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Action Comics (2016)
Superman: Action Comics, Vol. 1: Rise of Metallo
Superman’s back on Earth—but there's no time to rest, as a powered-up version of one of the Man of Steel's most iconic villains strikes Metropolis, in this new reader-friendly epic!
After a harrowing journey to a war-fueled planet, things are going pretty well for the upper limits of his supercharged powers have yet to be reached, and the futuristic transformation of Metropolis has begun. But Lex Luthor has found the perfect instrument with which to undo everything Superman is working to longtime foe Metallo, whose hatred of Superman is matched only by his hatred for Luthor himself.
As Metallo continues to evolve, a new enemy the nightmarish threat of the Necrohive!
Part of DC’s new reader friendly initiative Dawn of DC, this story invigorates the superhero that started it all with an accessible new story starring a classic villain, and Superman’s full cast of allies including Supergirl, Steel, and the Super Son, Jonathan Kent! It’s all written by Superman mainstay Phillip Kennedy Johnson, and illustrated by superstar artist Rafa Sandoval.
This volume collects Action Comics #1051-1056.
After a harrowing journey to a war-fueled planet, things are going pretty well for the upper limits of his supercharged powers have yet to be reached, and the futuristic transformation of Metropolis has begun. But Lex Luthor has found the perfect instrument with which to undo everything Superman is working to longtime foe Metallo, whose hatred of Superman is matched only by his hatred for Luthor himself.
As Metallo continues to evolve, a new enemy the nightmarish threat of the Necrohive!
Part of DC’s new reader friendly initiative Dawn of DC, this story invigorates the superhero that started it all with an accessible new story starring a classic villain, and Superman’s full cast of allies including Supergirl, Steel, and the Super Son, Jonathan Kent! It’s all written by Superman mainstay Phillip Kennedy Johnson, and illustrated by superstar artist Rafa Sandoval.
This volume collects Action Comics #1051-1056.
144 pages, Paperback
First published March 5, 2024
93 people are currently reading
139 people want to read
About the author
Phillip Kennedy Johnson
524 books95 followersPhillip Kennedy Johnson earned a Master of Music degree from the University of North Texas, where he served as Teaching Fellow for the Department of Jazz Studies, and a Bachelor of Music degree from Eastern Kentucky University. SFC Johnson has performed with the Lexington Philharmonic, Dallas Opera, Washington Symphonic Brass, and the Moscow Ballet, and was a member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra from 2004 to 2005. SFC Johnson remains active as a composer, arranger, teacher, and clinician, and also enjoys a second career as a writer of comics and graphic novels. His work has been published by DC Comics, Marvel Comics, BOOM! Studios, and more.
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
April 13, 2025
It was great to see the whole Super-Family together. Good artwork, very good story, and lots of action.
Metropolis is truly becoming the city of Tomorrow protected by the whole Super-family, but not everyone is happy there is the Blue Earth movement who have taken exception to Superman offering Earth as a sanctuary to displaced aliens. Matallo, who had been charged with the death of the Supers at the cost of his own remaining family if he fails. Also, who is the mystery person pulling Metalli's strings.
The only complaint I have about the book is that everything seems to happen at super-speed. I guess you can't avoid that with the supers. The family dynamic between the characters is great. I have said a number of times that Wonder Woman is referred to as the heart of the DC universe, but I really believe that Superman is the heart he proves that again here. The book finishes eith a sketchbook and characters designs.
Metropolis is truly becoming the city of Tomorrow protected by the whole Super-family, but not everyone is happy there is the Blue Earth movement who have taken exception to Superman offering Earth as a sanctuary to displaced aliens. Matallo, who had been charged with the death of the Supers at the cost of his own remaining family if he fails. Also, who is the mystery person pulling Metalli's strings.
The only complaint I have about the book is that everything seems to happen at super-speed. I guess you can't avoid that with the supers. The family dynamic between the characters is great. I have said a number of times that Wonder Woman is referred to as the heart of the DC universe, but I really believe that Superman is the heart he proves that again here. The book finishes eith a sketchbook and characters designs.
April 16, 2024
One where family is brought to the forefront from all sides, it's a team up adventure that plays with power to produce an action-packed package.
actual rating: 3.5 stars
actual rating: 3.5 stars
October 25, 2024
Enjoyable enough but really new-reader unfriendly, especially considering this Dawn of DC business is supposed to be a good jumping on point.
I still don’t know who some of the characters in this book are after reading six issues about them. DC’s policy seems to be that they don’t have to explain who characters are in the books because new readers can Google them. That’s just bad storytelling, in my opinion.
The best part of this book, for me, was Lee Weeks’ stellar art on the ‘Lois & Clark 2’ backup story.
2.9 stars, rounded up.
I still don’t know who some of the characters in this book are after reading six issues about them. DC’s policy seems to be that they don’t have to explain who characters are in the books because new readers can Google them. That’s just bad storytelling, in my opinion.
The best part of this book, for me, was Lee Weeks’ stellar art on the ‘Lois & Clark 2’ backup story.
2.9 stars, rounded up.
July 28, 2024
3.5 stars
Good read for someone who wants superfamily fix.
Good read for someone who wants superfamily fix.
July 3, 2024
"Superman: Action Comics: Rise of Metallo" is a mostly comprehensible mish-mash of a book that hard core fans of Superman stories will enjoy, if not absolutely love. Set after the Warworld arc this book focuses on the extended Super family, including two adorable moppets who were rescued from Warworld by Big Blue himself. Most of the plot and action of this book centers around a newly rejuvenated Metallo and his attempts to destroy the Super family while trying to save his estranged sister. The result is a clunky and hard to follow plot that does not resolve as much as it fizzles out. The book is not a complete wash though. There are some interesting hints about Metallo's next story arc that should peak the interest of most fans. Additionally, pretty much every individual in the Super family gets a moment or two to shine.
Three and and a half stars rounded to three.
Three and and a half stars rounded to three.
April 24, 2024
"Action Comics - The Rise of Metallo" collects issues 1051-1056, which continues Phillip Kennedy Johnson's run on Action Comics (of which the riveting and brilliant The Warworld Saga is a part of).
This arc, while smaller in scope, ambition and length, is still a fantastic read. Johnson really writes Superman and its cast of characters beautifully, and even manages to put a new spin on old villains like Metallo and Cyborg Superman.
Lots of fun action, heartwarming character moments and depth abund in this small arc (as its customary in the rest of his run). PKJ underlines the most inspiring and hopefull traits a Superman story should have, but without shying away from the harsher aspects of his universe.
Rafa Sandoval's artwork is breathtaking. His storytelling through panels is phenomenal. His action pieces look slick, exciting and extremely stylish, in a way that mix new and old asthetics. And when quieter emotions and depth are required, he delivers the goods.
Just a fantastic Superman story. Highly recommended.
8/10
This arc, while smaller in scope, ambition and length, is still a fantastic read. Johnson really writes Superman and its cast of characters beautifully, and even manages to put a new spin on old villains like Metallo and Cyborg Superman.
Lots of fun action, heartwarming character moments and depth abund in this small arc (as its customary in the rest of his run). PKJ underlines the most inspiring and hopefull traits a Superman story should have, but without shying away from the harsher aspects of his universe.
Rafa Sandoval's artwork is breathtaking. His storytelling through panels is phenomenal. His action pieces look slick, exciting and extremely stylish, in a way that mix new and old asthetics. And when quieter emotions and depth are required, he delivers the goods.
Just a fantastic Superman story. Highly recommended.
8/10
July 3, 2023
Fantastic main story, weak backups.
June 17, 2024
Action Comics relaunches with a bang! Might as well call this one "Super-Family" instead of "Action Comics", though of course, there is tons of action.
Brief Summary:
With the Super-family all in Metropolis for the opening of Steelworks, you knew something was bound to happen. Enter a new-much more powerful Metallo! Claiming to be working for Lex Luthor to get his sister Tracy back, Metallo is on the rampage. When Clark proves that Lex isn't controlling Metallo, but someone else, the Supers agree to help him get his sister (and his control) back.
Where there is one cyborg, of course there is another, and so Hank Henshaw (Cyborg-Superman) enters the picture. Working together, he is defeated, and Metallo is reunited with his sister.
In the background (and definitely something to keep in mind for future Volumes and stories) is an anti-alien organization called Blue Earth. Looks like they are going to try to frame Superman for a murder....
Overall a great start to the title. Really looking forward to what is next.
Recommend.
Brief Summary:
With the Super-family all in Metropolis for the opening of Steelworks, you knew something was bound to happen. Enter a new-much more powerful Metallo! Claiming to be working for Lex Luthor to get his sister Tracy back, Metallo is on the rampage. When Clark proves that Lex isn't controlling Metallo, but someone else, the Supers agree to help him get his sister (and his control) back.
Where there is one cyborg, of course there is another, and so Hank Henshaw (Cyborg-Superman) enters the picture. Working together, he is defeated, and Metallo is reunited with his sister.
In the background (and definitely something to keep in mind for future Volumes and stories) is an anti-alien organization called Blue Earth. Looks like they are going to try to frame Superman for a murder....
Overall a great start to the title. Really looking forward to what is next.
Recommend.
February 11, 2025
Fun, family-focused Superman that also brings in a compelling villain with a true arc. You can't ask for much more from your Superman comics. I mean, I liked what PKJ was doing with the Warworld arc, but this Earth-based setup seems very promising too.
As suggested by the title, Metallo is back and (as usual) aggrieved with Superman. Amidst multiple attacks from Metallo and his legion of metal monsters, Supes comes to the realization that someone else is pulling Metallo's strings. But who could it be?
An engaging plot, solid pacing, and some excellent character beats make this a Superman comic worth reading.
As suggested by the title, Metallo is back and (as usual) aggrieved with Superman. Amidst multiple attacks from Metallo and his legion of metal monsters, Supes comes to the realization that someone else is pulling Metallo's strings. But who could it be?
An engaging plot, solid pacing, and some excellent character beats make this a Superman comic worth reading.
December 27, 2023
Alien supporters and the anti-alien/Blue Earth movement are protesting on the streets of Metropolis, laying the political unrest for the story. In this context, we encounter a puppeteered Metallo set on destroying Superman's family despite not wanting any part in this. But, he must for the sake of his sister. Metallo turns people (including the Blue Earth antagonists) into Necrohive drones to fight against the super family further causing tension between both sides of the political spectrum. This is the basic premise with this looming mystery: who is controlling Metallo?
What did I think? The parts I enjoyed are grounded in family relationships. Especially with Jon laying out his vulnerabilities as an older brother to his adopted siblings (refugees from Warworld). It was the parts that made the characters more human and relatable that got to me. Despite missing out on his childhood, you see how much Clark and Lois also mourn for Jon's lost years. The part that really stood out to me was the scene with Clark isolating heartbeats trying to find his favorite sounds. It's the heart of his family in the city that he loves. Even though the city is in the state of warring ideologies, he believes the city will always remain a place of hope and tolerance. After all, this is Superman, and his belief in humanity will always remain constant.
I gotta say that I generally liked this story despite being confused at times, but that is mostly my fault. So I probably would've enjoyed this more had I done some reading before the dawn and caught up on the aftermath of dark crisis and the Warworld Saga since I've been out of the loop only reading here and there. Overall, I'd give this a 3 stars. There is a warmness to this story that can't go unnoticed.
What did I think? The parts I enjoyed are grounded in family relationships. Especially with Jon laying out his vulnerabilities as an older brother to his adopted siblings (refugees from Warworld). It was the parts that made the characters more human and relatable that got to me. Despite missing out on his childhood, you see how much Clark and Lois also mourn for Jon's lost years. The part that really stood out to me was the scene with Clark isolating heartbeats trying to find his favorite sounds. It's the heart of his family in the city that he loves. Even though the city is in the state of warring ideologies, he believes the city will always remain a place of hope and tolerance. After all, this is Superman, and his belief in humanity will always remain constant.
I gotta say that I generally liked this story despite being confused at times, but that is mostly my fault. So I probably would've enjoyed this more had I done some reading before the dawn and caught up on the aftermath of dark crisis and the Warworld Saga since I've been out of the loop only reading here and there. Overall, I'd give this a 3 stars. There is a warmness to this story that can't go unnoticed.
March 23, 2024
A really, really well-executed version of a creative vision that I have absolutely no interest in.
Basically every foundational choice writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson makes here is something I don't like. Huge, unwieldy Superman family, complete with two new additions who are a pet project of the author's? Check. Overwrought emphasis on heightened fantasy nonsense rather than down-to-Earth conflicts? Check. Virtually no time spent on Clark Kent's human life, but a huge chunk of time wasted on costumed battles against cannon fodder enemies? Check. No clear stakes? Check. Boring main villain with generic motivation? Sigh... check.
But I'll give Johnson this much: he's got a decent grasp of all the characters' voices, and he's good at making 'em likable. I just wish he had more interesting things to say; his storytelling has a fundamental moralistic simplicity that strikes me as weirdly evangelical. Superman is Space Jesus, leading his holy flock to save the City of Tomorrow with heavenly superpowers and holy alien technology; the villains are all presented as either overtly demonic or corrupted by evil and transformed into monsters. It's all very black-and-white and uncomplicated... and it just doesn't do it for me.
... Also, the matching leather jackets are a stupid look. What, are the Superman family supposed to be a biker gang now?
Basically every foundational choice writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson makes here is something I don't like. Huge, unwieldy Superman family, complete with two new additions who are a pet project of the author's? Check. Overwrought emphasis on heightened fantasy nonsense rather than down-to-Earth conflicts? Check. Virtually no time spent on Clark Kent's human life, but a huge chunk of time wasted on costumed battles against cannon fodder enemies? Check. No clear stakes? Check. Boring main villain with generic motivation? Sigh... check.
But I'll give Johnson this much: he's got a decent grasp of all the characters' voices, and he's good at making 'em likable. I just wish he had more interesting things to say; his storytelling has a fundamental moralistic simplicity that strikes me as weirdly evangelical. Superman is Space Jesus, leading his holy flock to save the City of Tomorrow with heavenly superpowers and holy alien technology; the villains are all presented as either overtly demonic or corrupted by evil and transformed into monsters. It's all very black-and-white and uncomplicated... and it just doesn't do it for me.
... Also, the matching leather jackets are a stupid look. What, are the Superman family supposed to be a biker gang now?
August 25, 2024
A continuation of Phillip Kennedy Johnson's unique direction for Superman. Metropolis is changing and the Super-Family is established. Beautiful art and a compelling story. I did feel that issue 1055 rushed things along a little to quickly though. But the change in pacing does not ruin the story. I think PKJ has one more arc before he's done and I'm looking forward to it.
April 8, 2024
Read in single issues. Enjoyed them apart from the writing of the Steelworks backup.
August 19, 2024
Wasn't really feeling the artwork in this.
But as a climax (for now) for the Metallic story it works...and the reinforcement of the Superman family.
But as a climax (for now) for the Metallic story it works...and the reinforcement of the Superman family.
July 24, 2023
Of course read the actual pulls for this, and not the trade paperback for this (which won't be out til next year). Honestly, really enjoyed it. I don't love, or even like superman, but I love supergirl and superboy, and this has enough of them to make it interesting for me. Story is really good, and the art is solid. Well worth reading.
October 31, 2024
Top-notch Superman of Truth, Justice, and the American Way
June 30, 2025
4/5, Great -
Superman literally never fails being great. The heart, the general story, and the writing were all great.
Superman literally never fails being great. The heart, the general story, and the writing were all great.
May 29, 2024
4.25
A good Superman story. But some of the motivations and action seemed a bit cliched to me. A couple of the back story were pretty decent.
A good Superman story. But some of the motivations and action seemed a bit cliched to me. A couple of the back story were pretty decent.
April 3, 2024
This one is hard to judge. As a whole I have enjoyed Phillip K. Johnson's run on Action comics. This story like his other stories is well written. I feel he really gets the character of Superman and his importance in the DC Universe. The artwork by Sandoval was pretty good here as well. My biggest gripe with this book has more to do with the current DC universe continuity. This story gets bogged down by all the nonsense editorial is saying yes to in the DC universe's larger story. I have not read Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, but I am just a bit tired of the crossover events throwing a wrench in a larger story the writers for DC are trying to tell with their respective characters. I mean Flash, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, and Superman have solid series but they are hurt by the fact that the DC universe is just spinning its wheels. Another issue is that books that usually focus on the individual character are in most cases becoming Superhero family books. You have the Flash family, Batman family, Green Arrow family, several wonder girls and now a large superman family. When every hero has the same power or gimmick then are the main heroes even special anymore. Marvel is having this similar issue with the whole Spiderverse nonsense. I say all this to point out that it takes a heck of a writer to pull off giving each character in a large cast their own unique voice and personality. Mr. Johnson does that well here as every character whether its Jon Kent, Lex Luthor or Metallo sound like themselves. Jon Kent in this book actually raises a good point about what is his place in the Superman family. It is very meta as many DC fans are sore about DC comics raising Jon's age. I agree it was a big mistake to age up the character. There was so much potential stories to explore. I really love the Super Twin characters in this book but I feel the great potential of Jon Kent and his adventures with Damian Wayne is a missed opportunity for DC comics. In short this Metallo story was okay and has some great character moments. But I felt the story ends up being mediocre and held back by the unfortunate state of the DC universe as a whole. More of a three and a half star book. Here are few other great superman tales I recommend: Superman by Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason Omnibus, Superman: Up, Up, and Away!, Superman: Brainiac, Superman: Secret Origin, Superman for All Seasons, & Superman: Last Son.
June 29, 2023
This was such a refreshing read as of this moment I am writing this review and I loved this whole volume so much collecting issues #1051-1056!
Its like one of the best runs atm and I think I said it in the past also and my god PKJ is doing gods work on Metropolis showcasing Clark's return and trying to be the harbinger of hope he can be and then enter Metallo being upgraded by what looks like Luthor but it was such a great twist and seeing how he forms his own family aka Necrohive and them vs Super-family and at this point this book is the Superman family book and I love it!
The fight between them is awesome and just seeing how he won't take any challenge from anyone is just awesome and seeing them fight and their fallacies to the fore front now and then the twist with who is behind it all aka and I remember when I first read it, my reaction was wild as it was such a genius one and explained it and connects to the past continuity so well and just seeing their return was awesome!
And then seeing the origin of Metallo and a guy who just wants to save his sister and you feel for him and PKJ just like Mongul made this villain so complex and a great foil for Clark and someone you can root for maybe and them all vs this returned foe and like every member of the Super-family gets a moment to shine and often it doesn't happen but PKJ ensures here that everyone gets that awesome panel of them fighting!
The last issue of the arc of the fight was awesome as the artist just lets loose and its one epic scene after the another and wow I wanna read it all over again for that fight alone!
It leaves Superman with such a great status quo and a conclusion to a great arc and I heard many PKJ interviews promoting this arc and its so worth it, its one of the best Superman stories you will read and it will tell you all about the guy aka someone who will believe in you even when you don't like he did with Metallo here and I love it!!
I highly recommend reading this arc and I am 100% sure you will have a good time reading it and will love Superman and by extension his family even more!
Its like one of the best runs atm and I think I said it in the past also and my god PKJ is doing gods work on Metropolis showcasing Clark's return and trying to be the harbinger of hope he can be and then enter Metallo being upgraded by what looks like Luthor but it was such a great twist and seeing how he forms his own family aka Necrohive and them vs Super-family and at this point this book is the Superman family book and I love it!
The fight between them is awesome and just seeing how he won't take any challenge from anyone is just awesome and seeing them fight and their fallacies to the fore front now and then the twist with who is behind it all aka and I remember when I first read it, my reaction was wild as it was such a genius one and explained it and connects to the past continuity so well and just seeing their return was awesome!
And then seeing the origin of Metallo and a guy who just wants to save his sister and you feel for him and PKJ just like Mongul made this villain so complex and a great foil for Clark and someone you can root for maybe and them all vs this returned foe and like every member of the Super-family gets a moment to shine and often it doesn't happen but PKJ ensures here that everyone gets that awesome panel of them fighting!
The last issue of the arc of the fight was awesome as the artist just lets loose and its one epic scene after the another and wow I wanna read it all over again for that fight alone!
It leaves Superman with such a great status quo and a conclusion to a great arc and I heard many PKJ interviews promoting this arc and its so worth it, its one of the best Superman stories you will read and it will tell you all about the guy aka someone who will believe in you even when you don't like he did with Metallo here and I love it!!
I highly recommend reading this arc and I am 100% sure you will have a good time reading it and will love Superman and by extension his family even more!
April 8, 2024
There are so many interesting components here, but it just doesn't come together in a satisfying or interesting way. As he established during his Warworld saga, Phillip Kennedy Johnson continues to write Superman as a paragon of hope in desperate times, and I dig it totally. I enjoy the interactions, when they happen, between the various Super-family members - Conner and Kenan (no clue who this guy is - I know there was a "New Super-Man" series a few years ago, but that's not much to go on -, and I kinda wish they'd given us a little more background), Jon and the Super-twins. I love Superman looking to redeem rather than defeat his villains, which was well handled with Metallo here.
The art was mostly solid, although the battle sequences weren't always very clear.
Despite those positives, Johnson simply throws too many characters (and nearly no Lois Lane!) at us. John Henry and Natasha are barely present, despite the assertion that Steelworks is now a HUGE thing in Metropolis. As noted above, who is Kenan? Clue me in, creators. Jon's major contribution, aside from one nice dialogue exchange with the twins, is to showcase his poor babysitting skills.
In the early going, Connor and Kara mostly serve as cannon fodder to build the villain threat and make Clark look better when he scores the win. And then there's just page after page after page after page of Super-family members punching Metallo-copycat robots (who all seemed to glow green, assumedly with Kryptonite, yet the K seemed a very weak variety, because it didn't impact any of the heroes). It becomes so unbearably tedious. Story-wise, Metallo scoring the win over Henshaw make sense, but the sequence was impossible to actually read.
Oh, and there's some sort of (well-intentioned) anti-immigration thing going on, but it's so insignificant to the story that I forgot about it until I saw a couple other reviews here mention it.
The art was mostly solid, although the battle sequences weren't always very clear.
Despite those positives, Johnson simply throws too many characters (and nearly no Lois Lane!) at us. John Henry and Natasha are barely present, despite the assertion that Steelworks is now a HUGE thing in Metropolis. As noted above, who is Kenan? Clue me in, creators. Jon's major contribution, aside from one nice dialogue exchange with the twins, is to showcase his poor babysitting skills.
In the early going, Connor and Kara mostly serve as cannon fodder to build the villain threat and make Clark look better when he scores the win. And then there's just page after page after page after page of Super-family members punching Metallo-copycat robots (who all seemed to glow green, assumedly with Kryptonite, yet the K seemed a very weak variety, because it didn't impact any of the heroes). It becomes so unbearably tedious. Story-wise, Metallo scoring the win over Henshaw make sense, but the sequence was impossible to actually read.
Oh, and there's some sort of (well-intentioned) anti-immigration thing going on, but it's so insignificant to the story that I forgot about it until I saw a couple other reviews here mention it.
November 15, 2024
***vrijdag 15 november 2024***
⭐2 - disliked it / ❌ No star rating because of reasons
I am totally not the intended audience. Although I always rate my reading experience and not so much the way a story is told and techniques used (I don't have the knowledge or the background to do that) it feels a bit unfair to do this, when I knew going in, I don't like Superman comics.
It is like when people complain about all of the tropes in Romance books and I am like: ''That is what it is all about though!''. I disliked all of the tropes that were in this story but are part of the superhero genre. The redemption arc, family, saving the day and the associated speech. It all felt so dumb. But that is why people like this genre/medium.
Also I don't know who everyone was? And the art style didn't make it easier to separate the background characters from the main ones.
Very much not for me. I will keep on reading though because I want to find out how we got to the event in issue #1074. Maybe I started at the wrong point?
***Why?***
I am really not a Superman person. Ever since a kid I thought he was boring. The times I enjoyed him the most was when he was working with other people or the TV adaptations. The things I know are surface level.
Then I saw these two pages on a social media app:
And just like that I am interested in Superman. Now I have to find out where to start with this run... Which is the most annoying part of reading trying to American Superhero comics.
⭐2 - disliked it / ❌ No star rating because of reasons
I am totally not the intended audience. Although I always rate my reading experience and not so much the way a story is told and techniques used (I don't have the knowledge or the background to do that) it feels a bit unfair to do this, when I knew going in, I don't like Superman comics.
It is like when people complain about all of the tropes in Romance books and I am like: ''That is what it is all about though!''. I disliked all of the tropes that were in this story but are part of the superhero genre. The redemption arc, family, saving the day and the associated speech. It all felt so dumb. But that is why people like this genre/medium.
Also I don't know who everyone was? And the art style didn't make it easier to separate the background characters from the main ones.
Very much not for me. I will keep on reading though because I want to find out how we got to the event in issue #1074. Maybe I started at the wrong point?
***Why?***
I am really not a Superman person. Ever since a kid I thought he was boring. The times I enjoyed him the most was when he was working with other people or the TV adaptations. The things I know are surface level.
Then I saw these two pages on a social media app:
And just like that I am interested in Superman. Now I have to find out where to start with this run... Which is the most annoying part of reading trying to American Superhero comics.
February 21, 2024
The Dawn of DC equivalent of a Bat-family book....
Things haven't settled much after 'The Warworld Saga'. The world is still in chaos. Superman realizes that he's been reactionary in the past and now they need to be the change they want in the world. He stands by as Jon Henry builds Steelworks as a science and learning center for the world's smartest. Superman brings in all of the 'family' to work together.
The villains this time around are Metallo (who bonded with some Warworld technology) and another long time villain from the 'Reign of the Supermen' story arc back in the 90s that forces them to reassemble the full group of 'Supermen' to search for clues...
As you see on the cover, it's:
Superman
Jon Kent
Superboy
Supergirl
Superman of China
Natasha Irons
the children from Warworld Otho-Ra and Osul-Ra (newly adopted by Lois and Clark)
----
Nice little change, making the DCU less Superman-centric. Lots of potential for stories with characters that don't need to have their own book.
----
Bonus: Jon finding his dad's Warworld emblem and chain in the hall closet. New bedroom game with Lois??
Bonus Bonus: Side story explores Power Girl latest revision/update. Telepathic sorta maybe?
Things haven't settled much after 'The Warworld Saga'. The world is still in chaos. Superman realizes that he's been reactionary in the past and now they need to be the change they want in the world. He stands by as Jon Henry builds Steelworks as a science and learning center for the world's smartest. Superman brings in all of the 'family' to work together.
The villains this time around are Metallo (who bonded with some Warworld technology) and another long time villain from the 'Reign of the Supermen' story arc back in the 90s that forces them to reassemble the full group of 'Supermen' to search for clues...
As you see on the cover, it's:
Superman
Jon Kent
Superboy
Supergirl
Superman of China
Natasha Irons
the children from Warworld Otho-Ra and Osul-Ra (newly adopted by Lois and Clark)
----
Nice little change, making the DCU less Superman-centric. Lots of potential for stories with characters that don't need to have their own book.
----
Bonus: Jon finding his dad's Warworld emblem and chain in the hall closet. New bedroom game with Lois??
Bonus Bonus: Side story explores Power Girl latest revision/update. Telepathic sorta maybe?
March 1, 2024
Back on Earth but still under the able pen of Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Superman and the Super Family are here to put Metropolis back on the map. Shame there's an anti-alien group out to throw them out of the city - and to make matters worse, Metallo's loose again. Maybe Clark's regretting coming back from Warworld after all?
I like this book, a lot. PKJ's grasp of the family dynamic is solid, and he brings in all of the Super characters as necessary (even Kenan Kong, a personal favourite) while integrating the Super Twins from Warworld in almost seamlessly. The bigger picture involving Blue Earth, Metallo, and the secret villain behind it all is nicely executed as well, and Rafa Sandoval on art is always a treat even if he doesn't manage to pencil all six issues here without some help.
Action Comics stands nicely apart from the main Superman book by making itself about family fist, whatever that looks like - and with a healthy dose of punching bad guys too.
I like this book, a lot. PKJ's grasp of the family dynamic is solid, and he brings in all of the Super characters as necessary (even Kenan Kong, a personal favourite) while integrating the Super Twins from Warworld in almost seamlessly. The bigger picture involving Blue Earth, Metallo, and the secret villain behind it all is nicely executed as well, and Rafa Sandoval on art is always a treat even if he doesn't manage to pencil all six issues here without some help.
Action Comics stands nicely apart from the main Superman book by making itself about family fist, whatever that looks like - and with a healthy dose of punching bad guys too.
February 13, 2025
I’ve never been a big fan of the growing superhero “families” in DC Comics. Things like the “Bat-family,” “Flash-family,” “Shazam-family,” etc. To me, this idea dilutes the narrative and character-based focus of the stories and seems like a lazy way to deal having no idea what else to do with the characters. So this one already started off with strikes for me as it feels like there are way too many Kryptonians and Super-people running around. It makes my eyes glaze over. But there are some cool developments here, like the rise of an anti-alien terrorist group and the return of a couple of Superman’s staple villains!
Keep in mind, even though this is the beginning of the Dawn of DC initiative and supposed to be an easy jumping on point, as usual for writers that continue writing the book during these intitiatives, Phillip Kennedy Johnson is continuing his overarching story so it would help to know previous events in his run.
Keep in mind, even though this is the beginning of the Dawn of DC initiative and supposed to be an easy jumping on point, as usual for writers that continue writing the book during these intitiatives, Phillip Kennedy Johnson is continuing his overarching story so it would help to know previous events in his run.
March 1, 2024
Really love this era of Superman! I hope the Family aspect stays! Johnson is able to build upon his own work with action comics previously and weave it together with classic Superman lore as well as recent continuity from writers like Joshua Williamson.
The reveal of cyborg Superman and the Eradicator were pretty cool. But I’ll be honest I feel like the ending was pretty abrupt?
I skipped the other side stories bc I just wasn’t interested in previews of other books. The Side Story with Jon could have been fun but honestly its existence just kind of confused me because why is Clark wearing to convergence suit?? I thought that timeline just sort of merged with regular continuity? Maybe the story explains it but I just didn’t feel like bothering.
The reveal of cyborg Superman and the Eradicator were pretty cool. But I’ll be honest I feel like the ending was pretty abrupt?
I skipped the other side stories bc I just wasn’t interested in previews of other books. The Side Story with Jon could have been fun but honestly its existence just kind of confused me because why is Clark wearing to convergence suit?? I thought that timeline just sort of merged with regular continuity? Maybe the story explains it but I just didn’t feel like bothering.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2024
This could not have been more enjoyable!!
The building up of the connections and characters of the Super Family here is a wish come true to anyone who loves any member of this amazing family!
This direction is super well handled and consistently more and more fleshed out as it goes.
Personally I feel like I don't ever want this to end, it has taken forever for us to get anything like this and PKJ and Sandoval do it with such a wonder each issue!
Also the body horror monstrosity of villains in here is so fun and wild!
As a Superman fan who has read soooo much of his multitudes of books, this is now one of my all time favorites!
The building up of the connections and characters of the Super Family here is a wish come true to anyone who loves any member of this amazing family!
This direction is super well handled and consistently more and more fleshed out as it goes.
Personally I feel like I don't ever want this to end, it has taken forever for us to get anything like this and PKJ and Sandoval do it with such a wonder each issue!
Also the body horror monstrosity of villains in here is so fun and wild!
As a Superman fan who has read soooo much of his multitudes of books, this is now one of my all time favorites!
August 15, 2025
Bringing together the whole "super-family" is a pretty super-mistake. The first half of this is almost unreadable because of the huge cast, which ensures that no one gets any attention. The art doesn't help, because it makes it hard to differentiation between Jon, Conner, and Kenan. It also feels quite artificial when it's positioned as a contrast with the "House of Metallo".
This story picks up in the latter half, mainly because Johnson takes about half of the extended family offscreen, giving us time to actually delve into character (but more into Metallo than anyone else). The last issue, when we get there, is quite good, but it's a muddy path there.
This story picks up in the latter half, mainly because Johnson takes about half of the extended family offscreen, giving us time to actually delve into character (but more into Metallo than anyone else). The last issue, when we get there, is quite good, but it's a muddy path there.
May 17, 2024
3.5
This was my first metallo story, so that was cool to see, and the message of giving people another chance was very on brand, but I really hope they would’ve taken notes on the detective comics rebirth run which also focused on the bat family because on there the focus is definitely not on Batman, and you get to see all the characters shine, where on here really the main focus is Superman, and the super family don’t have much to do, I mean Kara and Connor had like 2 lines on the entire vol.
This was my first metallo story, so that was cool to see, and the message of giving people another chance was very on brand, but I really hope they would’ve taken notes on the detective comics rebirth run which also focused on the bat family because on there the focus is definitely not on Batman, and you get to see all the characters shine, where on here really the main focus is Superman, and the super family don’t have much to do, I mean Kara and Connor had like 2 lines on the entire vol.
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September 5, 2024Far less dramatic or original than Warworld, but the run continues building out its world in fun ways, even if it’s less ambitious. The death and return of superman reunion did feel a bit like editorially mandated useless nostalgia bait, but PKJ makes the most out of it. I especially liked his Conner and hope he returns with more depth in the next volume. His Clark-Jon father-son dynamic continues to be the strongest aspect.
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