Force of Nature.
After waiting for what seemed like eternity, Greg paks Action Comics 25 has finely arrived, and I cannot be more happy. I have to admit though, despite my "fanboism" I was skeptical about this slightly, considering that Paks young superman was a little rough for my taste, but after reading this I cannot be happier. Action Comics 25 has almost everything a superman story needs, which is all a fan can ask for.
At first I was really worried that clark would be full of rage as he was in the first arc of Batman/Superman, but even at the beginning of the issue I realized quickly that this would not be something I'd have to worry about. I absolutely loved superman characterization here, personally I think that It captured grant morrisons slightly arrogant, young clark, who above everything else is pure at heart. There were some panels that really did showcase him as a slight jerk, but thous further strengthened the panels where supermans true nature was shown. Clarks inner monologue is really interesting, he talks about his powers specifically, how up until now all he's been able to do with it is be a simple brick, whereas there is so much more he could possibly accomplish This really demonstrates supermans character and age as well, as a young man I find it natural for him to test himself in different situations in order to learn more about helping people.
Moreover, only greg Pak would have the bright idea of putting superman against mother nature herself, and I have to say that the execution was terrific. This could have been done in many ways, but having superman pay for his brashness worked really well here. The narrative split between Lana and clark was something I enjoyed a lot as well, thing is, it captures the notion that both of them have similar personalities; they act quickly without considering the consequences, but their motives come straight from the heart, therefore, when both characters learn from their mistakes, it really highlights how much progress they eventually make. Speaking of which, Greg Pak makes a good contrast on how much clark has changed over the years, the final pages of this comic were absolutely brilliant. I loved how Kal analyses his surrounding, and realizes that there are to many people in need for help, and he should always do as much as he can, especially in his city, Metropolis.
As for the art, I don't have many complaints to be honest, The action was absolutely amazing and I loved young supermans design. The only gripe I really had was lanas face, because at times she looked like a man, which really threw me off a couple of times.
My verdict would be that this is a very strong start. Greg Pak shows how much he understands the character and that he is willingly to make a few interesting beneficial tweaks in order to twist the story around. The issue left off in a way that will probably excited the reader and urge him to go on with the series. Action Comics 25 has good art, a great story, characterization, and a good cliff-hanger.
