ACTION COMICS: “I, BIZARRO”

RELEASED OUT NOW! Publisher DC Comics

Writer Jason Aaron

Artist John Timms

DC is trying something a little different with Action Comics this year. The publisher’s new “Superman Superstars” initiative pairs high-profile writers and artists for discreet three-issue arcs. The first of these, “I, Bizarro”, sees recent Marvel defector Jason Aaron team up with artist John Timms to tell a tale centred on the Man of Steel’s goofiest foe.

Bizarro – basically a dumb as rocks mirror image of Superman – is rarely portrayed as anything other than an admittedly powerful joke. Here, however, he becomes a major threat when his apparent death magically transforms everyone in the city into Bizarro refections of themselves.

Superman can be a hard character to get right, but Aaron and Timms nail the tone perfectly. “I, Bizarro” is a delicious mix of humour – usually good-natured and sweet, occasionally strikingly dark – sincere character beats, and explosive action, depicted by Timms in satisfyingly crunchy fights. It’s all leading up to Superman teaming up with the Joker, here transformed into the sanest man on Earth by Bizarro’s spell.

“I, Bizarro” doesn’t reinvent the Man of Steel’s adventures, but it is hugely entertaining, with a nice line in subtle strangeness. DC: give this team an ongoing Superman comic pronto. Will Salmon