Review: ‘Action Comics’ #1087 Reveals Clark Kent’s First Adventure
by Tony Thornley
After 18 months, Action Comics returns to a stable creative team, and to kick the run off, we get see the first adventures of Superman when he was a boy.
Mark Waid, Skylar Patridge, Ivan Plascencia and Steve Wands take us back.
As one of his favorite childhood attractions prepares to reopen, Clark Kent thinks back to his first visit to the Expo of Tomorrow. At fifteen years old, it was the first time Clark donned his famous red and blue costume to prevent a catastrophe. But what he didn’t know is that moment is about to shape his life forever.
It’s about time Waid got to write Action Comics. Waid immediately finds the voices of the characters. The opening framing is a great mixture of Clark being sentimental and Superman channeling his youthful exuberance and optimism into the modern day. Waid’s fifteen year-old Clark felt like a true teenager, not just an adult’s take on that, strengthening the story. Adding in his excellent take on the Kents, I’m glad to see it avoid the cliche it could have been, and instead give us a real but fresh version of Superman’s youth.
I love Patridge’s work too. Her adult Clark was sweet, with a great mix of enthusiasm and sentimentality. Her take on teen Clark showed a real teenager, thrilled to be heading into the big city. She played up his insecurities through body language and facial expression, making his fight work within the framework of the story. Plasencia’s colors enhanced that throughout, and made everything pop off the page.
I was hopeful if a bit apprehensive when I heard this run was going back into well-worn territory. Instead we got a fantastic take on Superman’s first adventure and the exact issue we need to get me excited for this new run.
Action Comics #1987 is available now from DC Comics.
Overview
I hope this is what we get month in and out from this creative team and this take on Superman’s adventures when he was a boy.
