Action Comics 14 Preview / Discussion (Spoilers)

[Superlad93]

Yeah, that bugs me too. It looks fine when he's supposed to be in his early 20s and wearing jeans and a t-shirt but scrawny, teen Superman doesn't look good in the Kryptonian armor.

"Scrawny"? In this issue? I thought Rags absolutely knocked it out of the park in this issue, and he still remains one of my favorite Superman artist out there. I think he actually made a pretty good contrast from the younger Superman to now. It wasn't too in your face but I feel like I noticed it.

I'd say that both Morrison and Rags progressed this Superman from a young brash street brawler for the little guy to a cosmic protector of all...without losing the former at his core.

That classic Elvis-like swagger now mixed with that Buck Rogers scope and feel just makes this Superman my favorite, and both Rags and Morrison are to thank for it.

[Cypher-Z]

Thing is Superman is 27 and shouldent look like that. He looks a tad bit bigger than usual in this issue (Maybe it was the inker) but still looks relatively teen or Superboy.

[adkal]

Yeah, there are a number of panels where he looks 'too young' - and on the cover, too, in my opinion.

[Superlad93]

I think he looks just fine aside from the cover. If you're 27 your not gonna look too old. I think relative to how he draws everyone else Rags makes Superman look perfect.

[Retro315]

Thing is Superman is 27 and shouldent look like that. He looks a tad bit bigger than usual in this issue (Maybe it was the inker) but still looks relatively teen or Superboy.

I'd agree but for being 27 and looking far younger myself. But I do prefer when artists depict a softer edged, more roguish but still recognizably "the old Superman, with some new aesthetics" version.

[Last Son]

"Scrawny"? In this issue? I thought Rags absolutely knocked it out of the park in this issue, and he still remains one of my favorite Superman artist out there. I think he actually made a pretty good contrast from the younger Superman to now. It wasn't too in your face but I feel like I noticed it.

Maybe not scrawny, but I don't think he's big enough still. Other than that, I don't like how small the S shield is or how it's designed, nor do I like the way the belt is drawn or the cape attachment. In general I think Superman was drawn better in the Action Comics annual.

[Superlad93]

Maybe not scrawny, but I don't think he's big enough still. Other than that, I don't like how small the S shield is or how it's designed, nor do I like the way the belt is drawn or the cape attachment. In general I think Superman was drawn better in the Action Comics annual.

Well I respect your opinion even though I think he has a fine build to him (not too big but still the biggest guy in the room most of the time).....the rest of your post is costume issues not age or build issues. But for the record I think his suit was pretty good in this issue.

[Sacred Knight]

I don't think Rags draws Superman too scrawny or too young looking, but he's not the best at drawing the costume. Its getting better though.

[SediarSago]

Wow.

Just wow.

This issue was amazing! I felt like Grant could have had supes fighting the Multitude a little longer, but the twist that the Multitude, an evil that's been talked about and hyped from the Collector to Captain Comet (Where was he BTW? This would have been the perfect issue for him!) is just the left hand of Vindictive makes me think "Man, Vindictive is SO badass! He's going to become a villain for the ages!"

Reading this form, it really seems like this issue has more of Morrison's themes than any other issue in his run. I've never seen so much discussion over a Morrison Action Comics. I felt like this was very Plato-theology type based.

The theory was that there are plans above us where there are perfect things (Perfect as in the definitive, not as in good and happy) Take a triangle for example. Plato said that the triangle we see here on the 3rd dimension is just a crude, messed up version of the one on the 5th dimension. That's what I think Vin's hand is. What we are seeing is his hand in it's true 5th dimension form, but dumbed down to a 3rd dimension version for Superman's and the reader's eyes.

The hand is poking down from the 5th dimension into our dimension, and in return, we have this image of this race, the Multitude, when really it's just a crude version of Vin's hand. When Supes repelled the Multitude, The part of Vin that was in the 3rd dimension was injured. (Though from Vin, it sounds like Jor-El injured that same hand as well)

The 5th dimension is the dimension of imagination. Thus, Vin isn't ACTUALLY the devil. While we might think of his change from the Little Man to the Devil as shape-shifting, he may be changing what part of him is falling through into the 3rd dimension.

Also, some points brought up of the 4th dimension being time, this makes me think that the whole run has been from Vin's perspective. While the narrative seems messed up, that's exactly was time is in a sense. Like explained on an episode of Fringe and probably a lot of other things, time is taking place all at the same time. Past Present and Future.

Though I think we might get a flashback of Vin's plan and how he actually formed everything together, which might fit the theory that Action Comics is from Vin's perspective, I am sticking with the theory that Vin is choosing random moments in Supes life before the fight on Mars and is viewing these enemies and forming them together into one massive group. I think issue #5 and #6, he was just finding out that he formed the Anti-Superman Army and played along and now we are watching him going through time to form this group that the himself in the "past" found out about.

The one thing I'm worried about for the rest of the run is that we might not see the actually origin and fight with Drekken, the men with the circles in their faces, and the little girl who looks like a doll. Also, how the K-Men met up with Vin and when Nimrod shot the little room into Superman's head Otherwise, I think everything is going to end up tying together.

I heard that the backup takes place after the final confrontation with Vin. Does it spoil anything from it? I didn't read it just in case.

[Coyote2010]

I cant wait to get to the comic store and read this.

I have read Grant's run on Action three times already!

Wasn't Rags Superman landing based on the Statue of David. Looks great!

[Mr. Holmes]

I heard that the backup takes place after the final confrontation with Vin. Does it spoil anything from it? I didn't read it just in case.

Not at all. It's just about witnessing Krypton from Earth. More than that, but I guess it's better to read it than for me to explain the whole thing.

[Superlad93]

The one thing I'm worried about for the rest of the run is that we might not see the actually origin and fight with Drekken, the men with the circles in their faces, and the little girl who looks like a doll. Also, how the K-Men met up with Vin and when Nimrod shot the little room into Superman's head Otherwise, I think everything is going to end up tying together.

We saw most of that.

1. Drekken: read Action comics #6 for the fight and the back up of Action comics #0 for his origin (he got his powers from experimenting with the genes of Cap. Comet). What else do you need?

2.The little girl's name is Susie.....we got 3 issue for her. 1 to set her up 2 to introduce her and 3 the ending and her induction into the Anti-Superman army.....also she's related to Lois.

3.Why do we really need to know how they met up with him? I personally don't feel like we do.


But regarding my 3rd answer and the other 2 that I didn't answer ("the men with the circles in their faces", and "when Nimrod shot the little room into Superman's head") Grant will be tying all of that up in flash-back-time-travel-hyper-compressed way in the last 3 issues starting with 15 which takes place at the end of time!! These issues will also cover Superman's death and all of the key points in the 5 year gap.


Hope I could help.

[SediarSago]

We saw most of that.

1. Drekken: read Action comics #6 for the fight and the back up of Action comics #0 for his origin (he got his powers from experimenting with the genes of Cap. Comet). What else do you need?

2.The little girl's name is Susie.....we got 3 issue for her. 1 to set her up 2 to introduce her and 3 the ending and her induction into the Anti-Superman army.....also she's related to Lois.

3.Why do we really need to know how they met up with him? I personally don't feel like we do.


But regarding my 3rd answer and the other 2 that I didn't answer ("the men with the circles in their faces", and "when Nimrod shot the little room into Superman's head") Grant will be tying all of that up in flash-back-time-travel-hyper-compressed way in the last 3 issues starting with 15 which takes place at the end of time!! These issues will also cover Superman's death and all of the key points in the 5 year gap.


Hope I could help.

I was talking about how Superman first met Drekken, which is when he turned into an ape (That sounds like a fun possible backup for #15 or so). And I don't mean Susie. I remember her. I meant the little evil looking doll like girl next to Nimrod in that 2 page spread at the beginning of issue #6. But thanks for the info about the hyper-compressed flash back storyline. Didn't know that before. Also just went back and reread it. It seems like issues #5 and #6 will take place before or during the events at the end of time. You hear Erik talking about a planet of skeletons and the end of time!

[George Taylor]

I was talking about how Superman first met Drekken, which is when he turned into an ape (That sounds like a fun possible backup for #15 or so). And I don't mean Susie. I remember her. I meant the little evil looking doll like girl next to Nimrod in that 2 page spread at the beginning of issue #6. But thanks for the info about the hyper-compressed flash back storyline. Didn't know that before. Also just went back and reread it. It seems like issues #5 and #6 will take place before or during the events at the end of time. You hear Erik talking about a planet of skeletons and the end of time!

That little girl next to Nimrod is in fact Suzie, Vin appeared at the end of issue 12 to recruit her to the Anti-Superman Army.

[kane]

I really like the accentuation that Superman got his smarts and his attitude from Jor-El. I have always thought that as a scion from an advanced race, with a genius scientist as father, superman should be a genius level intellect even without his powers. His powers accelerate his thinking and improve his memory, but the basis is his own genius.