ACTION COMICS #791
"The Invitation"
Highly Recommended (9/10)
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DC Comics
Writer: Benjamin Raab
Artist: Derec Aucoin
Colors: Moose Baumann
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Price: $2.25 US/$3.75 CAN |
Ben Raab may have been a bit off the mark with this week's DC First: Green Lantern/Green Lantern #1, but he's right on the bullseye with this self-contained story. This issue is a smart move, as it marks the first real Smallville-type story DC has featured since the television series debuted last year. A cover blurb subtly bills it as such too, and readers -- longtime comics fans and new ones alike -- will not be disappointed if lured in.
Clark Kent gets an invitation to his class reunion, and Lois can't figure out why he's reluctant to attend. After all, he was a high-school football star; most people would relish the chance to relive their glory days and catch up with old friends. But what Lois doesn't know is that the night of Clark's high-school prom doesn't make for a pleasant memory.
Once again, Derec Aucoin proves he was an excellent choice to take over the regular art chores on Adventures of Superman. His fill-in work here is as strong as it has been on other recent comics, and not just those featuring the Man of Steel. He captures the down-to-earth tone of this story nicely, as well as the small-town charm of Clark Kent's hometown. My only gripe with the visuals is that the teen characters in the flashback don't look quite as young as they could.
Raab tells a familiar story here, but he doesn't completely fall into the sentimental, cliched traps that often accompany "tragic prom" stories. Sure, the plot could be described as a little bit on the predictable side, but in the end, it's a believable tale despite the inclusion of an unbelievable hero from a doomed planet. I wish the writers of the various Super-titles would find room for more of these self-contained stories, as they always stand out as some of the stronger storytelling in the line.
Just about all of us have experienced a time in our lives when we felt awkward, left out, even spurned. Raab taps into that universal feeling of being different and shunned to tell a touching coming-of-age story almost completely free of the super-hero genre trappings that usually accompany stories featuring the Man of Steel.
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