Allegedly, DC gets it. This summer we’re enduring the “Absolute Power” crossover in which all superheroes have been depowered but struggle onward. That will be followed by two initiatives — a new “Absolute” line starting a brand-new continuity (sort of like the Earth-One graphic novels a few years ago) and… All-In. As in, you can jump onboard, everything that happened happened, but new fans should be able to go “all-in.”
You may not have noticed, however, that DC snuck that idea in a little early in the current arc of Action Comics. Bringing the near-legendary* writer Gail Simone in to team with artists Danny Barrows, Eddy Miki, and Rex Lokus, editors Paul Kaminski and Jillian Grant have given me the very story that gets me back to Superman.
Don’t get me wrong — I love that Lois and Clark’s son Jon has also become Superman. That’s the necessary hero for a new generation of readers. But starting with Action Comics #1067, Simone and her collaborators are telling a story from “the past.” It’s the best of what most people think they know. Ace reporter Lois Lane is more than a damsel in distress. Jimmy Olsen calls himself “Mr. Action” but he’s still barely out of his teens. And Superman — this is the core of why people who love him LOVE him.
While the story might feel a little familiar, Simone makes it fresh. An alien race gambles on champions in their cruel games, with the outcome being further extending their empire. Despite obviously not having powers, Lois and Jimmy have been chosen as Superman’s seconds. And aliens from a thousand worlds have gathered to watch the outcome. Some are familiar, some not, and some may have come from another universe — nice easter eggs from Barrows and Miki.
Simone writes to the heart of these characters. It’s not enough to believe a man can fly; you have to believe a reporter like Lois Lane can care. You also have to believe there’s more to Jimmy Olsen than an occasional “Jeepers.” She even adds a surprise ally for Jimmy and so far, yes, it makes sense. At the same time, the art team portrays them all as the best of who they are. Some fashion choices make “the past” seem timeless, evoking the days of Curt Swan without looking like him. And Lokus’ colors are flat out gorgeous.
The main story is balanced by “Lois and Clark” by Rainbow Rowell and Cian Tormey. It’s there to point out where the characters are now in continuity — Lois as editor in chief of the Daily Planet, Clark struggling to balance being one of Lois’ reporters AND her husband AND Superman, and Jon being Jon at home. It’s about the people, and by focusing on a once-reformed Atomic Skull as the alleged antagonist, that never gets lost. (Side note: if you’re not reading Rowell’s work on Marvel’s She-Hulk, you’re missing out as well.)
These are the kinds of mainstream superhero books that interest me these days. I’ve been through five or six or eight “status quos,” so now I want to just dig into a run and be reminded why I cared to buy these characters in the first place. This team’s run has just begun, and I’m highlighting it now because even if it’s DC Comics, it can be hard to find the great stuff until it’s too late.
*I say “near” because I don’t know that Gail Simone accepts her own legendary status. She’s brilliant AND humble. Take a lesson, Lex.
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