Writer: Joe Kelly
Artists: Pascual Ferry with Cam Smith and Andy Owens
Publisher: DC
I haven't picked up Action Comics since issue #802 and the onset of the "Harvest" storyline. Since I'm not a huge fan of Joe Kelly's work, especially following the JLA #83 debacle, I've been trying to avoid this title at cost. However, seeing as how #809 might be something different, I decided to give it a shot, mostly due to my love of Superman. It's quite a departure from what we've been getting recently.
Clark Kent is on a ship full of reporters when a rival of his is murdered. This is followed by several more murders, before Clark discovers that it is actually a phantom presence causing the disarray. Clark and Lois are successful in extinguishing the specter, and discover that Clark himself may have been indirectly involved in the whole affair.
I have to give Joe Kelly a lot of credit for this one. Although the dialogue sounds nothing like Superman (not a surprise these days) or Clark Kent, it is generally free-flowing and tells the story well. The mystery itself is a bit complicated, as the characters die faster than they can be introduced, but the conclusion is not contrived, maybe even a bit unexpected, and leads to a nice afterword involving the Clark Kent-Superman connection. I'm especially pleased at the onetime change in direction, as straight-up detective work hasn't been seen regularly since the Golden Age Supes stories (SHAMELESS PLUG: As discussed in my recent Superman columns, modern day writers are generally more concerned with the Law Enforcement, or "beating up the bad guys" aspect, than the actual "detective work").
Pascual Ferry's art this month is slightly more suited to the book's nature, but since I despise cartoonish styles in superhero comics, it does not quite float my boat. Ferry's art comes off as an elaborate cartoonish noir, as opposed to the pragmatic, less-detailed style of Cameron Stewart or Michael Lark. It still is much better than the usual warped artwork from Ferry and Duncan Rouleau in the Superman titles, and I found myself enjoying more than similar styles.
There's nothing out of this world about this issue, as the artwork is mediocre and the story is certainly not suited to Superman, but in an era when the Superman books have been lacking, I certainly welcome the self-contained action and adventure seen in this issue. More of this please.
Be sure to read my Superman column in the Silver Soapbox, right here at the Internet's Most Diverse Comics' Webzine!
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