Review of Superman - Action Comics Vol. 1: Superman and the Men of Steel (The New 52)

Okay, I know what you're all thinking: "Another Superman origin story? We already have thousands of those!" Okay, you're right on that one, but Superman is a very famous character with a very famous origin. People get interested in a comic book character because of how they become in what they are right now. DC Comics make thousands of origin stories for Superman and people will still be interested. Anyway, onto the review.

The book is written by Grant Morrison, of Batman fame. You can totally tell this book will be awesome. Meanwhile, the art is handled by Rags Morales. I haven't had any prior experience with his drawings, but I decided to give the guy a chance.

This story doesn't really focus on Superman's origin (well, it does, but later into the book). Instead, it focuses on Superman's early months of activity in Metropolis. Superman is portrayed much like his Golden Age incarnation; he cannot fly yet, so he moves around by incredibly huge leaps. In this book, Grant Morrison sees Superman as a champion of social justice, a guy who tries to make a difference with the common people. So, he goes around threatening corrupt businessmen and hanging them above tall buildings.

Naturally, everyone is divided in how to see Superman. Some people, like Lois Lane, believe him to be a good guy; but others, like General Sam Lane (Lois' father), believe the Man of Steel as an alien threat. General Lane hires a private scientific consultant, Lex Luthor, in order to take Superman down, at any cost.

Unfortunately, a very real alien threat sets his sights on Earth: Brainiac, the Collector of Worlds. This gives Superman the chance to prove that he is a real hero, but to do so, he must uncover new powers and obtain a shiny new costume. What, you didn't think he was going to keep a t-shirt and jeans as his superhero uniform, did you?

The main story focuses on Superman's fight with Brainiac, but a few issues take a backseat to showcase how did Superman came to be where his now, his early days on Krypton and his youth on Smallville. It is a very entertaining story, but at some point it might feel forced because it basically comes out of freakin' nowhere.

Through the course of the story, Morrison introduces elements and characters that he would later use for the latter stages of his run. While I admire his Batman work, I think the Superman saga is where he begins to show his true colors as a genius. The story will culminate in Action Comics #17, which will come out in February 2013. Be ready to check it out!

Well, that's it. Thanks for reading!