Champion City Comics is currently working on a 64 page full-color steampunk anthology that we will self-publish this year. We know you are excited and we will keep our fans posted on a regular basis. Champion City Comics team members are working on their projects and we even have Steve Bryant of Athena Voltaire fame on board as our cover artist. Do we have anything else to report? YES! Part of the steampunk anthology will include a brand new story featuring our super-sexy crime-fighter The Red Devil!

If you haven't checked out The Red Devil then click here and enjoy this pulp inspired action comic by TonyDoug Wright, Erik Roman, and Joe Haemmerle.

Synopsis: Dublin O'Darby (The Red Devil) is an international crime-fighter who works for Sebastian Coronado, the director of an organization dedicated to combating cartels of evil. Joining The Red Devil is teenage sidekick Charlotte Murphy (Kid Diablo). In the exciting first issue, Red Devil and Kid Diablo track down a dangerous ninja, Silent Noise, who has stolen a mysterious ring which once belonged to a diabolical group of demon worshipers known as the Order of Methalius.

Resident artist and comic book guru, Anand 'Kav' Kaviraj, decided to re-draw two pages from the 1971 comic book Action Comics #403. Titled 'Attack of the Micro-Murderer', Superman's body is attacked by a strange being named Zohtt.

Kav redesigned two pages from Action Comics #403 and here are the results.

Kav and Tony Break it Down is nothing more than two long-time comic book readers making fun of the Golden and Silver Age Superman comics. We understand that these books were written for a juvenile audience but we could not resist reviewing these classics. Please note that no comic books were hurt during the review.

This week, we are finishing our review of Action Comics #295 titled 'Superman Goes Wild'. Did you miss part one and two of this series? Click here to read part one and click here to read part two.

Action Comics #295 was published December, 1962. The writer was Henry Boltinoff, the pencils were by Curt Swan, and the inks were by George Klein.


Kav: Superman usually flies around but whenever he's been a bad boy he walks the sidewalk so people can more easily shun him.

Tony: Wow, it's so convenient that Perry keeps green kryptonite chains in a secret vault in the basement. I'm amazed that Clark or Superman never used his X-ray vision to scan the Daily Planet.     


Kav: Superman releases some Kandorians to help him by shooting a hole in the bottle with a bullet...we learn it was all an act him going crazy and as usual he only acted crazy while sending out elaborate super-ventriloquistic orders. Too bad about all the Kandorians now being deaf from the massive explosion the bullet caused in their mini-atmosphere...sad really.

Tony: Wait...what? This is horrible writing. First of all, how does a bullet fired at least a foot or two away from the bottle doesn't cause the bottle to be more damaged than just a tiny hole? Secondly, if Superman has super ventriloquist skills, then how did the people of Kandor hear him and nobody else on earth? STUPID!   


Kav: This is perhaps the dumbest ending ever scripted. We learn that Superman used code words to initiate 'Plan 9 From Outer Space'.."One day, Perry, and I don't know why exactly dude, you will need to shackle me with fake Kryptonite...." Tony? Tony? Are you there? Talk to me Tony!!!

Tony: Plan 'P' for Perry? This was more like Plan 'C' for Craptacular. Action Comics #295 totally sucked.


Kav and I will return next week for more tomfoolery. 

Need more Kav and Tony? 

Kav & Tony Break It Down: Action Comics #283 (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3)


Kav & Tony Break It Down: Action Comics #311 (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3) 

Kav & Tony Break It Down: Action Comics #312 (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4)


A. Kaviraj is an artist and writer at Champion City Comics. His works include Dr Death vs The Vampire, Doctor Death vs The Zombie, and The End of Paradise. 

TonyDoug Wright is the owner and editor of Champion City Comics. His webcomics include Dr Death vs The Zombie, The End of Paradise, and Day 165.

Not only will the Kree Empire be pissed, but so is the Covenant!
For reasons yet to be explored, Clark's identity is revealed after the cops leave and his landlord hands him back his costume.  I'm not sure the point of this sequence other than to not let us forget that Clark has a run-in coming with Glenmorgan that stretches into the Superman title.  I was lukewarm to the idea that cops, even on that take would just barge in, no warrant, and clearly without discretion. Curse you, assholiosis! 

Kav & Tony Break it Down is nothing more than two long-time comic book readers making fun of the Golden and Silver Age Superman comics. We understand that these books were written for a juvenile audience but we could not resist reviewing these classics. Please note that no comic books were hurt during the review. 

Ladies and gentlemen, your response to our last post was incredible, so we've decided to finish up our review of Action Comics #312. Are you not familiar with this series? Fear not because you can catch up with our on-going review of Action Comics #312 by reading part one , part two, and part three of our review.



Kav: Stupidman explains it was all a 'hoax'. Aliens are coming with a bomb and they will demonstrate their power by freezing the ocean, destroying a model city etc. In order to stop a 'global panic' Stupes just told the world instead that HE IS NOW AN EVIL A SUPER POWERED BEING WHO CAN DEMOLISH THE PLANET WHILE PICKING HIS TEETH!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah, dumbass-that didn't panic anyone.

Tony: This was some lame backpedaling by the writer of this comic book. This might be worse than the Dallas episode where it was all a dream. If Superman knew the threat was coming then why do all of this nonsense of becoming King of the Earth to avoid telling the truth and starting a so-called panic? Strike "Truth" from Trusth, Justice, and The American Way. He could have used the time he wasted ORGANIZING THE JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA to stop the impending doom. Did he do that? No! He made statues of himself and chased Clark around like a total dope. I would be pissed if I knew Superman was dicking around while a weapon of mass destruction was on its way to destroy everything. Thanks, Superman. Then again, this is a Superman that was developed from the mindless blob of stupidity we call Clark Kent. Remember folks, it was Kent who decided to have his ENTIRE BODY from the head down replaced in a questionable surgical facility (Hi, Doctor Nick!) after being shot by a small-caliber bullet. Stupid + Stupid = Stupid.  


Kav: I'm still speechless from the last page Tony-you better handle this one. Hold all calls.

Tony: And the backpedaling goes deeper and deeper into the realm of awful plot development. Who wrote this garbage? I will say it again: Instead of confronting the aliens, Superman decides to do his King Superman routine because that would be less shocking to the people of Earth than an alien invasion. Who was lamer? Evil Superman or the aliens? Can this get any worse? Wait...    


Kav: AAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!!!!!!!! Clark's head somehow magically reconstitutes his chopped-off body and merges with Superman!!!!!!!!!!!!! WTF??? What happened to the body back in Atlantis, then? Did it 'disappear' at the same exact time? This would really frighten Einstein, Podolski and Rosen! Apparently quantum mechanics means NOTHING to the DC writers. PS I think stupes should have kept the leopard skin trim on his cape, man.

Tony: I had a feeling it would be one of those six panel lets-wrap-it-up-quickly pages. This was awful and we've reviewed some awful Superman comics. So Clark's head melds with "Evil" Superman's body? The Metallo version of Clark's body does not meld, but what happens to the head of "Evil" Superman? It would have been cool if the head was kept in a freezer with Walt Disney's head and Ted Williams' head. Now that's a TV show, folks. Of course the meld happened just in time. Of course Superman stopped the weapon of mass destruction. Of course stupidity prevails. Yay! 


We ended this issue but not the series. Kav said he's got a piece of dung disguised as a Jimmy Olsen comic book for us to review. Joy!

Kav & Tony Break it Down is nothing more than two long-time comic book readers making fun of the Golden and Silver Age Superman comics. We understand that these books were written for a juvenile audience but we could not resist reviewing these classics. Please note that no comic books were hurt during the review. 

Ladies and gentlemen, it has been one month since we last had a Kav & Tony article, and we apologize for the delay. Are you new to our series? Fear not because you can catch up with our on-going review of Action Comics #312 by reading part one and part two of our review.



Kav: This page is a mind-blower. Shot Clark wakes up in Atlantis, after falling into a creek in Midvale park. He wakes up in an operating room for HUMANS, with water lapping the operating table for the Atlanteans. The Atlanteans apparently built this OR just in CASE a human ever needed surgery in Atlantis. Luckily for the Atlanteans, there's a big picture window in the OR so  Atlanteans on the way to the fish market can watch the surgery. We then get a recap of METALLO, one of the dumbest villains ever. His power? He has a piece of green kryptonite in his chest. Why this is more effective than some dude with a piece of green kryptonite in his pocket is beyond me.

Tony: You have to review page eight here to understand the overall stupidity of the characters in this comic book. Clark Kent is shot by the police at point blank range so they can check to see if he's Superman. Somehow Clark "toughed it out" and pretended the bullet's impact did not hurt. MADNESS! I thought page eight was awful but page nine takes the foolishness to another level. I enjoyed the Atlantean swimming by with the serving tray of food with the covers on them so that the food would not get wet. Brilliant. Also in this panel we have the unnecessary back-story of Metallo. The story itself is another rant but who can survive a surgery where they decide to give you a new body FROM THE HEAD DOWN?! Who wrote this junk?     


Kav: Clark's big idea to save his life is to tell the surgeon to remove his body and replace it with a metal body, green kryptonite heart etc. Apparently the state of Atlantean medicine is so advanced that just telling someone about a surgery completely trains them to do the surgery. Also, luckily they had a metal body lying around to attach to Clark's HEAD. Also luckily it is just his size. Med school in Atlantis must take about 10 minutes and go something like this: "Ok students, if someone comes in with an ailment or injury just fix them."

Tony: I had no idea a bullet wound from a small caliber bullet requires having your entire body (sans the head) removed and replaced with a metallic body. Doctors can remove bullets, Clark. Your shot to the abdomen could be easily fixed, but since you're stuck in the land of buffoonery then you must undergo the most complicated and unrealistic surgery ever. Did you notice Clark said something about the people of Atlantis having an ABUNDANT supply of kyrptonite? Why not have a simple surgical procedure and have the Atlantean army target evil Superman with their abundant supply of kyrptonite! Oh no, we can't do that because that is simple and we at DC Comics (circa 1960) have decided to take the most complicated and insane routes to solve a simple problem. Remember folks, the problem here is that Clark has decided to have his body (from the head down) removed and replaced with a robotic body. Earlier in the comic, Clark and Superman became two separate beings, another idiotic idea. How will robotic Clark and Superman form one normal being when Clark fools evil Superman?


Kav: Here we have the scene where I guess you can't sneak up on Superman with green kryptonite unless it's in your chest. A lead box in your pocket wouldn't work.

Tony: Let me think for a moment. Yes, Superman has x-ray vision and could not scan Clark for a bomb or kryptonite. Superman also has excellent vision and hearing and could not see or hear about this plan coming from a mile away. If Superman scanned Clark then he could have blasted him to pieces with his heat vision. Did he do that? Of course not, because Superman uses his powers when the writer feels it is necessary to use them in certain situations. Ugh, I think we have three or four more pages of this book to review. Let's stop here for today, Kav.

We will return with the exciting conclusion of this comic!

 Writer: Grant Morrison

Art: Rags Morales

Action Comics #1, possibly THE most iconic comic in history, certainly the most influential, returns. Under the pen of Grant Morrison (Batman Inc, 52, Final Crisis), Superman is reborn. With art by Rags Morales (Identity Crisis, Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps) DC’s golden child comes out of the gates strong. I feel like full disclosure is necessary. Grant Morrison and I haven’t been getting along recently. I had some issues (no pun intended) that I’ve worked through. I tell you this so that when I say that Action Comics #1 is so far my favorite of the New 52 you’ll understand the importance of that.

Morrison wastes no time jumping right into the action (pun intended that time) with Supes sweeping into a shady deal and holding the main villain, one Mr. Glenmorgan, up in the air with one hand over the veranda until he admits to his crimes. In the next few pages we learn that the government has hired who else but Lex Luthor to help bring down Superman and that everything that has happened and several of the things in the next pages are all part of some plan of his to capture The Man of Steel. We are also treated, at one point, to a quick view of Clark Kent. This Clark Kent plays the same farmboy character that we’re used to seeing, but THIS Clark, while still a reporter, doesn’t work for the Daily Planet yet.

Some people might find this newer, brasher Superman a startling thing. Superman would never pull, for lack of a better term, Batman tactics to get a confession. But I find it exhilarating. Fun fact, in the FIRST Action Comics #1 Superman held a corrupt government official on a row of powerlines and threatened to electrocute him if he didn’t come clean. Morrison updates The Man of Tomorrow, while keeping him in his depression era roots. That feel ties directly into my two favorite panels from this issue that come at the tail end of the first page. Superman speeds into the middle of the group of ne’er do wells and says “Rats. Rats with money. And Rats with guns. I’m your worst nightmare.”

Another thing I found myself surprisingly fond of was the new costume. I was skeptical of the new t-shirt and jeans look but it was accessible. It wasn’t hokey like I’d feared and actually worked in context. There was one panel where it looked like his cape was just a red towel he’d tucked into his shirt, but that’s a minor thing compared to how disastrous this new costume could have been.

The art by Rags Morales was good. I don’t say great because I’ve seen better art work, but for this book it was a fantastic fit. There are panels that reflect the art style of the original #1 with a modern twist, while others make me nostalgic for the 90’s cartoon of my youth.

5 out of 5

Michael Knoll is a contributing writer at Champion City Comics. In his spare time, he wrestles naked with bears.