Action Comics #822 Review

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Reviewer: Tim Sheridan
Story Title: Repo Man: Part One

Written by: Chuck Austin
Pencilled by: Ivan Reis
Inked by: Marc Campos
Colored by: Guy Major
Lettered by: Comicraft
Associate Editor: Tom Palmer Jr
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Publisher: DC Comics

I’ve always enjoyed this book. I didn’t come into it hating Chuck Austin as a lot of people did, so I really liked it. I thought the wisecracking Superman was fine. I agreed with Jerry Seinfeld that along with super stregnth, super speed, and the rest, Superman would have super-wit.

But anyways, all my happiness with the book went away with this issue. It was such a disappointment.

We start off with some interesting developments, and we find out that Jimmy Olsen was the one who took over Clark’s beat at the Planet. That was neat. That was interesting to me. I would have liked to see that further. But no, then we get back to Clark and Lois’s apartment and Lois finds a pair of Lana’s panties. Oooooohhh. And then Clark doesn’t get a chance to explain himself. Eh. Then they go (by car, for some reason) to Smallville. And Lana is there.

So there is more awkward tension than at a 7th grade dance, and that frankly bores me. See, I like a good romantic triangle a whole lot, but these people are adults, and should be able to resolve differences in a better way than sitting in silence for a few pages.

So anyways, after this, the guys (Superman, Superboy, and Pa Kent) go outside and Pa’s car is being reposessed. And then the repo man turns into a giant monster.

Yeah, that’s it. That’s what happened. Superman and Superboy fought it. And it was dumb. I was really angry about it. I’ve been singing praises of this book for months, and I was totally let down.

Ivan Reis’s art on the book is once again a joy to behold. I really hope this gig gets him high profile jobs for years to come. I know drawing Superman is a pretty good gig, but I just hope he gets superstar artist status soon, because he totally deserves it.

So if you wanna read a good Superman story…please stay away at all costs.