Dear Grant Morrison,

My name is Matt Demers and I have tried to enjoy and appreciate your writing numerous times in the past. However, despite my honest attempts, you've consistently left me feeling like I have wasted time reading comic books, and sadly this is something I'd like to explore in this letter.

I'd like to preface this by saying I really liked All-Star Superman. I hope the hordes of pitchfork-weilding fanboys will take that into account as they gouge my heretic eyes out with molten rebar.

This month's issue of Action Comics is, frankly, a mess. There is way too much happening in a short span of time, including your normal references to metaphysical concepts that won't come into play for another five years (less than one, if we've been saying our prayers to your mecha-gods).

In its pages, you've managed to make Superman a completely boring character, literally running off at near-lightspeeds to magically fix whatever problem is ailing him. These uses of his powers wouldn't normally be a big deal if it didn't drain all tension and consequence out of the story that I was reading, making it seem dull, dry and ultimately lifeless as Krypton itself.

And then, for no seemingly good reason, we're whisked away into the next major plot point of the story with little explanation or warning. We're given three pages to buckle up for a new ride, pushing the latest consequence-free "shocker" out of our brains in favour of a new one. As usual, we're expected to just go with it, trusting you that it will eventually be explained so our feeble brains can understand it.

Again, praise to the mecha-gods if that actually happens.

Action Comics #12
DC Comics
$2.99

For now, my plebian brain-shell will have to give Action Comics two rainbow Kryptonites out of five for a story that managed to both suck out drama like a vampire in a blood bank and push us, as if with a steel rod, into something we'll be waiting another month (or twelve) for an explanation for.