Written by Andrew Fontana
It’s perhaps long overdue, but general Sam Lane (A noted Superman antagonist and father of Superman’s wife, Lois Lane) finally makes his appearance into the post-rebirth landscape.
Action Comics has been preoccupied with exploring the Man of Steel’s family dynamics lately, so it makes sense story-wise to top off all of the Mr. Oz shenanigans with an issue focusing on Lois Lane’s own dad. Dan Jurgens trades the usual confrontation between General Lane and Superman for an intimate story about how a family can make itself whole again.
Jurgens’ writing can be a bit corny at times, but the story he crafts here has genuin heart. The chasm between the Clark’s and Sam Lane could be representative of what’s going on with a bunch of American families at this particular moment. In the context of this story Superman is of course the divisive figure, and no amount of conversation can paper over the sharp divisions between Lane and his daughter.
In the face of that Clark appeals to the deeper things that bind him and Lane together: Jon Kent. Jurgens make the conversations these characters engage in feel natural, despite the occasional bits of clunky dialogue. He also makes sure that the sublot focusing on the Eradicator adds to the overall story.
Will Conrad is given several diverse locales this issue to portray, which he does with flair. His pencils are better suited for more action-centric work, but he’s no slouch in drawing scenes that are heavily focused on conversation. The scenes he sets in space are particularly exceptional.
Rating: 8.0
-Andrew Fontana
