It might seem like a gimmick, but bringing in Richard Donner in help write this Superman story was really cool. Considering the story in particular, it was only fitting. I’m going to assume that all the other General Zod stories don’t count anymore thanks to recent events and just take this story at face value.

What we get is a retelling of the now famous General Zod story. A villain from Krypton trapped in a special prison called the negative zone. In this new version, one of the big differences, is that there are more criminals trapped in the negative zone along with Zod and his two accomplices. Also Zod and his female companion have a son. The son is a factor that helps to involve the rest of the DCU which is a cool development that could possibly affect other stories.

The famous scene of Zod inside the fortress of solitude is redone, and aids in the retelling of the story. Zod is painted in a different light this time around, this time as a former patriot turned rebel who was a former colleague of Kal’s father Jor-el. He’s come to earth in much the same way the Eradicator first appeared, to remake earth in the image of Krypton (Superman seems more and more like Goku everyday, with Zod playing Vegeta). The added Kryptonian criminals make more sense and add a greater task for Superman to eventually overcome.

Adam Kubert’s work is phenomenal. I’m really enjoying seeing he and his brother take a stab at the DC characters. The book really benefits from Kubert doing his own inks in the book. I really like how he draws Zod, and the rest of the crew. And of course Superman looks awesome as well. The action is good, and the storytelling is even better. I can’t wait to see what he does for his next project.

Whether you loved the original movies or not, comic books fans should pick up this issue of Action Comics, could very well be considered a landmark book in a few years.

Dante’ Maddox still can’t figure out where Clark stuffs that giant cape down the back of his pants, shouldn’t it make his butt look big?