Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson

Artist: Riccardo Federico

Colorist: Lee Loughridge

Cover Artist: Daniel Sampere & Alejandro Sanchez

Publisher: DC Comics

Reviewer: StoryBabbler

The Warworld Saga has truly begun! Superman and his quasi-Authority team invaded Warwrodl to depose the new Mongul. But they grossly underestimated Mongul and his warriors as he took down the Man of Steel. In Action Comics #1039, we see Superman put through his paces on a savage and brutal world that will test him or break him.

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Review:

So, the last time we saw Superman he had been defeated by Mongul, de-powered to human-level strength, and his team is running low on morale. Action Comics #1038 showed Mongul telling Superman that he’s going to be living on Warworld as the rest of the team are given first-hand experience with life on the planet. Now, this issue gives a more John Carter of Mars vibe for Superman as it shows his life fighting in the gladiatorial arena with what remains of his team.

For this issue, Phillip Kennedy Johnson has the story narrated by Superman making logs to himself about his time on Warworld. It’s certainly a good way to make use of the hero’s writing skills, and it provides a solid avenue for readers to get Superman’s thoughts on everything. From his thoughts on his family to the what he goes through in the arena and afterwards, this allows readers to know Superman more during this Warworld Saga.

One thing this issue does pretty well is not only show the new daily lives of Superman and his team, but the literal worldbuilding Johnson does for Warworld. So, I won’t spoil anything given about the planet, but Johnson gives his best effort to lay out the origins of the warmongering world. I mean its literal origins as the comic points out there have been “imitations” of Warworld before, a smart to explain past “Warworlds” in previous comic series, and delves into what makes this Warworld not only the original but the real deal.

Johnson’s writing and the art by Riccardo Federico help characterize the Mongul dynasty, their people the Warzoons, and the planet of Warworld as this brutal planet. The art and colors do gangbusters here as the dark and shadowy colors help deliver this soul-crushing and merciless tone to the planet itself, as if it’s a living mass that lives on war and grinds weak species into fuel to feed its fires.

The comic ends on making slow but steady progress with Superman and the rest of his pseudo-Authority team as they settle into their lives on Warworld. Some are more interesting then others, Superman being the biggest one as he’s struggling to life on the planet but still retains his heroic spirit. What the comic focuses on is the struggle for Superman is to endure grueling environment around him to not only survive but inspire others to rebel against Mongul. Obviously, he’s not making much progress if the last issue is anything to go by, so it’s possible the Warworld Saga might be something of a long-haul for readers to invest in.

Final Thoughts:

Action Comics #1039 shows the new life of Superman on Warworld as we see him fight to survive and endure the brutal environment he’s in. Phillip Kennedy Johnson delivers some interesting world-building of Warworld, which goes hand in hand with the great artwork to characterize the planet as a cruel and soul-crushing place waiting to grind Superman into fuel for conquest.

8.5/10