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Mild Mannered Reviews - Regular Superman Comics

Action Comics #882

Action Comics #882

Scheduled to arrive in stores: October 14, 2009

Cover date: December 2009

"The Hunt for Reactron" - Part 3

Writer: Greg Rucka with Sterling Gates
Penciller: Pere Perez
Inker: Pere Perez
Cover: cafu with Santiago Arcas

Reviewed by: Adam Dechanel

Click to enlarge


General Lane enforces Reactron's membership in Squad K. Despite their reluctance they take him in to hunt for Lois Lane. Despite gleeful pantomime style, nudge, nudge, wink, wink smirks Squad K don't seem to notice they've been played and head out of 7734.

In the Metropolis Museum of Science & Industry Lois sneaks around for a secret rendezvous with Chris and Lana. Chris explains that Metallo & Reactron had impersonated them on film. Lois deduces her father created the video and Lana rolls her eyes (not at the super dull plots in the Super books) with sickness that she brushes off as dehydration.

Kara decides she doesn't need to be a super bitch anymore and asks Thara what she meant about an unseen force corrupting Lana... Thara cuts her off and then spots that Kara is still blood bloom petal of which she has a matching one back from when they infected one another on Krypton. Apparently when Kara arrived on Earth stark naked, she had only the blood petal as a reminder of her home. (Riiiiiiiiiiigggghhht...)

Suddenly, by some crazy coincidence, Squad K pass by Kara's window at the exact moment the two girls are staring right at it. It isn't after them though and suddenly they realize it must be homing in on Chris!

Lois promises to write a story if Chris can do her investigative journalism work for her. Lois though reminds them that Cat Grant, Morgan Edge and pretty much the whole planet has become very anti-Kryptonian but her analysis is cut short as Squad K arrive.

To save his mother and Lana Chris draws them away flying to intercept Squad K. Kara and Thara arrive to help. Squad K refuse aid from Guardian and the Science Police and fly out to battle. Colonel Hazard is surprised when Reactron holds back, especially with his bloodthirsty nature. Reactron explains he can't participate in aerial combat as his upgrades have... downgraded that ability.

Instead Reactron leaps out of the SK carrier and lands on the ground. Gold Kryptonite beams blaze through the sky and cause devastating damage to the city. Hazard warns him to stop harming civilians and they give chase as Kara, Thara and Chris race into the sewers. When they see the destruction in the sewers they were blamed for they pause and it's long enough for them to be caught unaware. Chris however has a plan and while the trio converse in Kryptonese Chris offers the three of them up for surrender.

Immediately cuffed in Red Sun shackles they are led away be Squad K when Reactron arrives. He slaps a powerless Kara to the ground and receives another lecture from Hazard. Thara and Chris explain to Hazard what's been going on and just as Hazard realizes they've been punk'd by Reactron and General Lane... Reactron executes them...

Now powerless they are helpless to the wrath of Krull!

To Be Continued...

2Story - 2: On the one hand I'm happy Squad K are gone but on the other I couldn't care less, and from the sloppy writing it seems the writing team don't care either.

Kara and Thara suddenly get along...

Gold Kryptonite while an inhibitor for Kryptonians is lethal to humans...

The whole, passing by the window thing...

The hiding of the blood petal in Kara's naked body...

Bringing in Squad K to kill them off while doing a job that they didn't need to do...

The comedy smirks...

Chris isn't aging anymore despite it being quite rapid previously...

Lois' lazy work ethic...

How Squad K got to Earth from Mirabai's Magic Kingdom with out her...

Aside from all the above, the 2 rating is because something actually happened to progress the story. The fast pace was also a saving grace. I'm usually a forgiving critic, but I'm not enjoying his whole arc. I honestly can't believe that we're only halfway through the 'saga'.

4Art - 4: Everything looks great - except the women... they all look alike. Lois has black hair so that was an easy one but Lana, Thara and Kara are almost identical. Were it not for the elaborative scripting we'd have a hard time distinguishing them. Aside from that some scenes were breathtaking and Chris hovering over the city is my absolute favorite scene.

4Cover Art - 4: The twin thing is carried over to the cover as well perhaps to reinforce that they are 'sisters'. I like that Reactron is gracing the cover of his own story line.

Mild Mannered Reviews

2009

Note: Month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic went on sale.

January 2009

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