REVIEW: Action Comics #1027

Action Comics #1027, the epilogue to the House of Kent Arc! And what an epilogue it was! But before we discuss the issue itself, let’s discuss the covers.

Our main cover is by John Romita Jr and it is pretty epic! Showcasing a bruised and bloody Superman looking like he just went ten rounds with Doomsday! Sadly Doomsday is not in this issue. But still, the cover is great, he did a great job on Superman’s bulging muscles.

Action Comics #1027 Review | The Aspiring Kryptonian
Photo Credit: DC Entertaiment

The variant cover by the legendary Gary Frank is great too, showcasing the whole super part of the Superman family floating in the night sky. Gary is so great at drawing classic DC Characters that it’s weird to see him draw a very 90’s creation like Conner Kent, but he still nails it. And like more often than not, his Superman is flawless! This one is definitely framable and is possibly one of my favourite covers of the year.

Action Comics #1027 | The Aspiring Kryptonian
Photo Credit: DC Entertainment

The story for this issue starts in the middle of the narrative, backtracks to the beginning, and then skips to the end. It’s an odd bit of pacing, but I feel like Action Comics as a whole has been pretty wonky with their narrative progression for the past 10 issues or so, so I guess this is par for the course.

The plot itself brings us to a satisfying end for two of the villains that Brian Michael Bendis introduced at the beginning of his Action Comics run. Which ones, and how they end up, I’ll leave to you to discover on your own, but I’ll say I was a fan for how these characters ended their arc – for now at least! *HINT* *HINT*

Some other story bits I enjoyed; there’s a fun fake-out page that had me going for a minute, and that was a fun twist. We get some solo time with Lois, and two other regular female leads for Bendis run, and these were some really interesting and funny moments. And then there’s a reveal at the end which should have some very fun ramifications for our core cast at The Daily Planet going forward. I really hope we get to explore this whole concept, I think it’s a great honour for the character and could lead to some hilarious and wacky storylines.

The interior art has great colors by Brad Anderson, making everything feel vibrant and bright, especially against the dusk setting of the issue. It’s a great early evening look, and I’ve really enjoyed it throughout this arc. The interior art is by John Romita Jr and I’ve been dancing around being frank on this issue, but it was really noticeable in this issue for me, Romita Jr’s stuff in this book is just not living up to his reputation. We all know Romita is a great artist. He is. He’s done fantastic stuff, and I’ve normally been a big fan of his work. But it is just not working for me here. 

It’s especially noticeable in scenes with Lois, and scenes at The Daily Planet. I think mostly it’s his face work. There’s just not enough detail going into the faces, and I know Romita’s style is looser, but in this issue, everyone is looking the same. And frankly, many of the faces, unless we get close up, look like they have been scribbled on in haste. It’s been a pattern for this book.

Though some of the art leaves something to be desired, Action Comics #1027 is a satisfying ending to Bendis’ House of Kent Arc, giving us an oh-so-sweet victory over the forces that have come against the Superman family.

Haven’t picked up Action Comics #1027 yet? You can get the standard cover by John Romita Jr here (UK), or here (US). Or if you prefer the variant cover by Gary Frank, you can get that here.

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