Action Comics #1084 review

It’s the final chapter of the Force Majeure story, in which Superman has been trying to find out why supervillain turned Justice Leaguer Major Disaster went back to the bad. The trail has led to Intergang boss Bruno Mannheim, whose latest plot involves selling DNA from willing supervillains to parties who want to live longer. The problem is that the act leaves the donor feeling empty, hopeless. Having been confronted by Superman – Mannheim’s intermediary Scorch had teleported the hero to his otherworldly realm – the gangster’s customers show up to share their viewpoint.

Unsurprisingly, a fight breaks out… and the bad guys prove surprisingly adept.

Scorch, who had been trying to walk a straight line before getting involved with Mannheim’s technically legal scheme, finds her better instincts coming to the fore.

Eventually, desperadoes dispatched, Scorch takes Superman to someone who can give him the whole truth about why Major Disaster is in prison for allowing a man to die during a robbery.

And after the truth comes out, Superman is faced with a tough decision.

I liked most of this issue a lot. The new villains, who go by the stupidly enjoyable name of The Foreverers, are a lot of fun, and look great in the battle scenes as drawn by Inaki Miranda. And writer John Ridley does a good job of having the main man, the Ducorette, slide from affable fellow to vengeful varlet.

I was pleased by Penny’s revelations, sad as they are, as they contribute to the glacial character development of Major Disaster. Short version? She killed the guy, it was an accident, but her previously deadbeat dad is taking the rap. The acting from Miranda’s pencil is first rate, and the autumnal colours of Eva De La Cruz are gorgeous but, sadly, the scene leads to the problematic aspect of the issue.

If there’s a #TeamLois hashtag, I’m there. I have sympathy with Penny, but it’s for the courts to administer punishment, not the Titans (what that means, we’re not told). She should accept responsibility, take her punishment, address her hot temper and work towards getting back into society. Rather than taking Penny’s punishment, Major Disaster could be a good father by supporting his daughter every step of the way.

Society has not made Superman judge and jury, he has no business covering up a case of manslaughter. And given she sees this too, why is Lois letting her husband off so lightly? She should be giving talented letterer Dave Sharpe a chance to use some noisy-looking fonts.

The heavy-handed picture of entitlement painted by the Foreverers is actually kind of fun, and Ridley should have left the social comment there.

Overall, I’ve enjoyed the last three issues by Ridley, Miranda and friends. Lots of action, interesting villains old and new, some intriguing skulduggery and a look at Clark actually doing some investigative journalism. The problem is – and it’s pretty fundamental – that Ridley really does not get the Man of Steel. The cocky scrapper in the fight scenes is a nice Golden Age throwback, but the gloom-struck hero in the first chapter and this issue’s morally confused character just isn’t Superman.

Or am I wrong? I’d love to hear your views on this story.