Tag: Action Comics reviews

Comics Reviews: Superman 353, Action 513, DC Comics Presents 27

Superman 353 coverSuperman #353 – “The Fantastic Foe Superman Could Never Meet” – Cary Bates/Curt Swan/Frank Chiaramonte

This one starts with Clark Kent and Lana Lang skydiving to promote WGBS. Clark doesn’t open his parachute and isn’t saying anything. Lana assumes he’s scared shitless, but he’s actually spotted a mine collapse with his x-ray vision. He maneuvers into a cloud, switches to Superman to deal with the mine collapse, then switches back to Clark before dropping out of the cloud and pulling his ripcord. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 353, Action 513, DC Comics Presents 27”

Comics Reviews: Superman 352, Action 512,DC Comics Presents 26

Superman 352 coverSuperman #352 – “Day of Destiny” – Marv Wolfman/Curt Swan/Frank Chiaramonte

This one starts with Superman rescuing some people from a tenement fire in the poor section of Metropolis. He then snuffs out the fire by creating a vortex to direct the flames up into space. Everyone is grateful except the two crooked building owners (Stone and Rose) who apparently arranged the fire to collect the insurance money. This is the fifth of their buildings to burn down and the cops haul them in. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 352, Action 512,DC Comics Presents 26”

Comics Reviews: Superman 351, Action 511, DC Presents 25

Superman 351 coverSuperman #351 – “The Fiend With Nine Faces” – Gerry Conway/Curt Swan/Frank Chiaramonte

Last issue, Clark Kent’s old science teacher (Professor Tolkein) came up with a device he called the Genesis Machine, which was supposed to create matter from nothing, thus defying the laws of physics. We saw that the Genesis Machine didn’t really create matter, it just transferred it from one place to another using some kind of psychic link that Tolkein set up between nine of his ex-students. But the matter transfers are unequal, with large objects disappearing and reappearing beside the Genesis Machine as much smaller items; this culminated in an entire office building disappearing and showing up as a typewriter near the Genesis Machine. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 351, Action 511, DC Presents 25”

Comics Reviews: Superman 350, Action 510, DC Comics Presents 24

Superman 350 coverSuperman #350 – “Clark Kent’s Vanishing Classmates” – Gerry Conway/Curt Swan/Frank Chiaramonte

This one starts at Metropolis University, with Superman coming to the rescue of an old classmate (Art Borely), who’s in a hot air balloon that’s rapidly losing its buoyancy because of a hole. Superman patches up the shoddy balloon and Art turns the rescue to his advantage, trumpeting Superman’s prowess. Apparently, Clark Kent has accompanied Lana Lang to their college reunion and Clark changed to Superman for a quick rescue after noticing Art’s trouble. He changes back to Clark and joins Lana, who’s being harassed by another old classmate, Steve Power. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 350, Action 510, DC Comics Presents 24”

Comics Reviews: Superman 349, Action 509, DC Comics Presents 23

Superman 349 coverSuperman #349 – “The Turnabout Trap” – Martin Pasko/Curt Swan/Frank Chiaramonte

This one starts with Superman returning from a mission in deep space. He goes to the Daily Planet, where a new receptionist is on duty. The newcomer doesn’t know Clark, or even recognize his name, and protests when Clark walks right into the city room. Clark soon realizes why he wasn’t recognized … this isn’t exactly the Daily Planet he’s used to. The trappings are the same, but everyone’s gender is reversed, so he sees Jenny Olsen and Louis Lane talking to editor Penny White (who still hates being called “chief”). Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 349, Action 509, DC Comics Presents 23”

Comics Reviews: Superman 348, Action 508, DC Comics Presents 22

Superman 348 coverSuperman #348 – “The Master of Wind and Storm” – Gerry Conway/Curt Swan/Frank Chiaramonte

This one starts in the Arizona desert, where a couple of developers are preparing to build a retirement community. They’ve hired a Native American “rainmaker” to bring water to the desert (and as a publicity gimmick), but they’re shocked when his ritual summons a weird-looking cloud creature and the skies open up and pour rain down on the parched land. A couple weeks later in Metropolis, Superman saves an oil refinery from blowing up (and manages to do so without wasting any of the oil). Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 348, Action 508, DC Comics Presents 22”

Comics Reviews: Superman 347, Action 507, DC Comics Presents 21

Superman 347 coverSuperman #347 – “The Sleeper Out of Time” – Gerry Conway/Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez

This one starts with the set-up for the rest of the story. A funky-looking green alien is in suspended animation on a starship. He’s delivering a peace message (in what looks like a Cosmic Cube) to a rival star system, when his ship is hit by a comet and goes off course … landing on Earth. Meanwhile, Superman is out on a date with Lois, who seems to have set her sights on rekindling their romance. She’s acting kind of goofy, like a teenage girl with a crush instead of her usual self, but Superman notes that she seems to be enjoying the change … and so is he. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 347, Action 507, DC Comics Presents 21”

Comics Reviews: Superman 346, Action 506, DC Comics Presents 20

Superman 346 coverSuperman #346 – “Superman’s Streak of Bad Luck” – Gerry Conway/Curt Swan/Frank Chiaramonte

You can guess the theme of this story by the title, and Superman’s bad luck starts on the first page. It’s winter and the streets are icy as hell, which means traffic accidents. This one happens to involve Lois Lane skidding out of control toward a delivery truck. Superman scoops up some sand from a nearby construction site and dumps it on the street, giving Lois enough traction to slow down. But the truck driver freaks out for some reason and bails out of his vehicle, leaving it to plow straight toward Lois. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 346, Action 506, DC Comics Presents 20”

Comics Reviews: Superman 345, Action 505, DC Comics Presents 19

Superman 345 coverSuperman #345 – “When Time Ran Backward” – Gerry Conway/Curt Swan/Frank Chiaramonte

This one starts with Superman stopping an experimental satellite from crashing into metropolis. The satellite is called NEWS-1, which you’d think would indicate a news satellite, but it actually stands for National Environmental Weather Satellite; it’s not a weather monitoring satellite, it’s meant to be for weather control … built by STAR Labs, of course. But something went wrong, prompting Superman’s intervention. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 345, Action 505, DC Comics Presents 19”

Comics Reviews: Superman 344, Action 504, DC Comics Presents 18

Superman 344 coverSuperman #344 – “The Monsters Among Us” – Len Wein, Paul Levitz/Curt Swan/Frank Chiaramonte

It was a dark and stormy night … No, this isn’t a novel by Bulwer-Lytton (or Snoopy), but it is rather “gothic” in theme. It starts with Superman blocking a lightning bolt from striking in downtown Metropolis and using his heat vision to evaporate the storm clouds. He rushes to a mansion (Castle Kanlyn) outside the city and changes to Clark Kent. Clark is ushered into the mansion by his host, Ms. MacArdle, to find Lois is waiting for him. They’re there to report on a séance where the participants try to contact the spirit of a dead magician named Roland Randall. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 344, Action 504, DC Comics Presents 18”