I'll admit my nostalgia for the Superman era John Ridley is tapping into makes me a bit biased, but the way he's turned his story in Action Comics #1082 into a Clark Kent centric tale is also a bit exciting. The art team sets a perfect tone throughout the pages as well, to the point you can imagine a musical score accompaniment. Read Full Review

Action Comics #1082 is an interesting comic that does what entertainment, and John Ridley, does best, ask questions and explores out world through storytelling. We're left with no answers so far and a lot of questions but overall, it's an Superman story where the problem might not be able to be solved by punching things. And, it's a story arc that in the end might not have any answers. Read Full Review

Superman has a question of influence in this new story arc. Ridleys writing challenges the Man of Steels impact on others. Miranda, De La Cruz and Sharpe blend superhero themes in with ever mounting drama for a solid chapter. Where this heads now is anyones guess. Read Full Review

Action Comics #1082 is a slow, but promising start to a story that takes a look at Superman's power to inspire and more specifically, its potential limits. Time will tell if this story can live up to its potential. Read Full Review

Or is there some force making Superman angry and sad? Making Disaster give up hope and re-offend? Could it be some villain making everyone feel things they normally don't? Someone like The Psycho Pirate?  Anyways, I hope there is some higher power tweaking everyone's emotions. This sad and mad Superman just feels a little bit off. Read Full Review

Action Comics #1082 digs deep into the weighty philosophical question of what makes a superpowered person choose to be a villain over a hero. John Ridley's thoughtful exploration of that question through Clark Kent's reporting research is interesting fodder for philosophy students, but it's an utter snooze fest for somebody wanting to read a Superman comic with action. It's John Ridley. Are you really surprised?5/10 Read Full Review

With the start of a new arc, this is the perfect jumping-on point for new Superman readers. This arc seems to promise interesting themes and ideas of Superman as a symbol and I am excited to see if it delivers. Overall, this issue is just okay with middle-of-the-road art and some questionable character moments. Read Full Review

I'm not a big fan of this superstars thing going on. Back and forth on writers and jumping to stories that take place before current events doesn't make me want to come back every month and John Ridley is certainly not a Superman superstar. This feels as boring as Straczynski's grounded run to me and the art is a bit of a let down. This is no where near a $5 book.

The sole saving grace of Action Comics #1028 is that it exists outside the current "All In" disaster, sparing readers from that incoherent mess of a storyline. Unfortunately, any relief is short-lived, as this issue replaces one set of problems with another, offering up a misguided attempt to "modernize" Superman's world in ways that completely alienate long-time fans.

The central issue here is the portrayal of Lois Lane, who, in this story, is framed as the all-knowing sage tasked with helping Superman recover from—brace yourself—losing hope. Yes, Superman, the Man of Tomorrow, the symbol of resilience and optimism, apparently needs to be lectured back into shape by Lois, who draws on her "vast experience" as an award-winning journalist to play therapist to the greatest hero on Earth. This dynamic is not only absurd, but it completely undermines Superman as a character. If this is the writing that had greeted me when I first started reading Superman, I would have stopped right then and there.

Lois has always been a key part of the Superman mythos, but her role is simple and effective: she gets into trouble, cries for help, and Superman saves the day. How hard is it to understand and stick to this formula? It's classic, it works, and it gives readers what they want—a heroic Superman. Instead, this issue flips the dynamic, turning Lois into the alpha figure and Superman into a lost puppy, as if the writers are deliberately trying to invert the roles to push some kind of modern messaging. The result is a story that feels alien to everything Superman fans have come to love about these characters.

And let’s not ignore the elephant in the room: this kind of storytelling is a major reason why sales are in the toilet. The people in charge seem to have no idea who their audience is or why Superman has endured for decades. Readers don’t come to Superman for forced ideological posturing or "message over myth." They come for stories of hope, heroism, and inspiration. When you discard those core principles for the sake of fixing what isn’t broken, you alienate the very audience that made these characters iconic in the first place.

In conclusion, Action Comics #1028 is a case study in how not to write Superman. It takes everything that made the character and his world timeless and replaces it with a heavy-handed attempt to reshape the dynamic into something unrecognizable. It’s frustrating, disappointing, and another sad example of why the Superman franchise is struggling to connect with readers today. more

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Superman Fan - Jan 29, 2025

"she gets into trouble, cries for help, and Superman saves the day." she hasn't acted like this for 50 years or more. Have you read any Superman comics since the 80s? Your ideal Superman is stuck in the 1940s.

RKS - Jan 29, 2025

My point was that was her fundamental role within the book. We have seen a shift away from that and not for the better. Basically, she is a "Mary Sue" in the book and Superman is emasculated and reduced to being useless unless she helps him or is some how involved. That ain't Superman and the sales show why it shouldn't be. The way they write Lois makes the chracter pretty much insufferable, They do it in such a way that isn't adding to the story, they beat you over the head with it.

Superman Fan - Jan 29, 2025

She is not a “Mary Sue”, she is a strong character with a very established voice, she has always been a person that Clark can talk to, who understands him, who cares for him, and it has been that way since they became married. , for more than 25 years or even more than that. And “sales show” is not a good argument because since then Superman books have often been on the bestseller list, like AS. Lois is and always will be a very well-defined and important character for any version/story of SM.

RKS - Jan 30, 2025

Alright, Superman Fan, let’s dissect this logically. You claim Lois Lane isn’t a “Mary Sue” because she has a “very established voice” and has “always been there” for Clark. But here’s the thing—you’ve just confirmed the problem. The issue isn’t that Lois exists, it’s that modern writers have turned her into an infallible, all-knowing, hyper-competent crutch for Superman, who now apparently can’t function unless she’s involved

RKS - Jan 30, 2025

And let’s talk about “emasculation.” Superman is the ultimate archetype of heroic masculinity—he’s a symbol of strength, virtue, and resilience. But now? He’s reduced to standing around, waiting for Lois to tell him what to do. That’s not compelling storytelling; that’s ideological preaching disguised as character development.

RKS - Jan 30, 2025

As for the “sales” argument—oh, sure, let’s just ignore decades of declining readership and dwindling interest while patting ourselves on the back for an occasional bestseller. The reality is, people aren’t buying into this watered-down Superman who needs Lois to hold his hand every step of the way. The numbers don’t lie, but apparently, modern comic writers do.

Superman Fan - Feb 3, 2025

I understand, so now wanting an opinion from a woman you actually care about somehow diminishes your masculinity or your ability to act. American comics haven't sold well for a long time, and often it's not about the quality of the story, but because of the wrong strategies for promoting the universe.

RKS - Feb 5, 2025

No, but not being able to act without asking her her opinion does. At one point in the book Superman gives up his role in a conversation so that Lois can speak and assume the role of main protagonist. I think I've made my points pretty clear that the writer has turned the Superman book into an avenue for him to deliver "The message" that takes over from telling a story that is good or that makes sense. As for sales see Marie Javins being empowered as Editor in Chief...

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