Written by Dan Jurgens
Art by Will Conrad; Ivan Numes & Rob Leigh
Cover Art by Brett Booth; Norm Rapmund; & Andrew Dalhouse
Variant Cover by Kaare Andrews (seen below)
SUMMARY:
Published by DC Comics for May 2018, it’s entitled “What Would Superman Do?” At home, Lois and young son Jonathan greet her estranged father, General Sam Lane, for dinner. Lois and Jonathan argue with General Lane about Superman’s potential to threaten Earth. In deep space, the Man of Steel diverts an asteroid on course to Earth. Having second thoughts re: Jor-El’s creation of the Phantom Zone, Superman contemplates an alternate fate for Cyborg Superman Hank Henshaw. Returning home, Clark mediates the conflict with his father-in-law, as he also reflects on his son’s vastly different grandfathers.
REVIEW:
Boasting splendid artwork (including the cover image), Action Comics # 999 smartly delivers two poignant stories within one. Writer Dan Jurgens capably depicts Lois & Jonathan’s tense reunion with General Lane, especially as Superman courts a potential disaster in Hank Henshaw. Demonstrating his insightful experience from years of writing Superman, Jurgens smartly reflects Clark’s maturity as both a super-hero and a married father coping with his cantankerous father-in-law. The well-played closing scene alone is worth the price of admission. Though the Henshaw subplot is frankly hard to fathom (primarily, an excessively compassionate Superman), this comic is still a solid reading experience.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
The single-page “DC All Access” announces two new graphic novel publishing imprints (DC Ink and DC Zoom) meant for young adults and middle schoolers.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8 Stars
