REVIEW: Action Comics #1103
It’s time to go even further back with the beginning of Lex Luthor: Year One in Action Comics #1103. After the Kingdom of Zod event, what better way to dive back into the series with a whole new story that even new readers can jump on –and a Lex Luthor story at that. Already a chapter in, and it has potential to be a DC legacy story for Luthor that can be reboot proof.
Chris Brunner’s, with colors by Rico Renzi, cover gives Lex Luthor: Man of Steel vibes with a juxtaposition of Superman doing what he does set to Luthor in the foreground. Brunner makes Luthor more laid back here than the grittiness of Lee Bermejo –and there’s an incorporation of his classic purple and green. That’s the magic of Lex Luthor covers he doesn’t have to do anything but hold Kryptonite.
You’d be surprised how many covers feature Lex Luthor doing his own shirt rip. Ryan Sook’s cover is no exception. It even has a cool retro Action Comics header as a little design bonus. This is the trick to making Lex Luthor’s power suit iconic, by repeatedly featuring it. Luthor can always be seen wearing this suit in crossovers with the exact same emblem. I personally believe that is his Superman symbol equivalent –not the Lexcorp logo.
Ariel Olivetti created an incredible variant of Magog for the 30th anniversary of Kingdom Come series. It’s the perfect fit for this series because Mark Waid is writing it. Personally, I’m still not over the transition from Kid Thunder to Magog –can’t believe that’s what he grows up into. The art is a glorious high-definition photorealistic piece. You may be able to pick out details on Magog’s costume you may not have noticed. The torn Superman suit with what now has become the cinematic emblem of Superman makes him the threat he was meant to be.
Other Lex Luthor featured variants are done by Don Augillo and Dave Wilkins.
We’re going even further back than Superboy now –right into the childhoods of Lex Luthor and Clark Kent. In fact, they’re the ones telling us this as they record it in their respective databases –you know Superman is using that huge, stone journal. We first begin with Luthor, reflecting on his upbringing in Shelby, Kansas. Young Lex Luthor has all the makings of a gifted genius. His father, Lionel, used to be a scientist before his new boss Vandal Savage stuck him on a farm equipment assembly line. Now, he’s bitter, angry, and sick of his family it seems. At least Lex’s mother, Leticia, loves him dearly and appreciates his interests –even if their neighbors just see him as weird.
Meanwhile, we know the story of how Clark got here and the timeless saga of the Kents. Much like Lex, he too has gifts and they are slowly manifesting as he is toddler aged. In contrast to Luthor, his parents aren’t as keen as sharing it with others. As a result, Clark isn’t as self-conscious about it –at least not yet. You got to remember that the Kryptonian reveal happens much later in his life. In the Superboy stories, he’s not aware yet and even went through the entire Kingdom of Zod without connecting the dots. It’s classic feel-good snippets from the Kent farm in Smallville, the universal story of growing up different. Meanwhile, Lex and his mother and planning an escape from his father. His very first scheme.
As mentioned before, Mark Waid is running with the theme of growing up different yet gifted to tie the beginnings of Superman and Lex Luthor. When you think of DC’s Year One usage, you think of a superhero’s first year in action. In this Year One’s case, it’s so much more. Waid is going back to where it all began for Luthor and includes Superman as a deuteragonist. It’s likely that this will continue to their meeting, friendship, and eventual rivalry. The young Clark side is timeless, but Luthor’s is always fascinating as Lex Luthor: Man of Steel showed us. Letters are by Steve Wands.
With no action beyond a page, Patricio Delpeche was the perfect choice and the fact it’s an origin-type story compliments his art. His style can’t help but feel Darwyn Cooke-esque with hints of that old comic cartoonish influence. There are some panels, usually smiling shots, that really show it. But for the most part, it’s subtle and Delpeche makes this comic visually his with more animated expressions. He also colored with some dramatic lighting in some panels, which is a really nice trademark.
(9/10) Action Comics #1103 is made up of the childhood Clark Kent storytelling ingrained in pop culture. But the Lex Luthor angle is what gives its legs with potential to do the same to Superman’s archenemy.
