Review: Action Comics #1008

Action Comics #1008 came out this week, the second part of the Leviathan Rising arc which, I suppose, will be finished in May with the release of the Leviathan prestige format one shot.

Since Brian Michael Bendis took over the Superman family books, Action Comics has been his home for the supporting cast. This is where we have interacted the most with the Daily Planet staff. This is where we have seen Firefighter Moore and Mayor.

This has also been Bendis' home for more street level crime and old fashioned mysteries. Those topics blend well with the foundation of this book being the investigative journalists in the cast. So as readers we have had to unravel the mystery of the Red Cloud, the leader of the Invisible Mafia, and the motive for arsonists around Metropolis. As a reader, giving me a mystery to solve is always engaging. I have been pretty gripped by these stories, trying to figure out the answers along side our heroes.

Leviathan Rising is no different. Who is Leviathan? Why are they eliminating other organizations? What is the source of the Manhattan-esque energy powers? Is this an existing character (like Talia Al Ghul or my current guess ... see below) trying to grab power? Or is it someone brand new? This issue gives us some clues ... but not many.

The art is by Steve Epting and he brings a grounded approach to the proceedings. His Superman is not some ultra-handsome Adonis. In some places, Superman looks more like a pugilist sporting an old broken nose. But for a Superman book dealing in more military/espionage trappings, Epting's more realistic style works very well.

On to the book.

Each issue of Action Comics has started with a splash page of someone's desk or table or camera bag, a peek into the personality of the character while possible dropping hints/Easter Eggs/jokes. I like this motif a lot, bringing information to the table visually and being more entertaining than a recap and credits page.

Here we have the corkboard of Leviathan. Kobra has been eliminated. Spyral has been eliminated. There are notes for the DEO. We see Sam Lane for ARGUS. There is a Checkmate paper. And then all the notes with hints or feints. Sugar and Spike Inc being on the level of SHADE? Dr. Fate and James Gordon being targets? Does that inform us more of who this person is?

We turn to the DEO where Adam Strange has just arrived to talk to Director Bones.

Strange has news about General Zod (who we last saw getting the snot kicked out of him by Rogol Zaar in the Phantom Zone). Bones wants to hire Strange as an agent.

Before the talk can go any further, an almost robotic/spiky silhouette appears and unleashes the blue, Kirby-krackle infused energy we saw destroy Kobra and Task Force X last issue. It is only the heroic actions of Strange which saves Bones and his crew.

With the DEO demolished, we see Director Bones curse the heavens, a rare emotional outburst from our ex-villain.

Hmmmm ... so, more bright blue energy which simply erases things ... as if the light is taking the place to pieces? Hmmm.

 Meanwhile, Amanda Waller, who barely escaped the destruction of Task Force X meets up with General Lane in a movie theater.

She informs him that someone is taking out big organizations. And it looks bad. Kobra, Task Force X, the DEO. Argus has to be a target.

I like the idea that these heads of these organizations, often at odds with each other despite similar missions, would be on a first name basis with each other.

What I don't like is seeing General Lane taking a couple of pulls off an old school flask. Seems a little odd for a man of such rigid discipline.

 It is implied that perhaps his hitting the sauce is because he is still reeling from the news Lois gave him last issue. Superman is Jon's father. (As was pointed out to me by some astute commenters and friends, she never says Clark is Superman. She only said Superman is the father. I don't know if I like that any more than her revealing Clark. In fact, given how that portrays Clark, I might like it less.)

Waller can't believe that Lane might be softening his stance about Superman.

While I don't like decompression when done wrong. The middle panel of a silent Lane was a nice touch. This can't be easy for him to deal with. He probably can't enunciate how he feels because he is still figuring it out himself.

 Hey ... remember that Superman is the star of this book!

I'm kidding. I actually love the world building.

But the time has come for Lois to return to the Planet. This Leviathan story - the destruction of Task Force X - is too big a story for her not to cover.

Check out that Superman by Epting. Kind of a rugged look for the Man of Steel.

 There is a great splash page of Lois walking through the pit. (You know how much I love those shots of the Planet's reporters' room. It is like the return of the Queen. Everyone is gawking. It is worth seeking out.

 She walks up to Robinson Goode and reminds the young reporter that she is sitting at Lane's old cubicle.

That seems to spur Goode a bit. Instead of kowtowing a bit to the Mayor's aide on the phone, she seems to channel hard-hitting Lois Lane, demanding a quote and then being satisfied with herself.

I suppose that is the power of Lois. Her presence alone inspires people.

 In one of the offices, Lois and Clark discover a disheveled and overtired Jimmy hiding under a desk.

After witnessing the erasure of the Kobra Clan, he has gone into hiding.

He reveals that the group was erased by blue energy which snaked out like a jellyfish, the same energy Clark saw take out Task Force X. The team now knows these are organized attacks.

Hmmm ... jellyfish ... a tentacled sea creature ... like a squid? Hmmm.

 Lane and Waller each thought the other had set up this tete-a-tete. When they realize they have been set up, they do their best to evacuate the cinema. But too late, the blue energy arrives and destroys the place. It is only Lane and Waller's personal force field tech which spares them initially.

But with death staring them in the face, Waller shoots at Lane to slow him down. She runs off, leaving a winded Lane to face the presumed same silhouette from the DEO. This looks like Sam Lane has died yet again! At least his last word was for his daughter Lois.

I just mentioned above how I liked that Amanda and Sam knew each other enough to meet and talk. I love that she used him to improve her odds of escaping. They aren't that friendly! It reminds me of that old joke about two guys running away from a bear. One guy says that he doesn't need to be faster than the bear, just faster than the other guy.

Lois and Clark head back to his apartment (remember they aren't together these days).

But before too much can happen, Waller shows up. She knows Clark is Superman (is this a big reveal?) and needs his help.

Now that is a good cliffhanger.

But what about Leviathan? Ready for my off the wall guess? I formulated my guess 35 minutes ago.

While we have seen the Watchmen characters run all over their world and even peek into the main DC world in Doomsday Clock, one thing we haven't seen are their Earth-0 doppelgangers.

Is there a Jon Osterman in the main DC world? Is their a Dan Dreiberg? Is their an Adrian Veidt?

And if there is, do they have similar personalities?

I mean blue energy that is extremely destructive that resembles a tentacled sea creature?

Doesn't that scream Watchmen?

And wouldn't someone like Veidt, who wanted to control the world in Watchmen, go about it differently in a world flooded with super-beings?

So my guess is Leviathan is an Earth-0 Adrian Veidt! (I suppose an Earth-0 Jon Osterman (who isn't Dr. Manhattan) would also work.

Nice mystery unfolding here. And Lois returning to the Planet was a great scene showing hpw revered she is by everyone.

Overall grade: B+

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