Action Comics #1022

Surprisingly, just when it seemed Bendis and Romita were going to run Action Comics straight into the ground, the pair with apparently a lot of help from Danny Miki right the ship mostly in Action Comics #1022. Even if one has to suffer through the terrible status quo changes wrought by Bendis on the Super-family, the actual content is a huge step up from the “Doom” arc. Danny Miki is the star of the art as his inks on Romita, Jr. breathe new life into the look of the book. And, Bendis finally has something interesting to say about the Invisible Mafia for the first time in nearly two years. Two years! In the long run, it's too little too late, but perhaps he can at least finish his first story arc..finally? Read Full Review

But that darkish ending only makes the earlier happiness that much brighter. And thank you Brian Michael Bendis!! Read Full Review

This seriescontinues to impress and delight! Read Full Review

Action Comics #1022 delivers on so many different levels. It's a quiet spot after the sturm and drang of the last story. Read Full Review

This issue was far from filler and builds out the kind of backstory that fills in the gaps and makes stories feel whole. Read Full Review

If you are a fan of Conner Kent than this is the comic for you. How he will fit into the new DC Universe seems to be starting to come together. Action Comics has been a dense title dragged down by its connection to Leviathan, but it is finally finding some clarity. This Superboy arc seems like it will be an important piece of continuity. Read Full Review

This book is fleshing out Superman's world like we haven't seen since the 90s, and that's its biggest strength. Read Full Review

The issue's B-story continues the fallout of The Daily Planet's recent woes (keeping that plot thread alive), but this issue is primarily about re-incorporating another character back into the Kent family. Read Full Review

Bendis launches an exciting investigation and the art team complements his script with striking settings and facial expressions. Read Full Review

John Romita Jr does some fine work in this issue. With the absence of action, Romita Jr is given the opportunity to focus on the characters, which is where his art shines. Read Full Review

Action Comics #1,022 is a strong issue that suffers from a few minor setbacks. The art is strong, but it doesn't play to the artists' strengths the way it could. The character banter is solid, but it sheds light on some annoyances with the continuity. These flaws don't overshadow the well-written dialogue and plotting that this issue offers. Action Comics, much to my delight, appears to be on the rise once again. Read Full Review

Action Comics #1022 (Bendis, Romita Jr., Miki, Anderson) continues to show how well Bendis and Romita Jr. work together. The dust is still settling since the previous issue, but a strange family reunion leaves Superman with more questions than answers. Read Full Review

While Superman's recent reboots create continuity tangles, Bendis effectively crafts a rewarding narrative that works for fans of each generation of Supermen. The interactions of the Superman's son Jon, Superman's partial clone Conner, and Superman provide new ground for stories and new opportunities for all three characters. Read Full Review

After a rough start, I ended up enjoying this issue.  It felt big and important and even mixed in some feel-good moments to boot.  I am still not a fan of John Romita Jr's recent art, this included, but this is one of the better Bendis issues I have read in quite some time. Read Full Review

While messy yet simultaneously confusing and unnecessary, 'Action Comics' #1022 redeems itself with return-to-form work from the art department and heartfelt characterization from BMB. Read Full Review

Watching Conner interact with Clark's son Jon is a fun dynamic, but the real heartfelt moments are seeing him come face-to-face with Ma and Pa Kent " there are echoes of Geoff Johns' DC Universe Rebirth Special here, but there's a reason why that was so effective. Read Full Review

Absence hasnt made the heart fonder with this book, which remains as cluttered and clunky as its ever been in the Bendis era. Read Full Review

The current run of Action Comics is honestly a mess and understandably so. There are a lot of moving parts, a lot of things unexplained and it's not always the easiest to read and this is especially true in Action Comics #1022. Read Full Review

Despite the lackluster story, there's at least inking of Danny Miki and the colors of Brad Anderson to elevate the book. They save the artwork from the half-finished sketch level quality that John Romita, Jr. has been phoning in on this series for way too long. Read Full Review

The problem is that I had a real hard time keeping focused or even interested in the happenings of this book. John Romita Jr. on the art can't even save this book. It is an unfortunate mess of a comic series at this point. Read Full Review

cincyfan

Sep 09, 2020

I really enjoyed this book it was very well written and intriguing. I am very interested to see what comes next in this story arc! I’m still not a fan of the art however it seemed a little better. I really don’t understand all the negativity smh but oh well to each their own

M1sf1r3

Jul 29, 2020

Prelude: Well.... Metropolis Burning was definitely.... something. Let's hope The House of Kent is better. The Good: It was nice seeing the Kents again. The Bad: Continuity is rather weird with Connor and Clark. Characterization of Brainiac-5 is way off. JRJR art just isn't working for me still. Conclusion: That was an issue. I just feel rather meh about the whole thing.

Comics Code Authorities

Jun 17, 2020

From what I've read, critics and viewers certainly have a different opinion on this one. And I'm afraid I'll have to side with my fellow viewers. This was a slow and boring issue. I'm so sick of the Invisible mafia, especially Red Cloud I just don't care anymore. And Connor meeting Jon was dry and Bor-ring. While I'm glad Conner is back to his original look (I really hated the black shirt, jeans and awful haircut he had in the '00s) and the Kents are back I'm afraid that's all I can acknowledge positively. The rest is as stale as we all seem to be finding Bendis' tenure writing Superman books anymore. I read on the Superman Homepage that Bendis is leaving the Superman titles soon. I personally think it's for the best. If he doesn't undo th is identity revelation B.S. he's dumped on us I sure hope the next writers do, and fast. If it were up to me I'd get Tomasi and Jurgens back, or Robert Venditti, who, in my book has proven himself to be a great Superman writer through the "Man of Tomorrow" online series. But they really should let a different writer tackle each title. It gives them a different element than one another. Another thing I'd like to see (But likely won't) is Jon restored to his youth. He was the only one who could bring out the better in Damian. And I actually liked seeing Clark and Lois juggle parenthood with the rest of their crazy lives. As for Bendis and Romita, I think this run proves they're both better suited for Marvel than DC. Finally, this poorly made waste of 4 bucks' biggest disappointment is it's an issue of Action comics with no real action. more

+ Like • Comments (2)

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• RKS
• leoleol_m

RKS - Jul 17, 2020

The "Critics" are bought and paid for. If you want honesty then read the User Reviews. As for Action Comics it needs a new writer and new artist badly.

Comics Code Authorities - Jul 19, 2020

True. Very true.

InsanePeasant

Jun 02, 2020

Nice to see Brainiac 5 in Superman, but this issue is still pretty weak to me. Im just not a fan of the art, and the Jon/Conner meeting was disappointing. Also the dialogue is kinda bad. Will probably drop after this issue. Btw, I read that Matt Lloyd review and this site didn’t use the right score on it. No making a thing of it, just trying to be helpful.

Briton

Jul 22, 2020

Absolute codswallop.

Spacey Medicine

Jun 09, 2020

The writing remains so, so bad and the art made it look like everybody was giving everybody else fuck-me eyes. Distressing.

Psycamorean

Jun 04, 2020

This is just such a mess. You can have comics with multiple stories running through them. Those stories can be very complicated and nuanced too. You can do it! I've seen it done! But by "you", I don't mean Bendis. I don't remember his other work being quite so convoluted and embarrassing. I think this is a new frontier for Bendis' decline. Sure, he's had runs where plot details are barely explained or referenced, and seemingly slapped together in a haze of smug. But this is just on a whole new level. It'd be impressive if I didn't have to read it. And you know what doesn't help a written mess? Adding messy art to it. John Romita Jr. did some great work back in... 2000. His run with J. Michael Straczynski on Amazing Spider-Man was honestl y good. I compared that series with the last issue of this title, and the difference is palpable. It's unfortunate, but JRJr is past his prime, and giving him a book with multiple look alike characters makes it all the more evident that we're in for a convoluted saga that will progressively get worse. There's one page near the end of this issue that made me feel dizzy. It was the page with the Kents and a bunch of headshots of the various Supermen. It gave me a headache. This series makes me feel shitty. more

Watchtower022

Jun 04, 2020

Conner Kent is a true favorite of mine and Bendis can not write him. Actually, judging by this issue, it doesn’t seem theres much Bendis can write other than babbling characters. And Romita Jr. can only draw one character. So awful.

RKS

Jul 17, 2020

This book is a mess, the concept of having Conner back is good but having him in a different world is garbage. Just restore the Pre 52 time line in full. That's it, problem solved just accept that the N52 should be burnt to ashes and never spoken of again and everything will be fine. As for the art, it looks like the artist drew this with his wrong hand which was broken at the time.