Action Comics # 894 is interesting for a couple of reasons: Death pops up on the cover and she shares it with second feature star, Jimmy Olsen. He is at the bottom of the cover, but still. Why, you may ask is that interesting? Great Caesar’s Ghost! How often do you get to see Death, Jimmy Olsen and Perry White in one issue? Death is a great character and it is good to see her in the DC Universe. I have always thought she would be a good fit here, and I would love to see a Death/Deadman team-up. Imagine a Death/Doom Patrol issue? Uh-oh, my Silver Age is showing again! Created by Neil Gaiman and Mike Dringenberg, Death remains one of the best of the many wonderful Vertigo creations. For those of you who have been off planet and are unfamiliar with her--the trade paperback, Death: the High Cost of Living is strongly recommended. Meanwhile, Jimmy Olsen appears in an exceptionally well-done back-up story!
The lead story has Lex Luthor looking down at his own body and meeting up with Death. The narrative has him embroiled in a mind game with her that is very frustrating to Lex--the man that cannot lose--but how do you defeat Death? She has his number in any number of ways. Paul Cornell’s narrative is clever and takes you for a closer look at the Lex Luthor beneath the veneer of the criminal mastermind, and Pete Woods’ art delivers a Death with a winsome smile and far away eyes. The four-panel page where Death gives Lex “…one reason…” he should believe that she is indeed who she claims to be is instantly memorable in its simplicity. Brad Anderson’s muted colors are perfect for this interlude.
The back up story: Jimmy Olsen’s Big Week, Day Two is well written by Nick Spencer and the art by R.B. Silva with inks by Dym and colors by Dave McCaig is exceptional. Jimmy is recounting the day spent with an alien that ended with her space ship crashed into the globe atop the Daily Planet building to his editor, Perry White. It is funny, as any Jimmy Olsen story must be. Spencer and Silva pack a lot into a short space, and have you wanting to get to day three. One of my favorite experiences in comics when I was a starry-eyed Silver Age fan was the back up story. In Detective Comics, one of my favorites now as back then, it was usually the Elongated Man with the adventures of the elastic detective, Ralph Dibney and his wife Sue. Hey, another possible Death story right here since the Dibney‘s are now deceased. In most issues, I enjoyed the back up as much as I did the feature--as is the case here.
Overall, this enjoyable issue is off beat, entertaining, and a welcome change of pace. Here's hoping we see more of Death in the DC Universe. Share your ideas for her by entering them in the comments box below.
Click the link below to learn more about Action Comics and the trade paperback, Death: the High Cost of Living:
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