ACTION COMICS #1090 Review

• Written by: Mark Waid

• Art by: Skylar Patridge

• Colors by: Ivan Plascencia, Matt Herms

• Letters by: Steve Wands

• Cover art by: Ryan Sook (cover A)

• Cover price: $4.99

• Release date: September 10, 2025

Action Comics #1090, by DC Comics on 9/10/25, finds Superboy working on his love life when he receives word of a trio of thieves attacking Dr. Magnus's robotics lab.

First Impressions

The first half is a real slog, lacking the drama or energy you’d hope from a book starring the world’s mightiest teen. Scenes meander through Smallville and high school flashbacks before the action finally limps into gear. The emotional stakes just never rise above a shrug, and the only thing moving fast here is Superman, not the story.

Recap

Action Comics #1089 saw Superboy meeting Captain Comet. The senior hero recounts how power and well-meaning heroes on multiple worlds created more harm than good when they didn't use their powers responsibly. Captain Comet offered to take Superboy under his wing, beginning with lessons that challenged the Teenager of Steel to us his brains as much as his brawn.

Plot Analysis

Superboy opens the issue by clocking a flight around the globe, only to get derailed mid-speed by a pesky North Pacific headwind and an impromptu rescue west of Sorrento, Italy. The story then swerves into Smallville, Kansas, many years prior, where a young Clark Kent is stuck wrestling with birthday cakes, laundry mishaps, and the universal terror of high school crushes. While getting suit advice from his folks, Clark learns his Superboy speeds hit “around sixty thousand miles per hour,” but even with superpowers, he’s left worrying about history class rumors and the fate of his teacher, Mr. Adam Blake—aka Captain Comet.

The narrative leans into Clark’s awkward romantic encounter with Lana Lang, who’s fresh off an Egyptian vacation and suddenly interested in Clark because of his “super-pheromones.” Clark is racked with guilt, convinced that Lana’s feelings are just a side effect of his newfound powers, and the diner date turns into a comedy of errors with both teens spiraling into self-doubt. Lana’s crush pivots from Clark to Superboy, gushing over heroic animal rescues and “the bluest blue eyes,” never realizing her date is literally sitting across from her, bug-toothed and flustered. The issue’s best joke lands here, but it’s quickly overshadowed by a telepathic call from Captain Comet summoning Clark to an emergency.

The final act tosses Superboy into a chaotic fight against the telekinetic villain Raze and the villainous Avalon group, who attack Dr. Magnus and his coveted robot prototypes. The battle brings Magnus’s “Metal Men” concepts and rare minerals like “Element X” and hematite into the fray. Superboy tries his best, but the conflict is disjointed, with the real suspense cut short by sudden, inexplicable nausea and an abrupt Army intervention that ends the issue in confusion rather than excitement.

Writing

Mark Waid’s script offers a few witty lines and decent banter but gets bogged down by a slow first half focused on teen angst and diner drama. The pacing drags, with most of the real action only appearing in the back quarter. Plot beats are undercooked, leaving big moments—like Lana’s confession and Superboy’s showdown with the Avalon group—feeling flat and unimportant. Attempts at humor work in brief bursts but are undercut by a lack of urgency or meaningful stakes.

Art

Skylar Patridge’s art is clean and expressive, capturing Clark’s awkwardness and Lana’s high school charm. Ivan Plascencia and Matt Herms add vibrancy to Smallville scenes and chaos to the Magnus lab brawl. Action panels read well, but the visual storytelling loses momentum during the slower, wordier sections, which makes the overall pacing feel even more sluggish.

Characters

Clark Kent gets some classic, relatable worry about romance and hero truth, but none of the characters break new ground. Lana is fun but falls back into familiar “girl crush” territory. Raze and the Avalon crew barely develop their threat before bowing out mid-conflict, and Magnus exists purely as a plot device for future storylines. Captain Comet drops in and out with telepathic interruptions and little impact.

Positives

The best scenes highlight the natural—and supernatural—awkwardness of Clark Kent’s teen years, giving Superman’s origin some genuinely human touches. Art shines during the chaotic fights, and occasional jokes cut through the monotony to deliver some needed personality. The creative team nails the nostalgia of Smallville and the weirdness of growing up with superpowers, making the downtime almost charming.

Negatives

The first half is a snooze, overloaded with exposition and tepid drama that never escalates into anything truly compelling. Too many pages are spent plodding through Clark’s emotional gymnastics and recycled crush gags, while villains go underused and plot twists fizzle. The big Magnus battle with the Avalon group fizzles out, and the last allegedly high stakes scenes end with neither triumph nor tragedy, just confusion.

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Final Thoughts

Action Comics #1090 is a flashy flyer weighed down by sluggish storytelling and recycled emotional beats. Even with Superman clocking sixty thousand miles per hour, the drama barely hits school zone speed. Next issue had better pack a punch, or this series risks becoming less “Summer of Superman,” and more “Nap Time of Smallville.”

5/10

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