Action #848 (Spoilers)

[Cayman]

The two-part story arc "Redemption" begins, written by Fabian Nicieza and pencilled by Allan Goldman.

During his year without powers, Clark Kent became aware of a new metahuman protecting a family of American missionaries in the African country of Nyasir. Nyasir's government is hostile to their proselyting, but the new Meta has kept the missionaries safe from their threats. Clark wishes to investigate (as he secretly is disturbed by a metahuman representing a religion), but Perry shoots down the idea.

A year passes and Superman is flying again. Meanwhile in Nyasir, government troops attempt to arrest the missionaries. Despite the guns pointed at them, the missionary family chant "we believe in redemption". But they aren't speaking of a religious concept, but rather invoking the mystery Meta, Redemption. Hovering above the aggressors, Redemption declares "I answer to a Higher Authority".

Despite Redemption's warnings, the troops fire upon him and he gets downright Biblical on their butts, incinerating them all in a flash of blue energy.

Shortly thereafter Superman hovers over the scene of destruction. He is disappointed that he didn't do more to avert the massacre. He's not too happy about Redemption's apparent lack of control of his massive powers and his acting in the name of religion.

Superman uses his super vision to track Redemption to a small Colorado town. He learns Redemption is a young religious man named Jarod Dale who credits his power to the faith of those who believe in him.

As Clark Kent, Superman pays a visit to the local church, run by a religious leader named Matthew Hightower. The town reminds Clark of his youth when he used to go to church with Ma Kent. Hightower is aware that Jarod is Redemption and he and Clark share a tense conversation.

Superman decides against confronting Redemption at this time and returns home to Lois. Hightower encourages a conflicted Redemption to continue his work protecting the missionaries.

Back in Nyasir, more government soldiers return and this time massacre the missionaries before Redemption can arrive. Superman learns of this and speeds off to Africa, where Redemption is already on a rampage. Superman prevents Redemption from murdering the rest of the soldiers and tells him "This has to stop".

I didn't care too much for this issue but it's not awful. It does pale in comparison with the lovely Duffie/Guedes issue. I imagine Nicieza was working on a tight time schedule and didn't have time to do much fine tuning.


The religious characters were all dreadfully clichéd. I'm not religious myself but I tire of people with religious faith being constantly stereotyped as crackpots. Also the mopey, indecisive Superman seemed a step back for the character. Rather than act all wishy washy, perhaps Superman could've sought out the help of a friend like Zauriel to deal with this new character with faith-based powers. Also Redemption seemed too familiar, reminding me of recent characters like Hyperion in Supreme Power and Ethan Edwards from MK Spider-Man.

The art was generally strong. Randall does some very good Superman faces. Some of the anatomy was a little too exaggerated, making the bedroom scene between Clark and Lois a bit ridiculous.

I'd recommend this issue mainly for completists.

[Crenshaw]

Redemption has a lot of potential. He certainly could have a more creative name. He reminds me more of Gladiator than Hyperion though. Though with the Hyperion vs. Nighthawk comic, that may not be much of a distinction.
I hope Redemption gets his powers from a global faith sort of thing rather than just the faith of the creepy minister. otherwise he's just the minister's golem, isn't he? And that would be a waste of a perfectly good character. Then we'd have three identically super-powered men in DCU with different spins: rationally-based superman, with his alien physiology, magically-based captain marvel, and faith-based redemption, sucking the juice off every baseless assertion on the planet.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

This issue didn't really do much for me. The story was passable, but nothing special. The art was pretty generic and once again features the muscle-bulging Clark Kent walking around looking not just like Superman, but exactly like Superman. When artists can't even be bothered to show even the slightest bit of difference between Clark & Superman's phyisical appearance, it just smacks of laziness to me. Frank Quitely raised the bar pretty high on the whole Supes/Clark depiction, boys, you've got to try a little harder than just slapping some glasses and a skin-tight sweater on Superman.

Yes, I know we're supposed to just suspend our disbeleif that nobody can tell Clark Kent is just Superman with glasses, but....come on, guys. Put a little more effort into it. Surely, baggy clothes, posture and different body language aren't that difficult to draw?

[Cayman]

Redemption has a lot of potential. He certainly could have a more creative name. He reminds me more of Gladiator than Hyperion though. Though with the Hyperion vs. Nighthawk comic, that may not be much of a distinction.
I hope Redemption gets his powers from a global faith sort of thing rather than just the faith of the creepy minister. otherwise he's just the minister's golem, isn't he? And that would be a waste of a perfectly good character. Then we'd have three identically super-powered men in DCU with different spins: rationally-based superman, with his alien physiology, magically-based captain marvel, and faith-based redemption, sucking the juice off every baseless assertion on the planet.

Yeah, I thought the character himself was kind of interesting. If he is still around after next issue's conclusion, I wouldn't mind seeing him again.

[CMBMOOL]

Wow a hero with Superman like powers based upon religion and Superman is battling him next issue.

Man, this might get ugly, and sadden within Religion.:(

[Powerboy]

I really liked this issue. "Redemption" is very much like Superman but not in control of his powers or not wanting to be in control, not clear yet.

Some interesting insights into Superman that I didn't think I'd ever see. Lois gently confronting him with the fact that this situation is making him uncomfortable because of the religious angle and her realizing its uncormfortable for him because this other guy, in a way, also represents truth and justice but, as Lois says, "Whose truth? Whose justice? And what the heck does 'the American Way' mean exactly?" Superman's thoughts on this, "Just words... but so much more than words. A moral compass of right and wrong. But so much of it depends on who is holding the compass."

This may sound like a questioning Superman who is doubting and wavering but it is not. Fabian Nicienza writes a strong Superman who admits that things are not cut and dried, who admits he has not cornered the market on what's right. But this is a Superman who is true to who and what he is. He is not nor will he allow other super beings to be judges of morality who declare death sentences. He stands between humans and killing and does what he must as Superman. He is perhaps a Super cop but he is not Hyperion thinking he has the right to change the world by force.

All in all, an interesting issue and a strong Superman.

[stamen]

Guys, this issue was brilliant. It restores my hope in DC Comics. If you are a fan of wild Amazons slaughtering children, well then I'm sure you can find a DC Comic to suit your fancy. But if you need a little more story, Fabian Nicieza flat out fooking delivers in this issue.

I was behind on my reading, or I would have busted out some major praise for this author I've never heard of in the thread title. Props to him, and props to DC Comics for having the ballz to run something like this.

I finished this comic this afternoon, and my wife walked past me and said:

"Dave, you ok?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You've been sitting there for like 10 minutes staring at a closed comic."

I said, "Sorry. I read this thing. This story, it's the reason I started collecting comics as a kid." She then asked if that meant she had to read it. She hates it when I guilt her into reading my comics. I assured her she didn't have to.

I'm 37 years old, and my earliest memories of comic books was desparately searching for used Green Lantern / Green Arrow reprints at the flea market near my house. I started by just buying 20 comics for $1 when I was around six or seven at these flea markets, every Saturday. Then, I stumbled on GL/GA at around age nine or ten. They were almost a decade old. But there in those pages... the crux of drama and conflict unwound through page after page of brillaint, non-sermonizing, moral textualization.

This week's Action Comics is why I started collecting. Period. I am so juiced about it. I'm not surprised that some people didn't care for it. It's a subtle book that reflects so much of our real world situation... it is, like I said above, brilliant.

If you didn't care for it, try reading it again with a little "Focus Factor" and Maxwell House. If that doesn't work, then....

I guess you can always take refuge in Black Adam ripping off people's faces. There's no real work required in a shoddy read like that.

[FabianNicieza]

[QUOTE=stamen;4749577]Guys, this issue was brilliant. It restores my hope in DC Comics. If you are a fan of wild Amazons slaughtering children, well then I'm sure you can find a DC Comic to suit your fancy. But if you need a little more story, Fabian Nicieza flat out fooking delivers in this issue.,.]

Thank you very much for the kind words.
Positive reaction to this issue means a lot to me, especially since writing Superman was a "holy smokes, my palms are actually sweating" enjoyable experience -- and for someone who has written hundreds and hundreds of comics that have sold millions and millions of copies over the last 20 years, it sure has been fun to get that excitable "want to prove yourself" vibe.

Hope you find part 2 of this story enjoyable and that you also enjoy Action #850, which I co-plotted with Kurt and Geoff, and is being scripted by Kurt over some beautfiul art by Renato Guedes.

-- fabian nicieza

[xnef1025]

stamen, if you liked Fabian's work here and want more serious, thought provoking stories... don't try Cable and Deadpool. If you want to have a great time laughing your butt off at crazy merc-with-a-mouth hijinks though, definatly pick up Cable and Deadpool.

This issue was great. You do good Supes Fabian. Now go dry your hands :p

[tony2074]

wait, just a minute

fabian, guedes is on his way back (another fill in though) in a story plotted/scripted by yourself, geoff and kurt busiek?

drooooooooooool all on my pillow (when i go to bed, that is)

[Cayman]

If you didn't care for it, try reading it again with a little "Focus Factor" and Maxwell House. If that doesn't work, then....

I guess you can always take refuge in Black Adam ripping off people's faces. There's no real work required in a shoddy read like that.

I've read the issue 3 times and it didn't improve. Sorry, I just don't think this issue was a good effort. The stereotypes rankled, the Redemption character was overly familiar, and I thought Infinite Crisis was supposed to put the mopey, indecisive Superman portrayed here to rest. Superman's boast to Lois about how his mistakes "never got anyone killed" sounds awfully hollow when his inaction gets the missionaries are slaughtered a few pages later.

[stamen]

I've read the issue 3 times and it didn't improve.

Sorry. Did you try the coffee?

Sorry, I just don't think this issue was a good effort.

The fact that it was effortless in its relevance to our modern struggles made it fabulous to me. I'm sorry you didn't care for it.

The stereotypes rankled, the Redemption character was overly familiar,

I don't know of any character anywhere whose power feeds off people's belief. I thought it was pretty unique. But I don't read Marvel, so maybe there's someone there? As far as the idea of a character operating from some sense of moral superiority, I might could see that. But then the twist here... thanks for the twist Fabian.... is that his power is fed off of others. That rings a serious bell for me when I take the comic's blueprint and apply it to the nightly news.

and I thought Infinite Crisis was supposed to put the mopey, indecisive Superman portrayed here to rest.

I would have hoped so, but "Up, Up, and Away" went the entirely opposite direction. He was powerless, and somewhat mopey about it. I ended up really, really enjoying UUA. So mopey doesn't bother me I guess. I already know he is uber-powerful.

Superman's boast to Lois about how his mistakes "never got anyone killed" sounds awfully hollow when his inaction gets the missionaries are slaughtered a few pages later.

He was on his way. He's not omnipresent. I don't really see how this was a mistake on his part.

I'm really not surprised that some people didn't like this. It's ok, really. I'm glad it didn't appeal to everyone, because then comics would get boring.

I'm also very glad that DC Comics is still willing to support writers who craft tales that appeal outside the norm of punch, smash, rinse, repeat. So much of what finds it way to ink these days is "tolerated" by fans like myself. Then there is the stuff we like. Then there is this issue of Action, which blows away the stuff that I like. Again, it epitomizes the reason I started reading comics as a 10 year old boy.

Complex moral textualization. It was brilliant.

In this world "without chests" to quote C.S. Lewis, I found it beyond refreshing. It was more than I could have ever hoped for in an Supes comic.

[Cayman]

Sorry. Did you try the coffee?



The fact that it was effortless in its relevance to our modern struggles made it fabulous to me. I'm sorry you didn't care for it.



I don't know of any character anywhere whose power feeds off people's belief. I thought it was pretty unique. But I don't read Marvel, so maybe there's someone there? As far as the idea of a character operating from some sense of moral superiority, I might could see that. But then the twist here... thanks for the twist Fabian.... is that his power is fed off of others. That rings a serious bell for me when I take the comic's blueprint and apply it to the nightly news.



I would have hoped so, but "Up, Up, and Away" went the entirely opposite direction. He was powerless, and somewhat mopey about it. I ended up really, really enjoying UUA. So mopey doesn't bother me I guess. I already know he is uber-powerful.



He was on his way. He's not omnipresent. I don't really see how this was a mistake on his part.

I'm really not surprised that some people didn't like this. It's ok, really. I'm glad it didn't appeal to everyone, because then comics would get boring.

I'm also very glad that DC Comics is still willing to support writers who craft tales that appeal outside the norm of punch, smash, rinse, repeat. So much of what finds it way to ink these days is "tolerated" by fans like myself. Then there is the stuff we like. Then there is this issue of Action, which blows away the stuff that I like. Again, it epitomizes the reason I started reading comics as a 10 year old boy.

Complex moral textualization. It was brilliant.

In this world "without chests" to quote C.S. Lewis, I found it beyond refreshing. It was more than I could have ever hoped for in an Supes comic.

Nope, he wasn't on his way. They were already dead when Superman heard the news.

[IamtheRock3]

well it always interesting answering why Superman doesnt get involve in world events like Genocide and stuff.

[stamen]

Question about this issue...

Did it look like at the end as Redemption powered up that instead of vaporizing the soldiers, their weapons vaporized instead? Was that a result of being powered by Superman's belief?

I sort of thought it was... I found that and many other parts interesting, but I wondered if maybe I was misinterpreting the last couple of panels.

[Harding Prime]

Issue, sure, whatever....

Quick question though, when are they finishing the Zod storyline?!?

[Cayman]

Issue, sure, whatever....

Quick question though, when are they finishing the Zod storyline?!?

They'll be wrapping it up in an Action Annual, but I don't believe they've confirmed which month it'll come out in.

[casual Bat Fan]

I know i'm late on this but I have to agree with Stamen. The issue dealt with some very subtle subject material and yeah, the religious figures seemed a bit by the numbers but the whole idea of a superhero being powered by the faith of others is intriguing.

I also loved the fact that Supes was bothered by Redemption and his motives because in some ways it's a mirror of Supes and his belief in the virtues of goodness. The thing is, who's to say that one man's "truth, justice and the American Way" is superior when one can make a case for Religion and the belief in a supreme being as being the true icon of Good.

In some ways I think Redemption is like a lot of us. He wants so much to do good and to be good but the unique power of feeding off the hope and faith of people overwhelms him to the point that he overreacts and acts purely on emotion rather then with rational thought.

It's kinda like how I see George W. Bush. He has such faith and confidence in God and his inflexible religous views that he can't see that life is all in shades of grey rather then being strictly this way or that way. Redemption feeds so much off the faith of those he believe that he can't see forest for the trees. He's too wrapped up in the feelings, anxieties, fears and hopes of the believers that the outside world has no meaning for him when he attacks.

[Harding Prime]

They'll be wrapping it up in an Action Annual, but I don't believe they've confirmed which month it'll come out in.

That can't be right though, because they just did a an Annual! It was already a part of the Zod storyline. It has to end in the monthly...

[Cayman]

That can't be right though, because they just did a an Annual! It was already a part of the Zod storyline. It has to end in the monthly...

Action Delays (http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=108943&highlight=ACTION+Delays)

It's their way of getting out a book they can't schedule, I guess.

[Froggy]

Question about this issue...

Did it look like at the end as Redemption powered up that instead of vaporizing the soldiers, their weapons vaporized instead? Was that a result of being powered by Superman's belief?

I sort of thought it was... I found that and many other parts interesting, but I wondered if maybe I was misinterpreting the last couple of panels.
who knows?

either way, a dope issue IMO

[Harding Prime]

Action Delays (http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=108943&highlight=ACTION+Delays)

It's their way of getting out a book they can't schedule, I guess.

Well this is ridiculous!

[stamen]

It's kinda like how I see George W. Bush. He has such faith and confidence in God and his inflexible religous views that he can't see that life is all in shades of grey rather then being strictly this way or that way. Redemption feeds so much off the faith of those he believe that he can't see forest for the trees. He's too wrapped up in the feelings, anxieties, fears and hopes of the believers that the outside world has no meaning for him when he attacks.


I so agree with you on this one. I actually see both sides of the Iraq conflict here. There's the emotional will of GW, and really all the people that support him, and the emotional will of radical Islam. It "fuels the fire" so to speak, in the name of Redemption, no less. I am really curious to see how this pans out next month.

Especially after Fabian's question about "who is holding the compass."

[Carter Hall]

Guys, this issue was brilliant. It restores my hope in DC Comics. If you are a fan of wild Amazons slaughtering children, well then I'm sure you can find a DC Comic to suit your fancy. But if you need a little more story, Fabian Nicieza flat out fooking delivers in this issue.

This week's Action Comics is why I started collecting. Period. I am so juiced about it. I'm not surprised that some people didn't care for it. It's a subtle book that reflects so much of our real world situation... it is, like I said above, brilliant.

If you didn't care for it, try reading it again with a little "Focus Factor" and Maxwell House. If that doesn't work, then....

I guess you can always take refuge in Black Adam ripping off people's faces. There's no real work required in a shoddy read like that.

I agree, man! It's been a while since I read a simple, essence-of-Superman story that doesn't have to tie into a huge crossover or restart continuity or something. I really enjoyed this issue. I look forward to the second part next week and #850 next month.

As for Fabien Nicieza, thanks for coming on the boards, man. Let me give you props for your run on X-Men and X-Force in the 90s, which I read and loved (and still love). It was ESPECIALLY impressive considering you were following in the footsteps of a legend like Chris Claremont. His run and your's were perhaps my favorite comics EVER. I promptly stopped reading when you and Andy Kubert left the book.

Oh yeah, and great job on Supes, too.