Action Comics #1048: A Day At The Zoo

Themes of love and acceptance have always been at the heart of the best Superman stories, and this is no exception. The earth is dealing with an alien refugee crisis and one of the best things that Philip Kennedy Johnson has managed is by framing this fictional event in terms which are comparable to real world events. Some people, like Lois Lane and Bibbo, welcome the refugees into their homes and attempt to initiate them into their culture (to greater or lesser degrees of success) while remaining respectful of their individual cultures and histories. Others, like Lex Luthor, follow a GOP-esque strategy of lies and fear mongering, depicting innocent, devastated people as threats who are attempting to replace the ‘real’ people of Earth.

Comics are great because they enable us, as readers, to examine our cultures through the lens of mythology. Since comics are produced at greater speed than other forms of entertainment, they can reflect the news cycle much more quickly than other artforms. This always runs the risk of allowing a story to become too preachy, or worse, to devolve into one dimensional caricatures to be read swiftly and then discarded, but that’s not what’s happening here. Johnson is creating an allegory of the ideals of modern North American life, rather than a 1:1 reproduction of the same, and that’s much richer ground to till in terms of story. These are archetypal characters who are rendered so fully that they transcend type. Even Bibbo almost seems to breathe.

A large part of this verisimilitudinous effect is generated by Mike Perkins’ incredible art. His line work positively drips with character, imbuing even the blank face of a robot with life and pathos. He can draw anything, from the buttery, dappled light of sunshine filtered through leaves to the explosive power of a demon bursting free from a rock. Lee Loughridge’s applies colors which are either steeped in nostalgic sepia or fully saturated fire, and the colors that he chooses serve a narrative purpose (moral purity in gold, danger in red, lime green for evil) which is a trick that other artists attempt but few successfully employ. 

This story is a treat: satisfying on every level. It’s exactly what a Superman story should be, and it’s as necessary right now as medicine.