Superman Homepage

Mild Mannered Reviews - Action Comics

Action Comics #1015 Action Comics #1015 KindleDownload iBookBuy Now

Action Comics #1015

Scheduled to arrive in stores: September 25, 2019

Cover date: November 2019

"New Voices"

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Penciller: Szymon Kudranski
Inker: Szymon Kudranski
Cover: David Marquez and Alejandro Sanchez
Variant Covers: Lucio Parillo

Reviewed by: Mario Bennese
Click to enlarge


Newcomer Naomi has just crash landed in front of the Daily Planet. Superman greets her before using his super-speed to clean up the mess. Naomi is in need of The Man of Steel's help. The two depart for The Hall of Justice to run a quick medical check-up on Naomi.

At the Justice League's headquarters, Naomi reveals that she's from a different earth that was destroyed by a villain named Zumbado, a man who got his powers while in an electric chair. According to Naomi, this Zumbado character is on his way to destroy this planet. Superman and Ray Palmer introduce Naomi to the concept of the multiverse before Batman appears out of nowhere to inquire about her abilities. Superman hears something Leviathan related and makes a hasty exit.

At the seedy bar from the previous issue, Red Cloud prepares to kill the vigilante Thorn. Before Cloud can make a move, The Last Son of Krypton arrives, causing the villain to shift her focus. The two engage in a brief battle, but with her fully unlocked powers, Red Cloud gets the upper hand and seemingly defeats Superman.

2Story - 2: This issue is nothing spectacular. I was not wowed, shocked, intrigued, or really entertained at all. I'm sorry that my reviews for this book haven't been very positive lately, but I also can't muster any excitement for anything Bendis has been doing. Every issue, we go through the same routine. Every issue, we end on a mildly interesting climax only for the tension to be completely reset or the focus side-stepped at the beginning of the next issue. The flow of Bendis' work on Action Comics is jolty and incongruent. It's hard to get invested when you know exactly what to expect from the next issue.

Speaking more to the issue, this book feels like filler. Maybe Naomi will prove relevant when this arc finally ends, but somehow I get the feeling her introduction to Superman and Batman is just setup for another longwinded story. The dialogue is stilted and lengthy. There are non-sequitur sentences that feel crammed in to steer conversations where Bendis wants them. Naomi's dialogue reads like it was written by a novice, complete with melodramatic stuttering.

The ending of this issue was a little hard to understand. Superman and Red Cloud get into a fight and thenŠwhat? To be honest, I took a stab in the dark because the last page of this issue is entirely unrelated. The "Next Issue" stinger is at the bottom, but none of the articles on the Daily Planet website really pertain to what just happened.

3Art - 3: The art in this issue is a mixed bag. There are some panels that are simply wonderful or perfunctory. Then there are panels in which Superman looks unappealing. Wonky anatomy, bad perspective shots, and multiple cases of highlighting the wrong details.

3Cover Art - 3: I don't particularly care all that much for the art style, but this cover works. There's a nice color palette and a decent layout. Superman and Batman's mouths look weird, but it's nice to see a colorful comic book cover.

3Variant Cover Art - 3: This cover also works. The composition is nice and the realistic style benefits from consistent anatomy. What really hinders this cover is Superman's angry eyes and the bulging blood vessels.

Mild Mannered Reviews

2019

Note: Except for digital first releases, the month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic went on sale.

January 2019 February 2019 March 2019 April 2019 May 2019 June 2019 July 2019 August 2019 September 2019 October 2019 November 2019 December 2019

Back to the Mild Mannered Reviews contents page.

Check out the Comic Index Lists for the complete list of Superman-related comics published in 2019.

DISCLAIMER: SUPERMAN and all related elements are the property of DC Comics. TM & © 2023

This Superman Homepage is Copyright © Steven Younis 1994-2023
All Rights Reserved

Dedicated to Andrew J Gould - the original keeper of the Superman Homepage!

Since May 2001, the address is www.SupermanHomepage.com

Our Privacy Policy.