Review: Action Comics Vol. 1- Invisible Mafia

Quick Summary

Pros: The main narrative is interesting all the way through and ends on a note that builds excitement for the next volume. The main villain is great and works as a solid complement to Superman. Well-written, little moments throughout the read add humanity and charm to the comic. The artwork looks great all the way through.

Cons: The Lois Lane subplot is somewhat disappointing.

Overall: This volume accomplishes a lot in only a few chapters. It details an engaging storyline, introduces a unique new villain, and builds excitement for the next volume. All of this is further enhanced by great moments littered throughout the book and by the high quality of the artwork. Readers who enjoy books that spotlight Superman as a character or who are simply interested in starting this new era in his life should consider picking up this volume.

Story

Action Comics Vol. 1: Invisible Mafia, by Brian Michael Bendis, is an awesome opening volume for this new era in the Action Comics series. The narrative here is interesting all the way through, with mysteries that hook readers in from the start and leave them wanting even more at the end. However, it is also approached in a way that highlights Superman as a character. This can be through little moments where his humanity shines through more than ever or through the way his enemies have to specifically tailor their operation in order to even have a chance against him. The book’s only downside is that the Lois Lane subplot is a bit lackluster. Overall though, this book has plenty going for it and definitely got me excited to read more Action Comics.

(spoilers start here)

Invisible Mafia centers around Superman’s attempt to uncover a criminal syndicate working in secret in Metropolis. The narrative is highly interesting right from the start, as the clandestine and enigmatic nature of the group’s actions raise a number of questions, and remains so throughout the book. It also ends on a cliffhanger that builds plenty of excitement for the next book. 

What makes this narrative really great is the attention and care put in to establishing the “Invisible Mafia” as a worthwhile enemy for Superman. The group isn’t trying to kill him or surpass his power, which prevents them from becoming cartoonish and ridiculous like most Superman villains. Instead, they run small jobs in Metropolis with strict rules that let them avoid Superman entirely. Their creation of and adherence to these rules is specifically tailored to Superman’s powerset in a way that highlights the very small gaps in his abilities. However, as he eventually is able to discover the group’s existence, it also highlights his skill as a crimefighter, bringing both sides together in a great way.

The other great part about Invisible Mafia is the way it writes simple moments. Superman’s discussion with criminals at the very beginning, his flight in front of a disbelieving child, and his reunion with Lois are all moments packed with personality and charm.

The only thing I didn’t enjoy about Invisible Mafia is Lois Lane’s role. Her decision to take some time to write makes sense but her decision to avoid and even hide from Superman doesn’t really jive with what we’ve seen from her over the past few years. It feels like a cheap way to introduce a little drama in Clark Kent’s personal life, yet even this drama isn’t that appealing.

(spoilers end here)

Art

Like the story, the art in Invisible Mafia starts strong and remains strong throughout the work. The first few chapters contain some bold and lightly stylized visuals from Patrick Gleason and Yanick Paquette. These chapters are beautiful and help reflect the optimistic tone found throughout the story. Then, Ryan Sook takes over on art and the visuals become slightly less stylized and more realistic. This helps depict some of the more intense confrontations that take place across these chapters. This stylistic change is further reinforced through the shift in colorists, as Brad Anderson brings on a darker palate compared to Alejandro Sanchez’s earlier work. Plus, each of these artists does a tremendous job in depicting emotion through the characters, which is critical for the number of personal interactions found in this book. All in all, the artwork here looks good and is a definite asset to the storytelling.

Continuity

Action Comics Vol. 1: Invisible Mafia continues the story from The Man of Steel (Review).

The story here continues in Action Comics Vol. 2: Leviathan Rising. 

This volume also references other comic books, detailed below:

• Throughout this volume, several mentions are made to something happening with Ray Palmer at A.R.G.U.S. This is referencing the main plotline in Superman Vol. 1: The Unity Saga: Phantom Earth.
• The first page of Action Comics #1002 contains notes referencing happenings within the world of DC Comics. These include notes, going clockwise starting with the upper left note, about:
  • “Sanctuary improvements” which refers to the setting of the Heroes in Crisis (Review) (Reading Order) event.
  • “Bruce’s Wedding Present” which refers to the events of Batman’s wedding from Batman: The Wedding (Review) (Reading Order).
  • “The New QUEEN of the Sea” which refers to what happens to Mera (Reading Order) in Mera: Queen of Atlantis (Review).
  • “Miller + Romita” which refers to the two creators behind Superman: Year One.
  • “The ‘Superman’ Theory” which refers to a central plot point in Doomsday Clock (Review) (Reading Order).
• The first page of Action Comics #1004 contains a note referencing a “Leviathan Civil War”. This is a hint at the story arc from Action Comics Vol. 2: Leviathan Rising (Review).
• Action Comics #1004 features a newspaper with a story titled “Superman Dead”. This refers to the Death of Superman story arc.
• The first page of Action Comics #1005 contains notes referencing happenings within the world of DC Comics. These include notes about:
  • “Naomi” which refers to a new character first appearing in Naomi: Season One (Review).
  • “Teen Lantern” which refers to a new character first appearing in Young Justice Vol. 1: Gemworld (Review).
• The first page of Action Comics #1006 contains notes referencing happenings within the world of DC Comics. These include notes, going from left to right, about:
  • “Greg Rucka Writing Unauthorized Lois Lane Book” which refers to Lois Lane: Enemy of the People.
  • “Young Justice is Back” which refers to the return of Young Justice in Young Justice Vol. 1: Gemworld (Review).
• A car seen near the conclusion of Action Comics #1006 is a reference to the cover of Action Comics #1, collected in Superman: The Golden Age Vol. 1.