Action Comics #1094
Scheduled to arrive in stores: January 14, 2026
Cover date: March 2026
“Our Superboy at War”
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Patricio Delpeche
Cover: Ryan Sook
Variant Covers: Elizabeth Torque and Sabine Rich, Chris Samnee and Matheus Lopes, and Annie Wu
Reviewed by: Marc Lax
After a study date with Lana, Clark is summoned by General Lane. In a country called Modora Dr Silas Stone (leading weapons engineer) has been kidnapped and a special ops team was sent with disastrous results. After Clark suits up to look more like a soldier, though with a glowing S symbol on his pocket, he flies off on his mission only to crash to the ground as soon has he gets there. It seems whatever weapon Dr Stone has been working on, which is now in the hands of the Modorans, has rendered Superboy deaf and barely able to walk. Superboy uses freeze breath on the snipers to give the soldiers time to get to safety. He spots where they’re holding Dr Stone and crashes through. Again he’s gone deaf and is suffering from vertigo. He finds the Modorans were forcing the doctor to build a sonic weapon to wreak havoc on the soldiers and eventually their neighboring countries. Superboy, now rendered practically useless, uses one more trick in his arsenal. He uses a sonic scream which destroys the weapon. With everyone now safe Superboy has one more mission, to attend to a dead pilot who was killed in a crash. He uses his cape as a shroud and flies off with the pilot. Once he’s back home Clark can’t get the dead pilot off his mind. All the things he’s been through as Superboy weigh heavy. He has Ma and Pa but no one his own age to talk things through with. A few days later he goes on a camping trip with Pete. While the two get ready for bed (Pete’s already asleep) Clark hears some campers yelling for help. They’re practically attacked by two bears which Superboy removes to a farther part of the forest. While he’s in the middle of all this it dawns on him how Pete as his best friend should know about Superboy, they’re practically brothers. But decides he couldn’t put that pressure on Pete. He heads back to the tent thinking he will not tell Pete. But it’s too late. Pete may already know.
Story – 4: Another great story that again shows another side of Superboy. I feel Clark is too young to be a super soldier but that doesn’t stop General Lane. The whole scenario with the dead pilot was very poignant. This is the first human corpse Clark has ever encountered. We know it won’t be his last. Wow that sonic scream! That’s was a great scene. And what about Pete? I’m glad Waid used the camping scenario for Pete’s discovery but we’ll probably learn a lot more about it next time. All in all a great issue.
Art – 3: I was hovering between a 3 and 4 rating for this. Patricio Delpeche has a sketchy style that I’m not a fan of and yet some of the sequences were drawn beautifully. Still on the whole it’s not my favorite style so I kept the rating lower. Doesn’t mean I won’t welcome his art style again.
Cover Art – 4: While I don’t like the way Clark looks, this is an action packed cover and really conveys what happens between the pages.
Variant Cover Art – 4: A cute cover with our hero and his pal Krypto by his side.
Variant Cover Art – 3: Nice cover of Superboy flying over the farm.
Variant Cover Art – 2: Sorry but the punk rock cover is just too punk rock for me. Nice that Clark can play the guitar though.
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