
Mild Mannered Reviews - Regular Superman Comics

Action Comics #857
Scheduled to arrive in stores: October 24, 2007Cover date: Early December 2007
Writer: Geoff Johns and Richard Donner
Penciller: Eric Powell
Inker: Eric Powell
"Escape From Bizarro World: Chapter Three"
Reviewed by: Neal Bailey
Clark recalls his father exploring his powers with him.
In the present, Superman, Bizarro, and Pa stand before the Bizarro JLA, which attempts to intervene, but instead catastrophically falls all over themselves before the Yellow Lantern is pulled back to Sinestro headquarters.
Bizarro, seeing he's losing JLA members, uses his Bizarro vision to make more characters, Robin, Green Arrow, and Aquaman. All are promptly crushed by Luthor's Bizarro Doomsday.
Doomsday attacks Pa, and Superman blasts out with a rainbow ray of vision, which hits Pa. Doomsday staggers under Superman, only to be finished off by Pa, who now has powers thanks to "Superman Vision" under a blue sun.
Superman and Bizarro scheme to make things better.
Superman flies around, fixing things, to the horror of the people of Bizarro World. Bizarro stops Superman and smashes things, making the people of Bizarro World think him their savior again.
Pa and Superman depart in peace after Bizarro gives Pa a suit. At home, Pa amuses himself attempting to lift a tractor.
On Bizarro World, Bizarro Brainiac is foiled, and Bizarro is once again the hero of the people.
Story - 2: Wow, that one fell apart. I'm utterly astonished, given that this is Geoff Johns working on this. I mean, I think the last time I gave Johns a bad review was WAY back on the DC1st comics, where he did Abra Kadabra, as I recall, and it sat as ridiculous with me.
Here, the problem is things that I KNOW Johns knows better than to do, which is why it's all the more astonishing.
First, he critically and constantly flubs the Bizarro dialogue in this episode, something I'm pretty notoriously picky about, switching between affirmative equals negative, and bad grammar Bizarro. IE: "Me am so stupid, you are wrong!" can either mean, "I'm stupid, and you're wrong." Or "I'm so smart, and you're so right." But either way, it has to stay consistent, it can't alternate, and the former is not preferable to the latter in almost any Bizarro story for me.
Also, there is some extrapolation through dialogue (though admittedly, it's justified, given that Pa would ask that question of Clark, prompting him to explain Bizarro vision).
The Bizarro JLA lacks a uniqueness, and seems played for laughs, but the laughs often clunk with rare exception because the dialogue is not in Bizarro speak, and thus incoherent as opposed to coherently incoherent, if that makes sense.
Also, put next to Morrison's examination in the last All-Star, this one pales in comparison.
Beyond that, there's even two pages of just chuckly extra pages thrown in so we can see Bizarro Brainiac, and so we can see what we already know, that Bizarro is back in good standing with his folks. It's kind of an amateur move for a guy as good as Johns.
Like I said, I'm astonished, because I know Johns knows better, and I can't believe I'm writing this, but this last part clunked. Only a few novel, cute chuckles (such as the Daily Planet being repaired, Superman vision, and Lex becoming president) kept this from a one.
Art - 5: Powell really kicked this one out. His work is so awesome. My favorite panel is the Daily Planet globe moment. He GETS comic pacing, he really does, as Goon shows particularly well.
The JLA were astonishing, as was every scene in this book. Even if I wasn't incredibly fond of this story, I'm still going to pull this out on a regular basis, if only to look at this art.
Cover Art - 5: Happened in the issue, brutal pose, awesome art with an artistic flair. Can't beat that, can't argue with it. Fine work.
Other recent reviews:
Mild Mannered Reviews
2007
Note: Month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic went on sale.January 2007
- Action Comics #845
- Superman #658
- Superman/Batman #31
- Superman Confidential #1
- Supergirl #12
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #24
- 52: Week 26
- 52: Week 27
- 52: Week 28
- 52: Week 29
- 52: Week 30
- Justice League of America #4
- JLA Classified #29
- Justice League Unlimited #27
- Krypto The Superdog #3
- Action Comics #846
- Superman #659
- Superman/Batman #32
- Superman Confidential #2
- Supergirl #13
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #25
- 52: Week 31
- 52: Week 32
- 52: Week 33
- 52: Week 34
- Justice League of America #5
- JLA Classified #30
- Infinite Holiday Special #1
- Justice #9
- Justice Society of America #1
- Justice League Unlimited #28
- Krypto The Superdog #4
- Superman #660
- Superman/Batman #33
- Superman Confidential #3
- All Star Superman #6
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #26
- 52: Week 35
- 52: Week 36
- 52: Week 37
- 52: Week 38
- 52: Week 39
- Superman & Batman vs. Aliens & Predators #1
- JLA Classified #31
- JLA Classified #32
- JLA Classified #33
- Justice Society of America #2
- Justice League Unlimited #29
- Krypto The Superdog #5
- Action Comics #847
- Superman #661
- Action Comics Annual #10
- Superman Confidential #4
- Supergirl #14
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #27
- 52: Week 40
- 52: Week 41
- 52: Week 42
- 52: Week 43
- Superman & Batman vs. Aliens & Predators #2
- Justice League of America #6
- JLA Classified #34
- JLA Classified #35
- Justice #10
- Justice Society of America #3
- Justice League Unlimited #30
- Krypto The Superdog #6
- Action Comics #848
- Superman #662
- Superman/Batman #34
- Supergirl #15
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #28
- 52: Week 44
- 52: Week 45
- 52: Week 46
- 52: Week 47
- Justice League of America #7
- JLA Classified #36
- Justice Society of America #4
- Justice League Unlimited #31
- Superman Confidential #5
- All Star Superman #7
- Supergirl #16
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #29
- 52: Week 48
- 52: Week 49
- 52: Week 50
- 52: Week 51
- World War III - Book One: A Call to Arms
- World War III - Book Two: The Valiant
- World War III - Book Three: Hell is for Heroes
- World War III - Book Four: United We Stand
- Justice League of America #8
- JLA Classified #37
- Justice #11
- Justice Society of America #5
- Justice League Unlimited #32
- Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century #1
- Action Comics #849
- Action Comics #850
- Superman #663
- Superman/Batman #35
- Supergirl #17
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #30
- 52: Week 52
- Countdown 51
- Countdown 50
- Countdown 49
- Countdown 48
- Justice League of America #9
- JLA Classified #38
- Justice Society of America #6
- Justice League Unlimited #33
- Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century #2
- Action Comics #851
- Superman #664
- Superman/Batman #36
- Superman/Batman #37
- All Star Superman #8
- Supergirl #18
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #31
- Countdown 47
- Countdown 46
- Countdown 45
- Countdown 44
- Justice League of America #10
- JLA Classified #39
- Justice #12
- Justice League Unlimited #34
- Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century #3
- Action Comics #852
- Superman #665
- Superman/Batman #38
- Supergirl #19
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #32
- Countdown 43
- Countdown 42
- Countdown 41
- Countdown 40
- Justice League of America #11
- JLA Classified #40
- Justice Society of America #7
- Justice League Unlimited #35
- Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century #4
- Action Comics #853
- Action Comics #854
- Action Comics #855
- Superman #666
- Superman/Batman #39
- Supergirl #20
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #33
- Countdown 39
- Countdown 38
- Countdown 37
- Countdown 36
- Countdown 35
- 52 Aftermath: Four Horsemen #1
- Justice League of America #12
- JLA Classified #41
- Justice Society of America #8
- Justice League Unlimited #36
- Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century #5
- Action Comics #856
- Superman #667
- Superman/Batman #40
- Superman Confidential #6
- Supergirl #21
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #34
- Countdown 34
- Countdown 33
- Countdown 32
- Countdown 31
- 52 Aftermath: Four Horsemen #2
- JLA Wedding Special #1
- Justice League of America #13
- JLA Classified #42
- JLA Classified #43
- JLA/Hitman #1
- Infinity Inc. #1
- Justice Society of America #9
- Justice League Unlimited #37
- Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century #6
- Action Comics #857
- Action Comics #858
- Superman #668
- Superman #669
- Superman/Batman #41
- Superman Confidential #7
- Superman Confidential #8
- All Star Superman #9
- Supergirl #22
- Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #35
- Teen Titans #52
- Countdown 30
- Countdown 29
- Countdown 28
- Countdown 27
- Countdown 26
- 52 Aftermath: Four Horsemen #3
- Justice League of America #14
- JLA Classified #44
- JLA Classified #45
- JLA/Hitman #2
- Infinity Inc. #2
- Justice Society of America #10
- Tales of the Sinestro Corps Presents: Cyborg Superman #1
- Tales of the Sinestro Corps Presents: Superman Prime #1
- Infinite Halloween Special #1
- Justice League Unlimited #38
- Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century #7
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Check out the Comic Index Lists for the complete list of Superman-related comics published in 2007.