There really hasn’t been enough Lex Luthor in Superman Comics as of late. Even with his turn as a Tony Starkesque Superman, the bald pate of everyone’s favorite megalomaniacal businessman only shows up in bits and spurts, and never with the villainy that makes the character so fun. Robbie Williams and Gullem March attempt to rectify this sad lack by giving Supes a team-up with his greatest villain that brings all their ancient antagonism to the surface.
The aforementioned team-up is the real highlight of Action Comics #985. Williams quickly moves the script along to focus on the interactions between Lex and Clark. His Luthor is bit more cartoonish than he is usually portrayed, but all that over-the-top snark injects this issue with a dose of humor that’s usually absent on this book. The light tone of Williams’ writing definitely is a nice palate cleanser after the “Revenge Squad” arc. As the first of a two part interlude, “Only Human” is a fun if inconsequential pause before Dan Jurgens returns to embark upon another blockbuster of an arc.
Gullem March and Hi-Fi are on pencils and colors, respectively. March’s figures are perfectly serviceable, if sometimes oddly posed. The facial expressions he gives his characters, however, hovers between expressive and ridiculous. March’s Luthor in particular is given plenty of odd facial mannerisms that make him look more like a loony toon villian than the sleek billionaire he’s usually portrayed as. Hi-Fi’s colors do the art no favors. His dulled tone fits ill with March’s more flamboyant style. Brighter colors would go along way in bolstering the art on this title.
Written by Andrew Fontana
