REVIEW: Action Comics #890 By Paul Cornell

News, Reviews

Action Comics #890

Written by Paul Cornell

Art by Pete Woods

It’s finally here, Action Comics starring Lex Luthor! Paul Cornell steps into the DCU as one of DC’s longest running books becomes all about the bad guy of all bad guys, as he proceeds to step further into his post Blackest Night status quo. And it’s the right kind of Lex for the job as well, not criminal on the run Lex we’ve had since 52, but the classy business owner with no morals! The quest for power! Sorry, I’m a Lex Luthor fan who has loved the premise of this story since I first heard about it, I’ve been waiting for a competent writer to give him his time to shine as something other than Superman’s antagonist. He’s a ridiculously deep character.

One thing I loved about the first issue, and I trust will continue to love going forward, is that Cornell seems to completely get just what it is that makes Lex, Lex. By that I mean that he writes Lex as the hero of his own story, and oddly enough, is able to leave you rooting for the bad guy when he does things like order executions, or talk about his lust for power and dominance. These are the things that, when said against Superman, make Lex into the perfect villain, and yet here I am reading him with the exact same methods, and yet, I kinda want him to win. It’s clever, and Cornell’s Lex is a very intriguing take on one of my favorite characters.

Without giving too much away, Lex is still under the lingering effects of his time as an Orange Lantern and has become rather….obsessed, with a few things. Obviously, there are some things he still wants, like to be the most important person in the world, but there are some new ones too. And he’s using his big brain to figure out how to get what he wants, well, his big brain and the expendable help.

The book is witty, the dialogue is great, the sense of humor is evil to the point of awesome, the book is just a homerun. I’ve never really read anything by Cornell, but this might be giving me a reason to start. I especially loved what he did with Lois, in explaining her presence in the book, it was not something I saw coming.

And a big wow to Pete Woods, I say after having read the past few years worth of Superman, for which he did plenty of art. This issue is among the best I’ve seen from him, and I really can’t wait to see more.

First issue is done and out of the way, now I want more. Cornell has given us a fresh take on one of the most iconic villains in comics, and given the twists and cliffhanger of this issue,  I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Overall?

9.5/10

A lifelong reader and self proclaimed continuity guru, Grey is the Editor in Chief of Comics Nexus. Known for his love of Booster Gold, Spider-Girl (the real one), Stephanie Brown, and The Boys. Don't miss The Gold Standard.