Action Comics #957

Overview: Lex Luthor thwarts a crime in a new armor that has the Superman logo on it. As a former member of the Justice League he's claiming that he wants to carry on the legacy of Superman. This of course draws out the real Superman.

This leads to a battle between the two. Clark Kent shows up to the surprise of the Daily Planet staff. The issue ends with Doomsday escaping from captivity and confronting Superman and Lex Luthor.

Final Thoughts: This was an enjoyable enough issue but this is the kind of issue you dread showing to a non-comic book fan. It has that convoluted kind of comic logic that people outside of the bubble just don't get. You have Superman showing up to defend the honor of dead Superman and suddenly Superman's secret identity is there as well.

Let's also talk about Doomsday for a moment here. Doomsday was a cool one shot villain for the Death of Superman back in the 90s. But past that, he really isn't that interesting as a villain. Repeated uses of him kind of diminishes his mystique as a monster that took out Superman. It feels like the current management at DC are just obsessed with Doomsday. I felt like I saw him in more comic books the last 5 years than I did for the previous decade. Like I said, I just don't think he's a particularly interesting baddie and I would have been fine if he never appeared again after the Death of Superman.

Aside from those complaints I did enjoy the issue. I'm still really happy to have the real Superman back even if it's still got elements of the New 52. It's a good sign when I finish reading an issue and want to check out the next one right away. I think Superman is in good hands going forward.

Overall I'd give this issue a B.