REVIEW: Action Comics #1068
Action Comics #1068, “Falling Like Rain from a Metallic Storm” continues Gail Simone’s love letter to the early years of Superman’s adventures. Not only is it full of fun Superman action, but being a flashback tale makes the entire story accessible to any level comic reader. The back-up story is equally enjoyable with a modern exploration into how Clark and Lois handle his dual identities.
The standard cover is by Eddy Barrows, Danny Miki, & Tomeu Morey and is absolutely fantastic. Using the implied speed of a locomotive for scale, we get to see just how fast Clark can turn into Superman. Playing with classic imagery instantly gives the cover that “Oh cool!” factor and using the same team for the interiors means the book looks just as awesome on the inside.
The variant by Terry and Rachel Dodson is simply lovely. Superman and Lois share a quiet moment lounging on clouds and enjoying each other’s company. It’s a nice serene piece that also captures the strength of these two as a couple.
Frank Cho and Sabine Rich’s swimsuit variant is also a fun cover. The DC Trinity perform a water skiing pyramid in full superhero attire. In a way, it kind of looks like Wonder Woman is riding Batman and Superman into battle but that idea just adds to the lightheartedness of the piece. It’s definitely an image that provokes a sense of Summer and vacation which even superheroes need from time to time.
Two other great variants are by Wes Craig and Salvador Larroca & Matt Herms.
Penciller Eddy Barrows, Inker Danny Miki, and Colorist Rex Lokus make up the art team for the main story. Their attention to detail is exceptional as well as their visualization of Superman’s powers. There’s not a single wasted space in their panels and it highly elevates the flow of both the action and exposition scenes. You can nearly hear how this story should sound based solely off the art. The back-up art team of Cian Tormey and Colorist Romulo Fajardo Jr. do an outstanding job telling the story through body language and facial expressions. You can really feel the tension and frustration Clark and Lois are going through without any written explanations. With both art teams doing such a wonderful job, it really adds to the special feeling this book emanates.
Gail Simone, along with Letterer Dave Sharpe, continues the extraterrestrial trials Superman has to endure to keep Earth safe from would-be invaders. The adrenaline rush from the story’s high intensity is very real as Simone showcases Clark’s inner dialogue with each fantastic feat he must perform. She even adds a great call back to when Superman’s cape was made from his Kryptonian blanket and had indestructible properties. Lois and Jimmy also add different perspectives to the events taking place, showing how important these two are as supporting characters.
In “Lois & Clark: In Love. At Work. Part Two”, Rainbow Rowell, as well as Dave Sharpe again, puts a genuine relatable spin on Lois and Clark’s complex relationship. Even the best couples don’t always see eye-to-eye and it can be somewhat refreshing to see these two clash over something fairly realistic. It’ll be interesting to see how things work out as their growing pains of Lois as Editor In Chief continue.
(9/10) This is Superman at his funnest. The art is great, the storytelling is great, and the entire experience is just great! My only small disappointment is not seeing the “Super Twins” at the dinner table in the beginning of “In Love. At Work.”, but that really is a minor thing.
