52 Superman's memories, or even that he watched the news during the time where all this was going on. Jim lays everything out himself, and Clark basically just says something vague. Inconclusively at best.

There's no where where Clark says anything like "Remember that time I revealed my identity to you by changing into Superman in our apartment when you had your back to me and then you dropped the bottle you were holding and I said 'Jim, I'm Superman' and then we went for a walk, but because I was still recovering from the solar flare....". He demonstrates no real knowledge. Literally a guy who read a newspaper in that universe could have basically said more than what Clark said after all that exposition from Jim.

That doesn't mean that Clark *doesn't* have new52 Superman's memories, but it doesn't mean he does, either.

This issue doesn't really tell us much in that regard. It just basically establishes that this Clark is claiming he's the Clark that Jim knows, that he was never Superman, and that he had to do something to survive that *may* have involved pretending to be Superman for a while or something- and only establishing those things as *claims*, not facts.

[SuperCrab]

By the way, how is it that in these two issues of Action Comics, Jim Olson, new52 Superman's best male friend, with the possible exception of Bruce Wayne, who works at the Daily Planet, doesn't know he's dead until Luthor says it?

In Justice League #52, set before these two episodes, we see Superman's cape on display at the Daily Planet (Where Jim works), with Perry White (Jim's boss) clearly knowing new52 Superman is dead and getting ready to open up the lobby for the public (Who are implied to know what happened) to come pay their respects.

Luthor also mentions that the city is grieving in JL52 and that the American flag is flying half-mast for Superman *by order of the President*.

I've also heard that in Superman: Rebirth (Which, to be fair, I didn't buy or read) that there is a public grave site.

Where had Jimmy been, hiding in a cave? How does he not know something that is public enough for the President to order flags flown at half-mast?

I'd chalk it up to a continuity error, except that Jurgens wrote both JL52 and the last two issues of Action Comics. If it's a continuity error, it's a big one, and by the same author (Apart from Superman: Rebirth, which was Tomasi).

[JasonTodd428]

I really enjoyed this issue a lot especially the way Lex was handled here. (Gosh, that seems so strange for me to say. ) I'm really looking forward to seeing how this all plays out but I hope they keep Jon out of the battle. That's no place for a kid who has no fighting experience and whose powers have only recently manifested. He hasn't learned control yet and he doesn't need the guilt of harming civilians on top of the guilt he already feels for killing the cat.

[Last Son of Krypton]

By the way, how is it that in these two issues of Action Comics, Jim Olson, new52 Superman's best male friend, with the possible exception of Bruce Wayne, who works at the Daily Planet, doesn't know he's dead until Luthor says it?

In Justice League #52, set before these two episodes, we see Superman's cape on display at the Daily Planet (Where Jim works), with Perry White (Jim's boss) clearly knowing new52 Superman is dead and getting ready to open up the lobby for the public (Who are implied to know what happened) to come pay their respects.

Luthor also mentions that the city is grieving in JL52 and that the American flag is flying half-mast for Superman *by order of the President*.

I've also heard that in Superman: Rebirth (Which, to be fair, I didn't buy or read) that there is a public grave site.

Where had Jimmy been, hiding in a cave? How does he not know something that is public enough for the President to order flags flown at half-mast?

I'd chalk it up to a continuity error, except that Jurgens wrote both JL52 and the last two issues of Action Comics. If it's a continuity error, it's a big one, and by the same author (Apart from Superman: Rebirth, which was Tomasi).

Also, we've already seen Jimmy's reaction to the news of Superman's death in a panel of SM #52.

[Kid_Quantum]

I didn't like it.

SuperDad wont leave the farm for Darkseid (twice?). But Trademark Infringement gets him starting a brawl in a city street.

At least he's saving folk. I'm glad Jurgens and I share that displeasure of Movie-Supes. But Superdad only rescues people just to drop them down right where they were; In the middle of the action. "Run!", he says. "F'n, where?", I ask.

It's lucky that SuperDad is a bright spark, tho. Having been murdered at the hands of a monster (and not shutting up about it for around four issues now), the last thing i'd be wanting to do is defend against him again in a fist-fight......... Oh, wait......

Glad Lois is getting some good screen time. Sitting at home watching her husband learn nothing from experience and potentially orphaning their young son. The guy who wouldn't get involved; the guy who would never run from a fight (?) This comic is confusing already.

Clark Kent was cool, tho. I genuinely felt that Jurgens handled that bit quite well. I'm certainly intrigued. I just wish he and Tomasi would switch books.

I'm sad that this is what Action Comics seems to be already turning into. An old man trying to remind kids that he was Hip once. Jurgens and Straczynski should start a club.

[Sacred Knight]

In one small defense of Jurgens, the whole concept from L&C #1 got off running on a theme of inconsistency character-wise when it became necessary to drop him on the Earth years before Superman's first appearance. That required all kinds of crappy pseudo-explanations on why he sat on the sidelines for so long. Of course this run thus far only exacerbates those inconsistencies, which in the end is all on Jurgens.

Also I found it hilarious when I saw the panel of Superman taking the knee protusion to the face. AGAIN. He seemed to understand in Hunter/Prey how he messed up the first time by not creating some distance. Guess he forgot about that. But that's understandable. Who remembers the mistakes one made in a fight that killed you? Why do I have a better memory of Jurgens' Superman than Jurgens himself?

[DragonPiece]

I didn't like it.

SuperDad wont leave the farm for Doomsday (twice?). But Trademark Infringement gets him starting a brawl in a city street.

At least he's saving folk. I'm glad Jurgens and I share that displeasure of Movie-Supes. But Superdad only rescues people just to drop them down right where they were; In the middle of the action. "Run!", he says. "F'n, where?", I ask.

It's lucky that SuperDad is a bright spark, tho. Having been murdered at the hands of a monster (and not shutting up about it for around four issues now), the last thing i'd be wanting to do is defend against him again in a fist-fight......... Oh, wait......

Glad Lois is getting some good screen time. Sitting at home watching her husband learn nothing from experience and potentially orphaning their young son. The guy who wouldn't get involved; the guy who would never run from a fight (?) This comic is confusing already.

Clark Kent was cool, tho. I genuinely felt that Jurgens handled that bit quite well. I'm certainly intrigued. I just wish he and Tomasi would switch books.

I'm sad that this is what Action Comics seems to be already turning into. An old man trying to remind kids that he was Hip once. Jurgens and Straczynski should start a club.

Superdad didn't till now because there was a Superman alive to fight those fights. Clark White(or Smith now) just wanted his family to be safe and didn't know what problems could occur in the multiverse if he exposed himself.

[Kid_Quantum]

DragonPiece. That's a fair one.

That kind of behavior would get you arrested.

[Factor]

Not sure why the art quality has gone down.

The colorist changed. The last one was a much better fit for the book's tone. I wonder why change after one issue. Doesn't bode well for the art in general.
About the issue itself, it was okay, but I guess the first one felt fresher? This one wasn't badly written or anything, it just didn't stand out among all the other DC books. Detective managed to keep the momentum for me, but not Action.

[Kuwagaton]

I'm sure switching the colors for this issue doesn't spell doom, though. Especially depending on how Zircher felt with the finished art, he'll probably make it a point to get Morey again.

[Factor]

I'm sure switching the colors for this issue doesn't spell doom, though. Especially depending on how Zircher felt with the finished art, he'll probably make it a point to get Morey again.

Not doom, but we're already seeing some very early fill-ins (like in Superman #3 according to BC), so I'm worried DC can't keep the artistic quality because of the double shippings.

[manduck37]

I didn't like it.

SuperDad wont leave the farm for Darkseid (twice?). But Trademark Infringement gets him starting a brawl in a city street.

At least he's saving folk. I'm glad Jurgens and I share that displeasure of Movie-Supes. But Superdad only rescues people just to drop them down right where they were; In the middle of the action. "Run!", he says. "F'n, where?", I ask.

It's lucky that SuperDad is a bright spark, tho. Having been murdered at the hands of a monster (and not shutting up about it for around four issues now), the last thing i'd be wanting to do is defend against him again in a fist-fight......... Oh, wait......

Glad Lois is getting some good screen time. Sitting at home watching her husband learn nothing from experience and potentially orphaning their young son. The guy who wouldn't get involved; the guy who would never run from a fight (?) This comic is confusing already.

Clark Kent was cool, tho. I genuinely felt that Jurgens handled that bit quite well. I'm certainly intrigued. I just wish he and Tomasi would switch books.

I'm sad that this is what Action Comics seems to be already turning into. An old man trying to remind kids that he was Hip once. Jurgens and Straczynski should start a club.

Actually, it was covered in Lois & Clark that Superdad did get involved during the Darkseid invasion. He battled parademons until Darkseid showed up. Then he headed directly for Darkseid when Nuperman showed up just before he did. Nuperman handled it, so Superdad kept back fighting parademons. That was actually the one thing they did explain about Superdad staying in the shadows. There are still several other events that simply get overlooked or just don't line up. It makes me wonder if this really was planned for as far back as they claim. If it was, these things should have been addressed. It's making for a very messy continuity.

[manduck37]

In one small defense of Jurgens, the whole concept from L&C #1 got off running on a theme of inconsistency character-wise when it became necessary to drop him on the Earth years before Superman's first appearance. That required all kinds of crappy pseudo-explanations on why he sat on the sidelines for so long. Of course this run thus far only exacerbates those inconsistencies, which in the end is all on Jurgens.

Also I found it hilarious when I saw the panel of Superman taking the knee protusion to the face. AGAIN. He seemed to understand in Hunter/Prey how he messed up the first time by not creating some distance. Guess he forgot about that. But that's understandable. Who remembers the mistakes one made in a fight that killed you? Why do I have a better memory of Jurgens' Superman than Jurgens himself?

In Jurgen's defense on the Doomsday fight, Superman was trying to get Doomsday out of the city. In Hunter/Prey, he fought Doomsday on an uninhabited rock. So distance is an option. Doomsday on a rampage in Metropolis, Superman needs to move him. Which is why he dove into Doomsday in his opening move and then told Lex they need to get Doomsday out of the city. Superman did also mention that he should fight Doomsday from a distance, but it was quickly taken off the table when Superman saw all the people in Doomsday's path. Not to mention that Superman has been punched more than once in his career. So going by this logic, he should only have ever been punched once in his life and then learned to avoid all punches for the rest of his life. Remembering something and being able to do something about it are two different things. I get not liking Jurgens story or writing, but this is pretty nit-picky.

Now the inconsistencies or Superman being on the sideline for some of the big events, those are annoying. Except for Forever Evil. I'm giving him a pass on that one. Forever Evil treated the DCU like the JL were the only heroes on earth. When they were gone, it was all villains. What was Green Arrow, Animal Man, Martian Manhunter, or hundreds of other heroes doing? FE seemed unusually isolated, which I guess it had to be for the story to work.