Action Comics #891 – Review

by Paul Cornell (writer), Pete Woods (pencils & inks), CAFU (pencils), BIT (inks), Brad Anderson (colors), and Rob Leigh (letters)

The Story: Lex Luthor fights Mister Mind for control of his own fantasies.

What’s Good: It’s always a pleasure to read a comic that feels wickedly smart and it’s even more special when this comic turns out to be a mainstream superhero book.

Cornell delivers a wonderful probing of Lex Luthor’s psychology through several dreams/fantasies that Mister Mind subjects Lex to.  Every single one of these scenes is ingenious and perfectly representative of Lex’s character.  At one point, he’s Prometheus, bringing the fire of the gods to humanity and at another, he’s Dr. Frankenstein.  It’s creative, lively stuff that you can tell Cornell is having a ball with.

Yet, what really makes this issue even more special, and surprising really, is just how funny it is.  When you’re getting a book that is more or less a meditation on Lex Luthor, I think it’s natural to expect something dark and brooding and while this issue definitely has those moments, it has a hefty amount of absurd humour.  Mister Mind is a frequent source of physical comedy, for example, and when he speaks to his mysterious master, it’s done in a fourth-wall breaking style that made me smile. Cornell also makes the most of the sheer absurdity of the character and his appearance; there’s a scene with the little caterpillar in a Wild West saloon that needs to be seen to be believed.

While Lex’s dreams all provide strong insight into his character, Cornell skillfully plays with the idea that these dreams are more what we (and hence Mister Mind) think Lex’s psychology is like.  The result is an interesting mix of truth and expectation and when Lex rebels against the veracity of these fantasies, it’s very interesting.  It also needs being said that there is one dream in particular, where Lex essentially plays Superman, which is completely hilarious.

Weekly Comic Book Review’s Top Picks

Dean’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: The Walking Dead #75 – This was a really good issue that shows the pressure of leadership finally getting to Rick, plus it had the whacky, cool, back-up story.  You could also consider this a bit of a lifetime achievement award for a creator-owned comic that has never (by my reckoning) had a poor issue.

Most Anticipated: Uncanny X-Men #526 – I really enjoyed Second Coming,  so I’m excited to see the new direction for the X-Men.  My world is just happier when the X-books are good, and they’ve all been pretty sharp recently.

Other Top Picks: American Vampire #5, Haunt #8, Wolverine Weapon X #15, PunisherMax #9, Incorruptible #8

Alex’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Avengers #2 – A dose of old-school fun that genuinely surprised me.  It’s nothing complex, nor is it the best for overall narrative progression, but it’s a rippingly enjoyable read and often that counts for quite a lot.

Most Anticipated: Wonder Woman #601 – In an absolutely, ridiculously stacked week that is guaranteed to make the wallet bleed, I decided to go for the unknown.  Where is JMS going with this?  The fact that I have no idea what to expect from this issue, outside of high quality, has me intrigued.

Other Picks: American Vampire #5, Secret Avengers #3, Batman: the Return of Bruce Wayne #4, Fantastic Four #581, The Flash #4, Green Lantern #56, Madame Xanadu #25, Punishermax #9, Action Comics #891, Thor #612, Unknown Soldier #22, Wolverine: Weapon X #15

Joe’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour GN – Bryan Lee O’Malley brought to a close his wonderful pop culture romance in a way that pleased me to no end.  6 years in the making, and even with all of that build-up, I was still satisfied with how the creator wrapped up the many plot-lines and relationships that he set into motion so long ago.  And it was all a heck of a lot of fun!

Most Anticipated: Uncanny X-Men #526 – I’m still riding off of the high of Second Coming, so I’m eager to see where the franchise goes from here.  The fact that Allan Heinberg and  Olivier Coipel have a bonus back-up that connects to Avengers: The Children’s Crusade is the cherry on top.

Other Top Picks: American Vampire #5, Flash #4, Green Lantern #56, Secret Avengers #3, Punisher Max #9, Wolverine Weapon X #15, X-Men Legacy #238