This week: Updates on Action Comics #1094, Batman & Robin #23, DC KO #3, and more!
Note: The following review contains spoilers. If you want a quick, spoiler-free buy/pass recommendation for the comic in question, check out the final verdict at the bottom of the article.
Action Comics #1094
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Patricio Delpeche
Author: Steve Ones
“I miss when Superman came out and gave humanity hope for a month.” This is a caption I saw on a Superman TikTok edit a few days ago that stuck with me.
It’s nice to know that five months after James Gunn’s blockbuster movie Superman, people are still clamoring for the man in blue. The more I miss that feeling of kindness and hope, the more I tell myself I can still find it. All I have to do is go to my local comic shop and pick up the next Superman story waiting for me.
Luckily, Mark Waid and Patricio Delpeche’s Action Comics #1094 gave me that hope perfectly this week.
This issue continues the current Superboy arc, currently running parallel to DC’s latest event, DC KO. So far this run has been a joy, allowing us to see young Clark Kent trying to find his place in a world where he knows people like him exist. We get to see him learn to control his powers, save people, inspire others, and just as importantly, hide who he is. Each chapter feels like a carefully constructed little story that builds toward a larger story, and the results are extremely satisfying.
This was refreshing for a fan base that was looking for something to feel Superman again on the page and on screen. I can’t help but laugh at the realization that all we needed was a return to the boy-becomes-man story.
In this issue, Clark is finally called upon to keep the promise he made to General Lane a few issues ago. When his country needs him, they call and he answers. Clark has yet to see the ugliest side of the world, at least not on the scale that war demands. And, unfortunately, that’s exactly where Lane sends him.
His mission is to rescue a special operations team along with weapons engineer Dr. Silas Stone from Modran, the birthplace of the villain Sonar. I recorded the connection almost immediately and was not surprised by what happened next.
What happened between these lines left me with deep emotions, as I do, whether or not Superboy has to deal with some kind of deafening attack.
The General was so arrogant that he saw Clark not as a child but as a weapon. Because when a man can level a city, why do we see him as something else, something human? Why should I bother to know about the child I intended to send into a war zone? I can’t help but associate it with using immigrants as tools, and in this case that’s exactly what Clark did.
In that sense, it was very appealing to associate Superman with the soldiers next to them. Because that’s exactly what they were. This is why I was so distraught when Clark emphasized that for the first time he saw the fresh human corpse of a soldier who had been shot in the head.
Kudos to Mr. Wade for really selling Superboy. Although he is an acting superpower on the planet, he is not everywhere because there are still many injured men. It was something deeply connected to the character, and something he still blames himself for.
The letter writer, Steve Wands, also deserves credit for selling sonar weapons. Rather than simply conveying that Clark has become deaf, the cartoon uses blank speech bubbles to convey that loss. We can’t hear anything either. The only sound left is the bold blue “VMMM” sound of the engine hanging in the air, fixing us on Clark’s disorientation.
Delpeche’s art takes this issue even further. A striking panel depicts Superboy unleashing his unique sonic weapon, his scream rendered in blue and white, blowing up a room.
At this point, the story took a different direction, and the entire comic became more sombre, partly due to the tone of the script, but also largely due to Delpeche changing the color of the world. The tone becomes heavier and the color becomes darker. The world itself feels more distressed, reflecting Clark’s emotional state as he begins to see events through his eyes.
Considering the current state of the real world, there is something very comforting about seeing young people struggling to hold on to responsibilities they never asked for, even though they have the same or more power than adults. Clark doesn’t want this burden, but like everyone else caught in a system bigger than themselves, they carry it anyway.
In that moment, Clark feels alienated, not only because he is literally an alien, but also because he is misunderstood, traumatized, and experiencing something very close to PTSD.
I think many people can still relate to that.
In Action Comics #1094, Superman doesn’t tell you to believe because he’s invincible. He asks us to believe in him because he felt the weight of the world but chose to stand in it. This version of Clark Kent is scared, overwhelmed, and acutely aware of his limitations, but still keeps going. That is the hope that lasts.
It’s not born out of spectacle or power, but forged in empathy, self-control, and a desire to care even when you’re hurting. To persevere even in the face of great hardship. At a time when optimism feels fragile and authority often confuses morality for violence, Superman remains radical in the simplest possible way. He sees people. And sometimes that’s enough to remind us why he’s still important.
I hope this will make people smile today.
Verdict: Buy
The current performances of Batman and Robin by Philip Kennedy Johnson and Fisco Osio are very enjoyable to me. With the introduction of this “John Wick” character, the Quiet Man, I knew something great had to come out of it. In this story, a father is wronged and released from prison with only revenge in mind. It might not be a story to everyone’s taste, but with Scarface returning and the reveal that a long time has passed since his ventriloquist caretaker died, I was curious to see where the story would go next. I’m glad it’s not just an action movie. Johnson gives everyone here real depth. There is a scene in this issue where Batman is talking to Silas Mercer (The Quiet Man) and they reveal what happened to his son and why he wants revenge. Batman judges him and Mercer responds by asking what Batman knows about losing his family. The way Osio describes Batman’s reaction tells us everything we need to know. Whether you know about his past or not, it speaks volumes. They’re two sides of the same coin, with Damian painfully revealing what would have happened if Batman had ended his life. He even takes the time to point out how blessed Bruce was. He dedicated his life and had the resources to acquire the tools he needed. He had a chance to take a more difficult path. Not everyone is so lucky. It’s a beautiful scene, and it’s filled with growth and love to see Bruce actually listen to Damian, truly hear what he has to say, and admit that he’s right. Ultimately, this issue succeeds because it understands that Batman’s greatest conflicts are not fought with fists, but with restraint, remorse, and responsibility. By positioning Silas Mercer as a twisted mirror of Bruce Wayne, the story emphasizes how thin the line between justice and revenge is. But what makes the problem even bigger is Bruce’s willingness to listen to Damian and stand up to the privilege that allowed him to choose a better path. In doing so, Batman and Robin begin to think less about punishment and more about responsibility, legacy, and the difficult task of breaking the cycle. This film reminds us that Batman endures not because he is indomitable, but because he has the ability to grow. DC KO of Scott Snyder and Javi Fernandez has not been a personal favorite of mine so far. As DC’s latest big event, it’s clearly meant to set the stage for future stories, and that intent is clear throughout. Unfortunately, Execution leans heavily into a large-scale, fanservice-driven spectacle built primarily around long fight sequences. This approach is not inherently flawed. For many readers, watching the main characters clash in high-stakes one-on-one matches is fascinating and reason enough to get hooked. In fact, there are some moments here that I enjoyed. One-on-one battles are often imaginative, and teaming up two champions can add some interesting twists. Seeing Superman and Shazam together will be a real highlight, and the pairing of the Joker and an unlikely ally will definitely be a reveal that will excite longtime fans. But to me, this story feels like it’s more focused on eliciting a reaction than telling a compelling story on its own right now. At this point, DC KO reads more like connective tissue to justify what happens next than a currently unfolding story. The final announcement of upcoming opponents is clearly meant to build anticipation, but I felt more anxious than intrigued to see where the event was headed. That doesn’t mean the series doesn’t have merit or ambition. It simply means that its priorities don’t match what I personally want from a crossover of this size. For now, DC KO is low on my pull list, but that’s not out of frustration, but out of suppressed interest. We’ll see where that leads, but right now it feels like an event designed for a different kind of reader than me. The current run of Supergirl is a really fun series, and this week’s issue was no exception. This year’s Supergirl begins with a bang, literally, with an issue celebrating the New Year and the gang going to a New Year’s party. Sophie Campbell and Joe Quinones team up to tell a story with real-life consequences that I didn’t expect. To be honest, when I realized what was going on in the story, I could see the smile slowly disappearing from my face. At first I thought it was going to be a fun story about super friends at a party, but it quickly took a dark turn. My first warning should have been the fact that not consuming alcohol is a key element of participation. Lena Luthor had other plans, creating a concoction that would “intoxicate” Lesla, a fellow Kryptonian. The story revolves around how Lena, who knew not to let Lesla near alcohol because it was dangerous for Kryptonians under the yellow sun, used her friend’s trust to ruin the party. In the chaos, she even unknowingly got Kara drunk, and immediately regretted her actions. This story delves into a story about trust, what it’s like to break that trust, and the consequences that come with it. Instead of letting mistakes go by, the aftermath is allowed to linger. Seeing how heartbroken Kara was left a huge impact. I think a lot of people can relate to witnessing the consequences of bad choices at a party, and it really struck a chord with me. Overall, this issue of Supergirl is successful because it doesn’t shy away from revealing the consequences of thoughtless actions. This isn’t about a punchline or a quick lesson. It’s about trust, vulnerability, and how even small choices can hurt those we care about. Watching Kara overcome that heartbreak made the story feel real and grounded, and reminded me why this run is so special. This is a story with a balance of fun and heart, showing that even heroes must face the consequences of bad decisions, and that growth, understanding, and forgiveness are as heroic as any superpower.
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