Action Comics #982
DC Comics
Written by: Dan Jurgens
Art by: Jack Herbert and Jose Luis
After being forced to flee from battle due
to the Black Vault rendering him blind, Superman takes Jon and Lois to the Fortress of Solitude while he tries to come up with a plan to stop the Superman Revenge Squad. Meanwhile, Mogul, Blanque, and Metallo join up with Zod, the Eradicator, and Cyborg Superman and plan to invade the Fortress of Solitude to use the seemingly infinite resources that lie within it. With no time left to plan, Superman is forced back into an impossible battle in order to protect his family and his fortress.
This story arc started out a bit slow, but the revelation that Superman is blind with no cure in sight (no pun intended) has kicked this arc into gear. A battle with the so-called “Superman Revenge Squad” seemed daunting initially, but now that Supes’ vision is compromised, it seems completely hopeless. And that’s what makes this a great Superman story: in the face of impossible odds,
Superman will stop at nothing to protect the ones he loves. This has also been a recurring theme throughout Action Comics in Rebirth, such as in the “Path of
Doom” arc. We keep seeing our hero face impossible odds, yet in the eleventh hour, his heroics are rewarded by the aid of the people he’s impacted.
Everything in the script here works. Dan Jurgens doesn’t leave any plot holes and explains what really brings this unlikely band of villains together, besides their hatred of Superman. He also doesn’t ignore that Superman could call in the Justice League if need be, which Lois even suggests at one point.
Jack Herbert provides the art for most of the issue, with Jose Luis taking over towards the end. This transition was noticeable, mainly because Herbert has been illustrating Clark’s eyes with a whitefish haze to show he’s blind. When Luis takes over, Clark’s eyes look completely normal and if it weren’t for the captions, the art would make it seem like he’s able to see completely fine. This is a small detail that might not bother most readers, but it definitely took me out of the climax of the book. Aside from that, both artists do a great job, especially in Herbert’s detailed facial animations.
Action Comics #982 moves the “Revenge” story arc into high-gear with a classic display of Superman’s unwavering heroism in the face of impossible odds. Despite a mildly rough hand-off between artists, this issue tells a great story that will leave readers anxious to see how this story ends.