Superman: Action Comics, Vol. 1: Invisible Mafia

Action Comics (2016)

by Brian Michael Bendis, Patrick Gleason (Illustrator)

In costume, Superman is the world's greatest hero. In plain clothes, he's Clark Kent, one of the Daily Planet's best investigative reporters. But on the streets of Metropolis, there's a new threat rising that neither of them can see...until it's too late.

A new power called the Red Cloud has taken over the city's underworld, and it's like nothing Superman has ever faced before. As he chases down the story, his mind is preoccupied by the absence of his wife Lois Lane and their son Jonathan--leaving the Man of Tomorrow vulnerable to the mysterious new villain of today!

Even with all his power, can the Man of Steel stop what's coming for his family and his city?

Discover the shocking answers in Superman: Action Comics Vol. 1: Invisible Mafia, as New York Times best-selling writer Brian Michael Bendis teams with acclaimed artists Ryan Sook (The Spectre), Patrick Gleason (Batman and Robin) and Yanick Paquette (Wonder Woman: Earth One) to dig deep into the city that made Superman famous--an ideal companion to Bendis' blockbuster DC debut in The Man of Steel and his ongoing work in Superman!

Collects Action Comics #1001-1006--the perfect start to an all-new era of Superman!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Superman, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book

160 pages, Hardcover

First published April 9, 2019

About the author

A comic book writer and erstwhile artist. He has won critical acclaim (including five Eisner Awards) and is one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics. For over eight years Bendis’s books have consistently sat in the top five best sellers on the nationwide comic and graphic novel sales charts.

Though he started as a writer and artist of independent noir fiction series, he shot to stardom as a writer of Marvel Comics' superhero books, particularly Ultimate Spider-Man.

Bendis first entered the comic world with the "Jinx" line of crime comics in 1995. This line has spawned the graphic novels Goldfish, Fire, Jinx, Torso (with Marc Andreyko), and Total Sell Out. Bendis is writing the film version of Jinx for Universal Pictures with Oscar-winner Charlize Theron attached to star and produce.

Bendis’s other projects include the Harvey, Eisner, and Eagle Award-nominated Powers (with Michael Avon Oeming) originally from Image Comics, now published by Marvel's new creator-owned imprint Icon Comics, and the Hollywood tell-all Fortune and Glory from Oni Press, both of which received an "A" from Entertainment Weekly.

Bendis is one of the premiere architects of Marvel's "Ultimate" line: comics specifically created for the new generation of comic readers. He has written every issue of Ultimate Spider-Man since its best-selling launch, and has also written for Ultimate Fantastic Four and Ultimate X-Men, as well as every issue of Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, Ultimate Origin and Ultimate Six.

Brian is currently helming a renaissance for Marvel’s AVENGERS franchise by writing both New Avengers and Mighty Avengers along with the successful ‘event’ projects House Of M, Secret War, and this summer’s Secret Invasion.

He has also previously done work on Daredevil, Alias, and The Pulse.

Reviews

[Sam Quixote · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is it a bird?
Is it a plane?
What? No, it’s Brian Bendis’ third Superman collection!
Wait, did you say “turd”? Because, yes, this is another terrible Bendis Superman book!

Like the Court of Owls in Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s first New 52 Batman book, the Invisible Mafia have been operating in our hero’s city for decades unbeknownst to him. Except the Invisible Mafia are way less cooler or compelling than the Court. They meet in a segment of lead pipe (Superman can’t see through lead) which is a laughable visual and just reminded me why most Golden Age heroes are completely outdated. Taking a page from Akira “Dragon Ball” Toriyama, the Mafia members are named after food – Yoghurt, Candy, etc. – which doesn’t make them any more badass, and their enforcer is a fart cloud of red gas called The Red Cloud, one of the lamest new villains I’ve seen in years.

So I think I’m basically done with Bendis’ Superman run already!

Like I said in my reviews of his (to date) two other Superman books, he totally gets the character but he’s done the typical Bendis thing of getting so carried away writing reams of dialogue that he’s neglected the story. And what little there is here is so, so dull. Superman continues to investigate the case of the mysterious fires (snore) while the Mafia crime away and Superman skirmishes harmlessly with the Red Cloud. Lois is back somehow and sneaking around with Lex. A few superheroes cameo: The Guardian, Batman, and The Question, to no real effect beyond Fan Service! And we find out who Robinson Goode (Lois’ replacement at the Planet) really is – even though I wasn’t wondering!

I didn’t totally hate it - Bendis writes a brilliant Perry White:

Robinson Goode: "Well, Mister White, I do have a follow-up on the fires but you're not going to like it."
Perry: "This is your first week here, Miss Goode. You don't know me well enough to know what I like and don't like."
Robinson Goode: “A kid, young man, came into the fire station on Adams and said he saw SUPERMAN light the fires.”
Perry: “Oh… I don’t like THAT.”

And then later after Superman drops by:

Perry: (quietly, aside to Superman) "Uh... any cancer?"
Superman: (using his x-ray vision) "No. You're completely clear."
Perry: "Thanks, pal"

I love small tidbits like that and they’re so revealing of the characters and their relationships.

I liked that the predictable final fight that closes out this book between Superman and the Red Fart wasn’t simply mindless punching like in the other Superman book where Superman, Zod and Rogol Zaar thumped each other pointlessly. This time Superman used his words to defeat the bad guy – wow, some actual thought went into that scene!

Both Yanick Paquette and Ryan Sook’s art is great, and it’s amusing how each chapter opens on a snapshot of various characters’ desks – the details within each are very cute. I don’t know if it’s the colourist or he’s taking a lighter approach to his inking but Patrick Gleason’s art looked a lot flatter than usual.

The mystery fires thing makes sense but it’s an indication that Bendis is in no hurry to tell whatever story he’s got and there’s not enough here for me in the meantime to put up with the glacial pacing and continue reading this or his other Superman series. And that’s disappointing because I was looking forward to Bendis’ Superman.

I’ve no idea what fans see in this - Invisible Mafia is such a boring and bland read! And I am up, up and moving well away from this tedious title!

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now, this is what I expected from Bendis when I heard he was moving to Superman...to be wowed! Bendis writes an awesome Supes in this. He's compassionate and caring yet, won't be taken advantage of.

The Invisible Mafia is classic Bendis. Bendis has always written fantastic crime and street level books. Here, he's found a way to put a new twist on that by figuring out what a crime organization would need to do to operate under Superman's radar. For instance, they have to refrain from saying certain words Supes listens for and meet in giant lead pipes to keep from being seen. It's really a genius idea.

The art is fantastic. Patrick Gleason stays on the book to begin with, then DC brings in Yanick Paquette and Ryan Sook. Sook, already, is drawing some of my favorite Superman issues.

Received a review copy from DC and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I just happened to be flying by." -- Superman, after saving a woman from a potentially lethal assault

Superman - Action Comics, Vol. 1: Invisible Mafia is a very promising start to a multi-volume series, and I sincerely hope nothing gets mucked up with the tone and/or writing in those subsequent books. While the overarching theme has a shadowy underworld faction (see that subtitle) - personified by new villainess 'Red Cloud' - exerting its influence in Metropolis, what was even better or memorable were the solid little character moments dispersed throughout the narrative. Such scenes - like the felonious group covertly discussing plans inside a lead-lined industrial fuel tank, or chain-smoking Daily Planet editor Perry White discreetly asking Superman (he of the X-ray vision, natch) if he has lung cancer, or when intrepid deputy fire chief / arson investigator Melody Moore finds unexpected but needed comfort in the arms of Superman after nearly being suffocated by the vicious Red Cloud - were wonderfully well-placed and effective amidst expected super-heroics. Perhaps best of all is an extended love scene between Superman and Lois Lane which is equal parts amorous and amusing.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fun really but felt too decompressed!

So the story is Superman dealing with random fires and accidents and then through the course of the volume you learn a person called Red cloud is behind it and we see who it is by the end and also the Invisible mafia she is a part of and how they operate in Metropolis and how Superman deals with it and its a challenge for Clark for sure and I love the way the threat builds and the confrontation happe and the the side stories with whats happening to Lois and whatever she has been upto.. its fun but kinda drags out but still makes for a fun read!

The art changes are jarring but still good overall, there are some transformation panels which I love and especially the creative way they show Superman's power. It kind of drags out like I said and you kinda might get frustrated because of that but still there are some cool cameos like Batman and Question and seems like more is going in Metropolis than anyone is letting on! Onto vol 2!

[Artemy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my review of the first Superman volume by Bendis I said that I'd give a slight edge to his Action Comics over Supreman, but truthfully these are two quite different but equally excellent series, and I have a very hard time choosing which one I like the best. You see, Bendis on Superman is Bendis really doing something new and different, something distinguished, a book unlike anything he's ever done before, and it's an absolutely amazing action romp that Superman deserved to have for decades. On the other hand, ironically, Action Comics is less action, more street level crime book with some supernatural elements, and that's exactly the kind of thing Bendis has been doing for decades in Daredevil, Alias and Spider-Man. It's what he's famous for and what he does best, and Action Comics is the best version of that kind of Bendis book. It has high stakes, tons of great character moments and an interesting mystery behind it all that takes its sweet time to build up. Unlike Superman, which was all illustrated by some of Ivan Reis' greatest work of his career, Action Comics switches up a couple of artists, though all are top tier — first there's Patrick Gleason inked by himself (which is an absolutely different, much better thing than Patrick Gleason inked by Mick Gray, which is what you usually see when he does stuff with Tomasi, yuck), then there's an issue by Yannick Paquette, and the last half of the book is done by Ryan Sook, who I think might become the definitive Superman artist of this decade if he keeps it up. Long story short, Action Comics by Bendis looks fantastic, reads even better and promises a lot more interesting things to come, and that's more than I could wish for for my favourite DC character.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars. Awesome!! This is like a Superman crime/mystery book and I’m here for it. We learn why the fires have been happening all over Metropolis, we have the new hire at the Daily Planet, Miss Goode, who I feel is shady as hell, and we have a new villain, The Red Cloud causing havoc killing off mobsters. It’s all very interesting. Then we find out who the Red Cloud is and who bought the Daily Planet.🫨😮!! Man, so far Bendis is on a roll with this story.

[Wing Kee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the tone and the pace of this book!

World: The art is great, three amazing artists that bring their own style to Big Blue and it’s all gorgeous, from Gleason, to Pacquette to Sook this book is beautiful to look at, the splash pages were great, especially the ones of Supes running off to save the day. The world building is solid, this first arc is Bendis changing the status quo for the Kent family so that he can tell his story and there are is a bit of moving pieces around and changing the narrative and tone a bit. Gone is the happy family living together with a very public face to show (which I really enjoyed for the first part of the Rebirth era) and now this new changing of the status quo with the separated family but not really, I kinda am okay with it. I love Clark and Lois together happy and all and I know I’ll get that but narratively this allows each to be their own thing and also create drama so I like this little change. I also like the idea behind the Invisible Mafia as I find it to be well thought out and the design of the system interesting and one that does not depower Supes to tell a tale. Solid!

Story: The tone of this book is great! I don’t know why even with the same writer Superman feels different than Action Comics (I guess it’s on purpose and that book is going to be more sciency and crazy and actiony but this one is slower, this one is more slice of life and on the ground as it were and I love that. I didn’t hate Bendis’ Superman arc but I did find because I did not like Rogol I did not enjoy it as much. Here, it’s another thing altogether there is a beautiful balance between Clark and Supes and the new characters that play into the story are well done. The banter is great, the tone is wonderful and there is a hopefulness and also a quietness to the book that I really enjoy. I really liked the world building as I said above cause it ties into the story and this is not a stupid story, this is a story that does not need to depower Superman to tell a good story, this is a Superman story that is not stupid and I really like that. I like smart villains and I like that some things Supes can’t just punch to solve and this has both of those. I am enjoying this a lot.

Characters: So let’s talk about the new status quo for Lois and Clark, it’s a bit janky but it also makes sense in a narrative and dramatic sense. Happy Family Kents is great but let’s be honest, in stories happy situations don’t really create drama, suspense and tension that well. Putting them apart but not really apart allows their love and relationship to be present but opens the door for more drama and also a chance for Lois to step out of the shadow of being a homemaker/reporter/wife of Superman to be just Lois Lane and she can be awesome on her own. I’ve always wanted a Lois Lane book, I hope this leads to that! The Invisible Mafia is done well, the rules are consistent and the characters and the design of them intriguing, they are not stupid and I love that in a villain. The new pieces are also good with the deputy fire chief and also Lex coming back. I sense drama and that is a great thing!

I really enjoyed this arc, I like the new pieces, the new status quo, the smart villains I like it!

Onward to the next book!

*read individual issues*

[Baba · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is much more like Bendis of old... I recommend this and Man of Steel as the best Bendis 'caped' DC books. Bendis plays a great mystery arc with both Lois and Jon missing, new reporters at the Planet, both sniffing around Kent's personal life, some sneaking around by Luthor and the arson problem. Bendis works a nice idea in this volume and drops it quite well... crime goes on unabated in Metropolis.. how? Enter the Invisible Mafia! 8 out of 12

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a comic titled "Action Comics" this is way less action than the main Superman line comic. Saying that, this was pretty great.

Supes is dealing with losing both his wife and son. Both went on an adventure with grand old papa and now Clark is on earth trying to pass the time till he sees them again. It's only about 2 issues in when the first twist happens that'll change everything. On top of that we have a new villain in town, Red Cloud, as they go around making everyone suffer. Can Superman stop this new criminal or will they be too much?

Overall this is great. Clark is most interesting when he's most human and this shows on display really well. Watching Clark deal with the loss of his family is great too. The actual moments between husband and wife works really well too. The art is fantastic too. Overall, some great stuff. The new villain, while interesting, comes off kind of one note on what they want but we'll see if we grow from here. A 4 out of 5.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another divisive Bendis title for DC, but for my part I (mostly) enjoyed this one detailling how a mafia of organized and highly discreet criminals have been sinking their hooks into Metropolis right under the nose of "Big Blue."

The most annoying/contrived part, of course, deals with Lois Lane's ludicrous estrangement from Clark Kent...so she can write a book in Chicago? I needed to be sold a lot harder on this storyline and what the volume supplied fell far short.

Last thought: I enjoyed the clever opening page of each issue with nods and Easter eggs that Superman fans will appreciate.

[Molly™☺ · Rating 3 out of 5]

60% | C+ | Good

"I've seen them around. I think Batman has one. You know, Bat themed"

There's a new villain in town called Red Cloud, and they're currently running the city's criminal underworld. However, stopping Red Cloud isn't so easy for the Man of Steel when he has other things on his mind

I really like Bendis' portrayal of Superman / Clark Kent. I think he does a fabulous job with the character, being pretty on par with Venditti's writing in Superman: Man of Tomorrow. Where this volume falls flat for me is the story. It's not bad, it's just not something that's super engaging. I'm hoping that it will pick up in the next one as it definitely has potential and there are some clever ideas sprinkled in. Oh, and, for what it's worth, everyone's favourite character Copperhead is in this...💀

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the beginning of the Superman series by Bendis has been pretty weak, this first in-tandem volume of Bendis's Action Comics series is much more interesting. It's focus on the more street-level intrigue and Daily Planet dynamic is much more up my alley as Clark Kent and the folks at the Planet are beginning to discover a secret society running crime in the Metropolis underworld.

[Aldo Haegemans · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5/5

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, this is marginally better than the cosmic hoo-ha in Bendis' Superman ongoing, but this take on Superman fighting organized crime is a bit of a snooze despite Bendis' fine dialogue. Mostly, I didn't find much to care about anyone amongst Supes' supporting characters or his new foes. Also, I'm not a fan of the mafia-type groups this may be revamping (The 10, The 100, The 1000, Intergang) because in the past some of them have had ties to Jack Kirby's Fourth World nonsense. I might give this one more volume in the future if I come across it in the library, but I won't be seeking it out.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never been a huge Superman fan, but it's Bendis, you know? This is okay, though it does have shades of Scott Snyder's Court of Owls in the "invisible" mafia that secretly runs Metropolis. The artwork throughout is great--they got three great artists to work on this in Patrick Gleason, Ryan Sook, and Yanick Paquette, though I do have to wonder why the constant turnover...Anyway, as far as a Bendis comic goes, this was pretty much par for the course, I guess.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm trying to stay positive but it's really hard.

So all those concerns I had during The Man of Steel that I thought were just temporary? Yeah turns out that wasn't just a passing phase.

I understand Bendis wanting to put his own spin on Superman but he does it with all the subtly of a fucking sledge hammer. Clearly he didn't like Clark and Lois having a family so he's doing his best to break it and reform it in a way he wants. First he gets rid of Jon and then he has Lois acting completely out of character by acknowledging that Jon doesn't need her anymore. What? How does that fit in with literally everything we know about her relationship with her son?

It seems that Bendis wants to take Lois and Clark back to the characters they were thirty years ago, character development be damned.

The story itself involving the Invisible Mafia is fine, but in context of the reverse-character development it doesn't hold my interest.

I also hate the way Bendis writes Batman. Not everyone has to be a quirky joke maker, dude. On the plus side at least he didn't drop some Yiddish.

What did I like? The art was fantastic, I like the way Bendis writes Perry White and Jimmy Olsen and I like the Deputy Fire Chief.

But man, I didn't like where things seemed to be heading most of the last volume and I like it even less here. I'm not sure whether I'm going to keep reading these Superman books at this rate. And that really fucking sucks because in the last few years I have loved what Dan Jurgens and Peter Tomasi did with Clark, Lois and Jon, and right now it's all being undone and rebuilt in a way that is quickly destroying my interest.

I know this is all personal opinion and I'm sure Bendis has reinvigorated lots of interest in the character, but it comes at the expense of anyone who loved the Clark-Lois-Jon dynamic. That's gone and it's not coming back.

[Sud666 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This volume collects Action Comics #1001-1006. The story arc is called "Invisible Mafia". Superman must face off against a mysterious foe named the Red Cloud, while an underground orginization is trying to frame Superman for misdeeds. I was hoping for more this being a bendis comic and I tend to like bendis written comics. This one isn't bad and there is that trademark humor, but the story is rather banal. A vast majority of the action in these Action Comics revolved around exposition between Clark and Lois, as well as Clark's interactions with the idiot reporters of the Daily Planet. Again, this isn't bad or awful but it's emminenetly forgettable. The artwork for the first five issues is quite good. Not the best first volume but I'll keep an eye out for more to see if this series has any hope of being good.

[Xavier Hugonet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This first volume of Action Comics by Bendis also picks up plot points started in his Man of Steel mini (which definitely doesn’t stand on its own). What were minor events in the mini, the rash of arson, turns out into the most interesting of the follow ups. For from the pure sci-fi of the Superman title, we get Supes and Clark Kent doing their stuff in Metropolis, investigating the criminal elements. The Daily Planet and its staff are heavily featured, and even city politics.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disjointed flow to the story but interesting artwork.

MY GRADE: C plus.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think overall I enjoyed this one more than Superman. And the art is better.

[Rory Wilding · Rating 4 out of 5]

During his time at DC, Marvel’s top writer Brian Michael Bendis seems like an obvious choice to write Superman, although sadly his six-issue miniseries The Man of Steel felt like such a superficial read that takes a step-backwards after progressing the character during Rebirth. After the dull set-up from said miniseries, I have now read the first volumes of both Superman and Action Comics, the former of which is a decent start showcasing the cosmic side of the Man of Steel’s adventures that will hopefully get better.

With Action Comics, it is not so much about the superhero action than it is about exploring Clark Kent, one of the Daily Planet’s investigative reporters, as he investigates a number of mysterious fires occurring through the streets of Metropolis. Whilst he is still mourning over the absence of his wife Lois Lane and their son Jonathan, Clark faces a new threat known as the Red Cloud that has ties with an “invisible mafia” that has been secretly operating the city’s underworld without Superman having any knowledge of.

In terms of the villains here, it does seem like Bendis is trying to do for Superman what Scott Snyder did when he co-created the Court of Owls during his New 52 Batman run. I don’t necessarily think you can place the Man of Steel into a story where he is psychologically challenged in the same way as his friend from Gotham City, and the villains themselves are the least interesting thing in this volume as they’re still hiding in the shadows, whilst the reveal of the Red Cloud wasn’t that surprising.

Having previously made his name at Marvel for his crime comics with a superhero twist, Bendis puts a lot of his sensibilities in this title, which although is on a smaller scale compared to the cosmic angle from Bendis’s other Supes book, Action Comics blends intimate character drama and a street-based investigative thriller that cleverly balances the dual personas of Clark Kent/Superman. With the main setting being the Daily Planet, it is an environment where everyone has their own distinct voice and is heard, whether is the bossy nature of editor-in-chief Perry White or the youthful charm of photographer Jimmy Olsen.

As for Clark Kent, Bendis knows how to write the hero in his duality. Superman may be the most powerful superhero in the DC universe, but the writer isn’t interested in depicting him as a man of action, with the only few grand action set-pieces are presented in a couple of double page-spreads that occur in mid-conversation. Bendis is all about the words and even when Superman does prevent crime, he is using his empathy to get the job done, leading to some funny results as well as summing up what makes this hero so poignant. Although I have criticised Bendis for taking Superman a step backwards from his role as a family man, Bendis is quickly rectified this with both titles and in issue #1004, it showcases the love between Clark and Lois that is not only romantic, but is also shaping into something new.

Despite a common problem with Bendis, which is his desire to collaborate with every artist who has ever lived, the collaboration with three artists here isn’t as jarring. Beginning with the first two issues drawn by Patrick Gleason, who has previously made a run at the main Superman title with Peter Tomasi, continues to do stellar work as his presentation of Metropolis is stunning. Afterwards, the always great Yanick Paquette does one issue and shows off his skill of disorientating panel layouts in a suspenseful sequence featuring Kryptonite. The rest of the volume is drawn by Ryan Sook, who had done covers for Superman: American Alien, and although his style is similar to Paquette’s, has already proved himself to be one of the best artists on Superman.

The main plot involving the Red Cloud might be lacking, but Bendis takes his sensibilities where he did his best work at Marvel and successfully applies it to the streets of Metropolis, with a spot-on approach to the heroism of Superman.

[Lashaan Balasingam · Rating 4 out of 5]

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You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.

With The Man of Steel marking his debut into Superman’s lore, writer Brian Michael Bendis now has his knees deep in the only two comic book runs featuring the Big Blue Boy Scout: Superman and Superman: Action Comics. While the first volume of Superman, The Unity Saga – Phantom Earth, was an action-packed exploration of the iconic heroes’ most prominent traits, from his charisma to his sensational physical abilities, as well as the history of Krypton, the first volume of Superman: Action Comics, The Invisible Mafia takes on a completely different tone and direction as it focuses on Clark Kent and the history of Metropolis. To simultaneously pen both existing Superman comic book runs is a colossal task, but it has also proven to be an original and efficient way to mold the character’s stories to the writer’s satisfaction as Brian Michael Bendis writes both story arcs in a congruent fashion without ever feeling redundant.

What is Superman: Action Comics: The Invisible Mafia about? Collecting issues #1001-1006, this story arc brings us back to the numerous mysterious fires occurring throughout Metropolis that not even the world’s greatest hero could stop. As Clark Kent, Daily Planet’s most resourceful investigative reporter, the streets of Metropolis remain silent as rumours circulate that maybe our hero has decided to embrace some darkness and burn down houses for mere pleasure. While the enigma continues to haunt Clark Kent and Superman, the absence of his wife Lois Lane and son Jonathan Kent leads him to go on unfocused and disturbed in his daily routine. It doesn’t help when a new threat known as the Red Cloud looks to rule the city’s underworld.

Remember how Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo effortlessly introduced the Court of Owls into Gotham’s mythology? Brian Michael Bendis looks to create the same staggering extension to Superman’s lore through this new series by introducing the Invisible Mafia. With much slower pacing focused on developing Clark Kent’s struggles as he progressively acknowledges the void in his heart with the absence of his loved ones, the story doesn’t hurry into unveiling too much too quickly, building a sense of suspense as to who’s behind all the futile crimes occurring throughout Metropolis. Interlaced with some exciting revelations, sometimes a bit predictable, Brian Michael Bendis still succeeds in setting the table for this series as he centers the narrative around the journalist rather than the superhero, allowing us to emotionally relate to the character.

Unsurprisingly, Brian Michael Bendis continues to put his characters at the forefront of his stories as he deepens their internal conflicts while marrying them with their complex relationships with one another. While he does rip his way into his Superman costume a couple of times and showcase his valorous ways to defuse situations with words rather than violence, this story arc still curates its narrative into a mystery drenched in investigative journalism. Furthermore, attesting to the stellar quality of this much more human story, the artwork also plays a huge role in conveying these ideas that are infused in Clark Kent’s character, where he is always attentive for leads and ready for well-founded stories that don’t put people into harm’s way. Patrick Gleason’s and Yanick Paquette’s artwork does give the story the edge it needs to make it visually stunning but I struggled with certain facial expressions are drawn by Ryan Sook that had me less enthused. Nonetheless, the overall quality, while unfortunately not always consistent, does offer a rather compelling visual treatment.

A special mention here for those full-page shots of certain character’s desks filled with little details on Bendis’ and DC’s publishing projects as well as insightful and funny memos related to certain characters. This gave every issue a fun little kick start that was adequately meta.

Superman: Action Comics: Invisible Mafia is a splendid portrayal of Clark Kent’s character in the midst of the rise of a secret organization with great visual art to accompany the hero’s hunt for answers.

Yours truly,

Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hats off to Bendis for managing to make this book feel entirely different to the main Superman title. He can't seem to write one book at a time when he handles a franchise (looking at you, Avengers and X-Men), but at least he manages to differentiate between the two titles here - for example, I actually enjoyed this one.

The first half is slow as hell, I'll admit. It seems like Bendis wants to tell a gritty crime story, but has Superman in it just because he can. It's only in the second half that it truly justifies itself as a Superman book - issue 1004 is basically just Superman and Lois talking, and it's a) free of excessive Bendis speak and b) really damn good. The crime story itself is interesting, despite the fact that it's all new characters so it's hard to care too much, and the mystery of the Red Cloud can only really be one of two people given the circumstances, but I did enjoy seeing it all unfold, and the idea of the Invisible Mafia is fun.

And of course, Bendis gets all the best artists. It says something when you open a run with Patrick Gleason and he's the weakest artist on the book - he pencils two issues, with Ryan Sook also taking two and Yannick Paquette taking the middle one. This is a beautiful book from start to finish, even if the story's lacking in the first few issues.

But Rogol Zaar's nowhere in sight, which makes this Bendis' best Superman foray so far, and that means a hell of a lot given how much I hate that guy.

[Tom Ewing · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t read this for ages because Bendis’ initial Superman collection was so underwhelming - and it turns out to be vastly better, mostly because it’s playing on turf he knows and writes well - newsrooms, mobsters, shenanigans, but all with a larger-than-life superheroic twist.

The Invisible Mafia of the title is the perfect example of his approach - a concept that’s clever but also superbly goofy in a somehow very DCish way: a group of mob bosses who have figured out that Supes handles crime in Metropolis mostly by keeping his ears open and so operate without ever mentioning words like Superman, kryptonite, etc. It falls apart if you think about it for fifteen seconds but that’s not the point - Bendis takes it only as seriously as he needs to to tell a good story. (It’s also nice to read a comic in which Batman makes a mistake!)

Clean-lined 00s DC veterans Ryan Sook and Yannick Paquette are on art and deliver a terrifically beefy Clark Kent and a varied supporting cast - the art pays attention to clothes and body types in a way that’s essential for a book where the city (and citizens) are as much the stars as the hero is. All in all, the most satisfyingly ‘DC feeling’ of anything I’ve read from the company in ages.

[Aggelos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super-crime drama.

Bendis known for his crime works brings that same energy to Superman. What I like about Bendis' Superman works is that they are ambitious and they make sense. How can crime exist in the city of Superman? How can a simple crime organization escape a speeding bullet, that can hear everything at once, see behind walls and beat you up in the blink of an eye? How you make sure the man who can do everything doesn't notice you?

They are some negatives though. The romantic sub-plot doesn't resolve satisfactory and it is unclear what actually changed. The plethora of artists - although all are great- creates visual inconsistencies. In man of steel the different artists worked because it was in part a tribute title, here it's jarring.

Great idea. Solid execution.

[Jared · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Excited for volume 2

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 5 out of 5]

After disappointingly mediocre volumes of The Man of Steel and Superman from Bendis, here at last is the comic we might have hoped for from him.

The notable improvement is in large part because it appears that Bendis has decided to clearly delineate the two books: Superman is the big cosmic adventure superhero book, while Action Comics is the down-to-earth story about Clark and his coworkers (and yeah, Clark is Superman too). The thing is, Bendis is tons better about writing the latter than the former (at least in view of the intro volumes of each, but it's not surprising given his past work).

This volume is just full of greatness: Clark working as a reporting, Clark as a family man, the rest of the Daily Planet staff, the mystery of an interesting new villain, and the mystery of what's going on with Lois. Even when Bendis makes a weird misstep with an evolving relationship for Lois & Clark, you can see the edges of how it could be interesting.

I think it's easier to write a great volume of Superman that focuses on Clark as a member of human society rather than Superman as a member of superhero society. I hope we'll continue to see more strong work from Bendis in this space.

[John Yelverton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I realize that Brian Michael Bendis is world building here, but whereas he's being true to the Superman character, he's being untrue to all the supporting characters. It's a tired trope that has been going on far too long in Superman books, and I hope that he reverses course soon before people rage quit this book series on him too.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay. I think the art was the best part of this book. But I should read the volume prior to this to find out why the family is split.

[Rolando Marono · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me sigue sorprendiendo lo que Bendis está haciendo con Superman. Si bien la serie principal del personaje lidia con los asuntos grandes sobre lo Kriptón y Rogor Zal, Action Comics se concentra en los incendios, e increíblemente, crímenes locales de Metropolis. Eso es algo que no había visto en el personaje. Es común que en las distintas series lo veamos enfrentarse a gente súper poderosa que está atacando la ciudad, pero ahora vemos como reaccionan los sindicatos criminales ante la amenaza que representa Superman.
Me gustó el sindicato del crimen.
Me gustó también como pintan a Metropolis como una ciudad sin crimen, el sueño de Batman por ejemplo. Era algo de esperarse debido a la omnipotencia de Superman, si puede escucharlo todo y verlo todo, ¿Quién se atrevería a cometer un crimen? Los detalles que mencionan algunos personajes sobre el crimen, ayudan a construir el mundo en el que habita Superman y eso es un gran acierto de Bendis.
Me gustaron los pequeños detalles que humanizan a Superman. Vemos varios momentos en los que empatiza y lo vemos como el "niño grandote" que es. Esta serie la sentí, en tono, mucho más ligera y fresca que la serie principal. Me gustó mucho el tono y el tipo de historia que está contando Bendis en Action Comics.
No me gustó el retorno de Lois. Está muy anti climático, no explica bien nada de lo que sucedió para que regresara. Las razones que da para no regresar a casa no tienen sentido alguno. Es curioso porque fue Bendis quien la envió lejos junto con Jon en Man of Steel, ¿Por qué se echó para atrás tan pronto? ¿Por qué Lois no se enojó por no tener comunicación con Superman? etc. Tampoco me gustó como la escribe Bendis, en las cuatro páginas que aparece, dice 8 veces bebé para referirse a Superman. Iugh.
Tampoco me gustó mucho la villana nube roja. Es interesante la dinámica que Bendis está generando, pero sus poderes específicamente no fueron de mi agrado. Supongo que en algún otro tomo nos dirán cómo obtuvo sus poderes, etc.
La serie principal me había gustado, pero creo que Action Comics me gustó más. El tono que usa le sienta bien al personaje, finalmente tenemos una historia de mafia y crimen con Superman, ese es el fuerte de Bendis así que estoy expectante para ver qué hace con eso.