Action Comics #1017

Metropolis Doom!

Brian Michael Bendis Writer

John Romita Jr. Penciller

Klaus Janson Inker

Brad Anderson Colorist

Dave Sharpe Letterer

Romita Jr., Janson, Anderson Cover

Lucio Parillo Variant Cover

Jessica Chen Associate Editor

Mike Cotton Editor

Brian Cunningham Group Editor

Superman created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster.

By special arrangement with the Jerry Siegel family.

Batman created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger.

Our cover shows a group of villains marching forward through rubble with the capes and accoutrements of the heroes they supposedly defeated. We have Gorilla Grodd, Cheetah, Brainiac, Sinestro, and, leading the way, is Lex Luthor, apparently. Why does he look like this? Because Year of the Villain. Anyway, I think this might be a fine cover ... if it wasn't drawn by John Romita Jr. I'm sorry, but I cannot stand his work and I will complain every time — especially when he tries to draw gorillas and cheetahs. And why are all the faces so squashed? (Sorry, not sorry.)

Our story basically opens on the scene shown in the cover. Metropolis is in ruins and these villains are standing triumphant. The only heroes left to oppose them are Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. And lying on the ground defeated are the rest of the Justice League, the Teen Titans and our lovable Young Justice.

That Robin in the foreground is most likely supposed to be Damian Wayne, even though he has a beard? Sorry, I'll stop complaining about the art. Anyway, I'm sure you're dying to know how and why Young Justice ended up lying battered and bruised alongside the Justice League and Teen Titans. But we don't find that out in this issue. After this shocking scene, the comic abruptly jumps backward in time and doesn't catch up to the beginning of this fight. I find it a rather annoying storytelling technique. But I do know we have a few more issues of Action Comics coming up ... so hopefully we'll get some answers before too long.

Not much to say this time, but we do have a couple of new ads:

They've been infected by the Batman who Laughs. Now these heroes are our worst nightmare! Year of the Villain: The Infected.

Don't get attached. Suicide Squad.

DC Nation interview with Simon Spurrier and Aaron Campbell on John Constantine: Hellblazer.

Next time: Tales from the Dark Multiverse: Blackest Night #1.