Action Comics: Invisible Mafia is Bendis' best Superman book yet

Art by Ryan Sook

"We're never going to kill him. We are never going to beat him. But we've been able to run this city without him knowing about it for years."

Last year, best-selling writer Brian Michael Bendis ushered in a new era of Superman with The Man of Steel, which introduced the big blue boy-scout to a whole heap of problems including the arrival of the mysterious villain Rogol Zaar and the disappearance of his wife and son. Two new comic book series have spun out of this event: The Unity Saga, following Clark as he saves the galaxy from his brand-new nemesis, and Action Comics, which brings our hero back down to Earth.

Invisible Mafia features the debut of the Red Cloud

Action Comics kicks off with Invisible Mafia, exploring the chain of arson attacks from the pages of Man of Steel and Clark's shifty new colleague Robinson Goode. The story skilfully shows how an organised crime network has been operating under Superman's nose for some time now by holding their meetings behind lead walls to counter his x-ray vision and avoiding 'trigger words' that alert his super-hearing.

This takes Clark back to the classic investigative journalism largely unseen since the 1940s radio show and demonstrates Bendis' range as a writer by providing an excellent change of pace from his work on The Unity Saga. This ground-up approach gives the book weight and realism, something many critics argue Superman stories often lack. The TV drama-esque dialogue Bendis has become synonymous with really complements Invisible Mafia and helps to make it a really engaging read.

Clark Kent is as important as Superman in this book

Superman: Rebirth alumni Patrick Gleason and Alejandro Sanchez return to provide more dazzling artwork with flawless understanding of Clark and the city he protects. As some of Gleason's final work for DC before he moves to Marvel, these pages are somewhat bittersweet, but solidify his place alongside Superman legends such as Curt Swan.

For the middle of the book, Yanick Paquette and Nathan Fairbarn craft a slightly grittier chapter surrounding Kryptonite. With fantastic use of page-layout and colour, they provide their own take on how Clark is crippled - and his colleagues' reactions - when the green rock somehow makes it into the Daily Planet office.

The creative team brings the heart of Superman to the page brilliantly

Ryan Sook and Brad Anderson illustrate the latter half, setting the mood with expertly-crafted facial expressions and lighting. Out of the three art teams working with Bendis for Invisible Mafia, these two fit the tone of the book best and give us its greatest scenes.

One of the most charming things about this comic is how each chapter opens with a different character's desk to give us an insight into how their heads work, as well as an opportunity for the creative team to fill the page with references to what is going on elsewhere in the DC Universe.

Clark's desk features references to DC's Black Label imprint, Doomsday Clock, and even the anime film Akira

The first volume of the new Action Comics is full of twists and teases, with much better pacing than what we've seen so far in The Unity Saga. However, as is to be expected from Bendis, the book is still a bit of a slow-burner and very much the initial phase of a wider story. This makes it hard to call any of Bendis' Superman books a solid recommendation until he proves that the bigger picture is something we should be part of.

All things considered, this is the best of Brian Michael Bendis' three current Superman graphic novels and and some of the finest work we've ever seen from the art team. If you enjoyed The Unity Saga, pick this up to enrich your enjoyment of the adventures of Superman - and if you didn't, perhaps this will be more to your tastes. Over 80 years and 1,000 chapters since it began, Action Comics is shaping up to be one of DC Comics' most important series once again.

Rating: 8/10

You can get the Invisible Mafia hardcover now from all good bookstores or the digital edition on Comixology. Superman returns later this year with a variety of books including Up in the Sky by Tom King, Man and Superman by Marv Wolfman and Year One by Frank Miller.