Superman’s pursuit of wrath continues as the Man of Steel uncovers a secret chamber that houses dozens of Wrath’s experiments with a component know only as “black mass”. Superman himself has been affected by the unknown component. Although the black mass gives Superman more of his strength back, it causes an anger and rage within him that becomes harder and harder to control. If Superman is to stop Wrath, he must find out what the black mass is and how to get it off of him–before its too late.
The Positives
” Corruption”, written by Aaron Kuder and Greg Pak is a good read. You guys know I’m all about action in my reading and this issue doesn’t disappoint at all. With Superman trying to save experimented people who are covered in the black mass, the Man of Steel is in a fight not just to save them–but for survival. The artwork by Scott Kolins and Aaron Kuder once again gives you a real feel of the story. I love how comic characters show emotion in the panels of the story and Kolins and Kuder do just that. As Superman fights the black mass that builds up within him, Kolins and Kuder show you that impact through the Man of Steel’s eyes. You can tell that Clark is trying to hold the darkness of the black mass at bay–even as he runs through Wrath’s forces.
The Negatives
I don’t really have a valid complaint about this issue except for wanting the uniform back. I know I mentioned a few reviews ago, but I hope that Superman without the uniform is a temporary look. I’m slowly starting to embrace it however as I see him embrace all these difficulties with hardly any of his powers. This was once arguably the world’s most powerful superhero, and now that standard is gone. I hope this sets Superman up for a bigger comeback of the next year however.
The Verdict
Overall I thought Action Comics #46 was a good read. Plenty of action and emotion, and we get to see a very angry Superman–and to me that’s always fun. Wrath seems to be a decent villain, however not really a memorable one but maybe this was never the writer’s intention. It took me awhile to get on board with a “depowered” Superman but the more I’ve read the more I’ve liked so far. I have to admit that I want a return to the traditional cape but with the way Kuder and Pak have written it so far–I’m not rushing Superman’s return to power anytime soon.
