Action Comics #22 Review

ACTION COMICS #22

by Scott Lobdell, Tyler Kirkham, Frank Hannah and Tom Derenick

This has been quite the week for DC, eh? Detective Comics got its groove back, another 5/5 worthy comic, Stormwatch got better as well, and then... Scott Lobdell joined Action Comics. Just when things were looking good. 

You know, I'm grateful that Scott Lobdell's Action Comics arc isn't going to be the six-issue story DC told us it would be when first announced. No, for real, thank God. This was just terrible. I don't even know why I picked this up. Maybe it was me giving Lobdell the benefit of doubt and falling for my love of a good Superman story. But a good Superman story this is not. This shouldn't even be considered a story. It's just a bunch of words thrown onto paper. OK, first off, where Detective Comics's new villain was a menacing and murdering badass, the antagonist of AC (See, I don't even remember his name!) is a generic, stereotypical, boring, poorly written, stupid, terrible, bland, and suckish character. Just like the rest of this comic. You know, I don't even see how Lobdell was chosen to write Superman. He doesn't even write the Man of Steel that well! He just feels like some guy with black hair, with a cape and the Superman symbol on his chest. You could replace with Steve Buscemi wearing a space suit with an Adamantium skeleton, and this issue would make a bit more sense. And, what is with the use of Hector Hammond? He's not the tragic villain Geoff Johns wrote him as, he's just Lex Luthor with a giant head and a mustache. You see, Lobdell tries to imitate Brian Michael Bendis when it comes to dialogue, but just botches it. I mean, there's NO substance to the story whatsoever, it's just Superman going to a party, punching a guy because Hector Hammond told him to, and then some random alien people showing up. Right there. That's all that happened. I just saved you $4. 

Tyler Kirkham's art is OK, but it can feel pretty rushed. At times, it looks great, sort of like a hybrid of Tony Daniel and Kenneth Rocafort. Sadly, it's very inconsistent, as it lapses in quality throughout the issue.

The backup story fares no better than the main story. While Hannah is only a tad better at writing  dialogue ("Between military and science... I choose SCIENCE!"), he still sucks at plotting, and the villain he introduces at the end of the issue is an uninspired choice. Tom Derenick's art just doesn't look too good either.

Action Comics #22 is a failure. I don't see why DC continues to give Lobdell work. I'm done. From now on, no matter how much I'm tempted to give his work I try, I'm staying away. If you thought Superman #13 was bad... Oh boy.

STORY: -1/5 (IT'S THAT BAD)

- Terrible dialogue

- Too much dialogue

- Overdramatic

- Terrible villain

- Hammond is nowhere near the interesting character Geoff Johns made him to be

ART: 3/5

+ Looks great when it does

- Doesn't look great when it does

BACKUP: 0/5

+/- Only slightly better dialogue than the main feature

- Meh art

- Uninspired villain choice

VERDICT: 0/5 (Because I'm in a terrible mood)