Broken Frontier

The first 5 pages of this one-shot are silent, but that’s not a bad thing. It acts as a reminder of the death of Clark’s adopted father from last month and also sets the tone for the rest of the issue. In Geoff Johns’ hands, Superman has never seemed so – relatable. Not that I can identify with a powerful superhero but Johns seems intent on imbuing Action Comics with a real sense of humanity, even when the rest of the DCU is becoming more grandiose and unapproachable. For those who miss All Star Superman, you may want to pick this series up. Yes, that’s a strange comparison but both Johns and Grant Morrison have a love for the character and are focused on exploring the simplicity of what makes him a lasting pop culture icon.

Here, that respect for Superman’s character continues, with Johns being joined by writers Sterling Gates and James Robinson. After Pa Kent’s silent funeral, Superman goes on a rampage for the ‘man’ responsible—Brainiac—and dishes out some hard justice but finds himself not feeling any better. So instead he takes his wife’s advice, and reminisces on all the good memories he’s shared with his father, but there’s still a sense of loss and longing. Superman won’t be the same after this, like anyone who grieves for a loved one. The introduction of 100,000 Kryptonians, recently rescued from Brainiac by the Man of Steel is an interesting, and unexpected, plot device. As Clark farewells his earthly father, he welcomes a city full of citizens from his home planet. This will undoubtedly lead to some emotional confusion and internal upheaval for Kal-El. The Superman creators have not been shy in stating that this new wave of Kryptonians isn’t necessarily a good thing for the (No Longer) Last Son of Krypton as some will see Earth as a potential new Krypton while others may join Supes in his never ending battle. Superman’s list of friends and foes will be adding more than a few names in the coming months to be sure.

Agent Assassin and a number of scientists try in vain to gain what data they can from the captive Brainiac, while being overseen by a shadowy military figure, whose identity isn’t revealed until the last page. At the same time, Superman does some exploring of his own and visits Kandor and in particular his relatives Zor-El and Alura – Supergirl’s parents. They discuss the future, their burgeoning powers and cultural issues but the quiet conflict of Superman’s realism and Zor and Alura’s wide-eyed optimism will surely lead to heated arguing down the track, as these long lost relatives catch up and realise how different they really are. This is highlighted in the moment when a Kandorian brings back a dead blue whale because, "It tried to eat me." In anyone else’s hands this could be an amusing scene, but here it cements for Clark (and us) the growing unease of Earth’s latest batch of superpowered individuals.

The issue ends with another silent page, this time focusing on Martha Kent’s new widow status, in a very effective manner, a Lois chat with Jimmy, a Lois chat with her sister and another chat between Lex Luthor and the general who wants to recruit him against what he sees as a Kryptonian invasion. All this is a great set-up for what Johns and co. will tackle in the New Krypton cross-over in Action Comics, Superman and Supergirl. The art in this one-shot is handled by a variety of artists, as is often the case with these extra-sized specials. It doesn‘t seem jarring, with each capable artist (Gary Frank, Pete Woods and Renato Guedes) working on a particular sequence it gives the issue a flow while focusing on all the ramifications of what this new state means for Superman and those around him. And if you feel all these events are hard to keep track of, fear not - the numbering system from the 90s is back, so now all you need to do is look in the top right corner to follow the whole saga, and by the looks of this issue, a saga it most certainly will be.