Appropriately titled “World against Superman,” Action Comics #3 takes the re-imagined story of Superman’s early development and adds some dramatic events that link the past with the present.

First, in some sort of a dream sequence, Morrison shows his portrayal of Krypton. Like in previous stories, Krypton is a planet occupied by a highly advanced race. What’s different though, is that there is also a further emphasis on society and culture. In short, Morrison has created a vision of Krypton that feels more relatable than some of the previous ones. Artist Rags Morales art really shines in the Krypton sequence as he brings a sense of fashion and flair to its people. This opening also reveals that the cause of Krypton’s demise is more than just a natural occurrence. Kryptonian automations are being controlled by some form of collective intelligence and start attacking. The machines warn of the destruction of the planet being imminent.

After the Krypton scene, the story picks up with Clark still recovering after escaping military custody. Local law enforcement, led by inspector Blake, has barged in on Clark’s residence to harass him. Evidently Clark has been writing stories bringing to light the corruption in Metropolis. This of course does not sit well with Glen Glenmorgan, the CEO of Galaxy Inc. The thing I liked about this sequence is that Clark starts to show some of the wide-eye idealism that you expect from Superman. Clark clearly isn’t intimidated and believes that he is correct for exposing the truth. 

An interesting turn of events in this story takes place when the media begins a smear campaign against the Man of Steel. The media (suggesting that Superman is an alien) is having a rather adverse effect on Superman’s popularity. Some folks even want him to go back where he came from. I found this element of the story interesting due to the fact that in reality the media is often used as a tool to discredit people who can’t be controlled, bought, or are deemed a threat to the system.