Action Comics #893
Written by Paul Cornell
Art by Sean Chen
1. Cornell continues his saga of Lex hunting down the black lantern fragments, this time in the jungle where he faces off with the man-eating Gorilla Grodd.
2. Grodd eating human brains to learn their information is fantastic. Lex Luthor knowing this and giving a man he sent to the jungle just enough information to fool Grodd is evil and clever.
3. The android thing is becoming as much a ploy for Lex, now used on Grodd and Brainiac, as LMD’s are for Nick Fury. It’s a trope of mastermind types, but one that makes sense.
4. Grodd trying to bite robo-Lois’ head off was incredibly fun, as is her relationship with Luthor, where she challenges and supports him all at once.
5. Grodd and his combat spoon is just the perfect level of batshit insanity. I want more appearances of Grodd with that awesome weapon!
6. Grodd recovering just in time to shoot down Lex is a good moment, but first, why didn’t Lex kill him when he was incapacitated and second,, Luthor should be smarter than to be standing exposed like that.
7. I’m not sure how I feel about the inclusion of Sandman’s Death at the end of the issue, but she is important wherein this relates to black lantern’s being about death.
8. The art here is stellar. Clear storyelling and really good use of panels, especially in the scene where Luthor sees Grodd ready to shoot him.
9. I usually ignore the backups, but Jimmy Olsen’s second feature is absolutely perfect. Bringing Jimmy back to his Silver Age roots with an insane story of him stopping an invasion and being intolerably cool (if a bit, as the character suggest, Cussack from <i>High Fidelity</i>), is the perfect use of Olsen. I don’t know who Nick Spencer is, but if he has more like this in him, DC has found their answer to Jeff Parker.
10. <b>Rating: 9/10</b> – A great comic with Luthor being one step ahead all issue right until it all collapses on the conclusion, along with Cornell’s trademark huge, insane ideas make this a truly must read comic and DC’s best. Add in the awesome Olsen backup and, well, Jack Kirby would be proud. There’s no higher praise than that.
