REVIEW: Action Comics #1083

Action Comics #1083, “Force Majeure: Part Two”, continues to highlight Clark’s investigative instincts into why certain reformed villains have returned to crime. There’s a brief cameo that helps him connect some dots which leads to the possible mastermind behind it all.

The standard cover is by Gleb Melnikov and gives a nice peak into the central characters involved this chapter. The reflective work he gives to the holding cell window of Atomic Skull could easily be used as a metaphor for introspection and regret whether it was intended or not.  

Taurin Clarke’s variant is absolutely brilliant. The range of Superman’s power and compassion is on full display in one image. The blurred details suggest the stillness of the scene came abruptly but Clark’s calm demeanor is all the child sees. There’s also some subtle placement of Lois, Jimmy, and Bibbo in the background.

In honor of Black History Month, Ryan Benjamin and Rain Beredo gives us a variant featuring Steel. Shining in the light and standing proud, Steel has always been an example of how inspiration can be a powerful force for good.  

Other great variants are by Yanick Paquette & Arif Prianto, and Ozgur Yildirim.

Inaki Miranda and Colorist Eva De La Cruz do another fantastic job as the interior art team. The emotion they get out of Atomic Skull alone is enough to understand why they’re part of the Superman Superstars initiative. The story is still heavily investigative but they do showcase how quick and efficient Superman can be in a fun splash page towards the end. The cliffhanger suggests next issue will be more action packed and it’ll be exciting to see what visuals this art duo has in store for us.

John Ridley, lettered by Dave Sharpe, delivers a nice twist to this tale while Clark is busy connecting more dots. Recovering from his encounter from last issue, Clark wakes up in the Batcave. It’s a nice moment with Bruce showing genuine concern for his friend but understanding Clark’s need to uncover the truth. Building on the idea of how desperation can lead us down dark paths, Ridley ties in the events of Rainbow Rowell’s story involving Atomic Skull from Action Comics #1067 giving longevity to the problem that’s gotten Superman’s attention. The answers he discovers lead to more questions until he unexpectedly ends up face-to-face with the culprit behind it all. It’s cool to see this character show up again, but there always seems to be bigger villains that pull their strings so all the players may not be exposed just yet.

(9/10) I was pleasantly surprised with the villain reveal in Action Comics #1083. The Batman cameo works itself organically within the story and doesn’t take away from Clark’s own investigative skills. All in all this is shaping up to be a very memorable tale.