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Bizarro is one of the great Superman antagonists. The reverse and antithesis of the Man of Steel, he first appeared way back in 1958's Superboy #68 and has been a reliably unreliable enemy and even an occasional anti-hero ever since. One thing he's rarely been, however, is seriously threatening. The character is so goofy in both his look and especially the way that he speaks that it's easy to underestimate him.
That changed this week with Action Comics #1061, which marks writer Jason Aaron's much-heralded debut Superman story. Drawn by John Timms, with color by Rex Lokus, and lettering by Dave Sharpe, it's a terrific comic that also makes some big changes to Bizarro...
Spoilers for Action Comics #1061
The issue opens with a prologue set on Zerox - the Sorceror's world. Bizarro, lost and confused has landed here and is immediately attacked by the planet's War Wizards. That proves to be a mistake on their part - Bizarro appears to absorb their magical powers, growing even stronger than he already was.
Cut to Metropolis, six weeks later. Superman is doing his thing when Bizarro arrives and engages him in an epic battle that takes them from the sky above the city all the way to Pluto, some three billion miles from Earth. While this conflict takes up much of the issue (which runs to almost 30 story pages) it doesn't feel unnecessarily extended. Instead, it showcases Timms' wonderfully widescreen visuals while also emphasising Bizarro's rage and pain.
The reason for this is a surprise: Bizarro World (Earth-29, also known as planet Htrae) has been lost, taking with it his family, Loiz and Boyzarro. Bizarro is blaming Superman and the heroes of the DC universe for creating yet another reality-altering Crisis, which he assumes is the reason for his vanished homeworld.
The fight leads back to Earth and it's very clear that this magically-enhanced Bizarro is no laughing matter. He poses a real and tangible threat to Earth. Superman appeals to his better judgment, but Bizarro is too consumed with pain and fury when he casts a final, fateful spell.
The results are... unexpected. At first it appears to simply destroy Bizarro. "It was horrible. He literally came apart in my hands," Superman reflects in a haunting pair of captions. "He was crying frozen tears. Sobbing uncontrollably as he died."
It's not long, however, before the effects of the spell are felt around the city and Superman starts to figure it out. Bizarro wasn't crying - he was laughing - as the spell transforms humans around the city into Bizarros.
As an issue cliffhanger, it's not bad, though its proximity to DC's still ongoing Titans: Beast World event - which sees characters transformed into animals - is a little unfortunate. But what's really exciting about this issue is the way it makes Bizarro, often merely a comedy character, both empathetic and genuinely threatening.
Aaron's script is a lot of fun, adding notes of pathos to Bizarro's dialogue, but it's Timms' and Lokus's depictions of the character's anguish that are the most memorable. He draws Bizarro as hulking and terrifying, but also in some shots almost noble.
Likewise, the duo's depiction of Superman is on point, too. He's fearsomely strong, as he should be, but also wracked with guilt at Bizarro's apparent death at the end of the issue. There's a real sense that this is going to be a challenging story for the Man of Steel.
The Superman Superstars initiative is set to pair up all-star writers and artists in three-issue arcs. Action Comics #1061 is a terrific start that sets a very high bar for the rest of the year.
And if you're looking for a good place to start reading Superman, one that showcases all of his strengths and the wonderful strangeness of his world, then this is a fine place to jump onboard.
Action Comics #1061 is out now from DC.
Jason Aaron discusses his new Action Comics run in our exclusive interview.
