Action Comics #867 review

Hide and Seek

Purty good.

Starts off with Brainiac making his way towards some planet while Superman and Supergirl are examining the robot Superman fought in the last issue. Superman is convinced that the robot is Brainiac while Supergirl sets him straight. Apparently, no one has ever met the real Brainiac. Oh ho. After talking with Supergirl, Clark goes to his parents to let him know he's going into space. While this doesn't please Ma Kent at all, Pa Kent offers up his support while reminiscing about things Clark did when he was a kid. Back at the Daily Planet, Clark is informing Lois while finishing some work when the idiot sports editor comes along making an ass out of himself (funny moment here). After this we jump into space seeing Supes study some of those handy crystals, researching the events immediately after Kandor was bottled up. Zod, of course, wants action while Non is cut off for just bringing up Jor-El's name. Before Superman has a chance to research further, he ses a nearby planet under attack. By Brainiac. Perfect. He goes out in defense of these weird little aliens, kicking some robot ass before seeing Brainiac's ship hover over head. The ship bottles the city before sending out a missile into the planet's star, causing it to explode. Superman...survives! Back to way too powerful Superman again, ay? Anyway, so he's unconscious and Brainiac, who's been searching for a Kryptonian, I suppose Superman, finally captures him at issue's end.

Overall, this issue is just a little fillery but still an immensely satisfying read. The reason it's fillery is Clark's stop at his parents and at the Daily Planet. We didn't necessarily need more sentimentality from Pa Kent, but even so it was a very nice character moment. Johns, and most every Superman writer it seems, has fun making up oddball childhood stories about Clark Kent. It was very sugary sweet. I guess it might be necessary for Johns to do this, however, since they might be killing Pa for good sometime down the line.

The Daily Planet stuff was pretty funny. Again, Johns has a lot of fun with this. The moment when the sport editor comes on he's being a total fucking douche, tossing his football this way and that. Tosses it right into the back of Clark's head. God bless Gary Frank cause he nails the look on Clark's face. Very, "I can't believe I put up with this shit." Very laugh out loud moment and with the day I've had, I sympathized greatly.

What I also greatly appreciated about this issue was some clarification about Kandor. I remember reading in an earlier issue, Action Comics Annual #10 I think, that it was blown off Krypton's moon, but apparently that was a colony of Kandor and not Kandor itself. Now, that entire scene with Supergirl...I'll probably never give this Supergirl a chance. Personally, after Didio gave (or at least is trying to give) Peter David's Supergirl the heave ho out of DCU continuity and for the fact that Kara Zor El is such a dingbat I will never say that this is a worthwhile character. Flighty, slutty, useless. Given that, Johns makes Kara almost worthwhile. Recounting the tale about Kandor and Brainiac, she shows a degree of emotional depth that makes her, almost, sympathetic. Still not Linda Danvers, though.

It's a worthwhile read, lots of good moments even if it doesn't drive the story forward too much. Regardless, Johns and Frank continue putting out the best Superman stories I think I've ever had the pleasure to read. Very much worth the $3 bucks and change.