‘Action Comics Annual 2022’ Review
Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Si Spurrier | Art by Dale Eaglesham, Ian Churchill | Published by DC Comics
I had an argument not long ago with a friend of mine who tried to persuade me that there were simply no new stories about Superman left to tell. I’m a huge Superman fan of course, and I had to defend The Man of Steel. I argued back, explaining that I thought the exact opposite. The sign of a strong character is one who can adapt to the times, one that can work as well in 2022 as he did in 1938, and Superman is most definitely that. Good characters generate good stories, always. Yes, a lot of stories have been written about Superman down the years, thousands I would wager, but I had great belief in the creators on this book, that they would write ‘their’ Superman, and show that there are many more stories to come.
Let’s take a look.
Stories that take you back to Smallville certainly aren’t unique, in fact we’ve seen every retcon and filling in of continuity gaps you could imagine, and yet Johnson and Spurrier here manage to deliver quite a fresh take. It’s a story designed to again show us how the Clark we have today, with his definite sense of right and wrong, came to be. On this occasion, young Clark is having trouble with a new classmate called Caleb Withers, so much so he uses his powers secretly to beat him at soccer. Ma Kent explains to him why that’s wrong, even though Caleb is not exactly the nicest kid in the world. This alone would make an interesting story, but we then switch to seeing another youngster growing up and finding his feet. This youngster, though, is the son of Mongul, and his upbringing is as brutal as Clark’s is serene.
The comparison between the two is interesting, and at first glance you wouldn’t think there is much in common between Clark and the future Mongul. It seems there is. Mothers. Both the mothers are integral to the story here, Clark’s to guide him along the right moral path, Mongul’s to show him how strength and dominance is the only way to rise to the top of their dog-eat-dog world. Ma Kent’s strength comes from her willpower, to successfully raise a boy with superpowers while enduring chemotherapy and an uncertain future… Mongul’s mothers’ strength comes from her singlemindedness, from her obsession in ensuring her son becomes Mongul’s successor.
Clark meanwhile discovers things aren’t always as cut and dried as you think. He discovers ‘horrible’ Caleb comes from a broken home, raised by an abusive drunken father. Clark learns that turning the other cheek is not a weakness but a strength, and when Caleb hits him he stays down, and realization hits Caleb that he’s on a path he doesn’t want to be on either. It’s a little cliché, but beautifully written, and has Superman written all over it. The violent rise of Mongul is intercut through Clark’s story, as his mother drags him up, through every trial, until she pays the ultimate price. She probably didn’t mind, as this spurred Mongul on to become the great warlord he became.
Overall, this is a great standalone story, and yet one that slots nicely into the current Warworld storyline. We see the origins of Clark’s goodness, and Mongul’s ‘badness’, and how both those things define their adult selves. There’s some very nice writing in here, and the theme that one life can make a difference is beautifully done, and of course captures the optimistic tone of a Superman story perfectly. We can still hate Mongul but having seen his upbringing we understand why he is the way he is. The art is excellent throughout, Eaglesham and Churchill being two of my favourite artists anyway. They never disappoint, and there are some lovely individual Superman panels. The colouring also has its part to play, the lightness of Clark’s story contrasted with the dark colours of Mongul’s. Superb creative team telling a superb tale, simple as that.
No more Superman stories left to tell. I think not. Just look up in the sky… Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s…
You get the picture.
