Now that comics legend Brian Michael Bendis has soared into the universe of Superman and Action Comics, the Man of Steel is going to have to face off against some serious accusations — think arson and bodies raining down from space.

Investigate the case with our exclusive reveal of the first five pages of Action Comics #1002, the official retro-futuristic cover by Patrick Gleason, and otherworldly variant covers by David Mack and Francis Manapul.

Superman is on the verge of crashing and burning, as you can tell from DC’s official description of the Patrick Gleason-illustrated controversy:

“A bold new era of the adventures of the Man of Steel continues as bodies fall from the sky and buildings burn around the City of Tomorrow. Even Superman must wonder how well he knows the city he protects as an unknown criminal element begins to rise through Metropolis.”

Credit: DC Comics

The arson plot that blazed through Bendis’ Man of Steel miniseries and Action Comics #1001 still burns in Action Comics #1002 as Clark Kent and Perry White struggle to figure out the identity of the gangster who goes by the unlikely street name “Yogurt” and what Superman may or may not have to do with starting apartment fires in Metropolis and a different kind of fire within the Daily Planet.

Things already got weird when random falling bodies started freaking out Midtown in the previous issue, but now they get even weirder when Perry swears that he has absolutely no evidence for Superman dropping them from the sky. The only issue is that reporter Robinson Goode refuses to believe that all the witnesses could possibly be spreading false rumors. You can’t just make something like that up.

Credit: DC Comics

Credit: DC Comics

But wait. If Superman really had nothing to do with body-bombing Metropolis, then why does the latest headline of the Daily Planet accuse him of dropping Yogurt (real name: John Bender) to his death in broad daylight? Turns out someone decided to publish her version of the news without Perry’s permission.

Goode obviously didn’t consider the impossibility of Superman joining forces with the Justice League in Seattle and taking on a giant starfish at the exact same time he was supposed to be making Bender fly. This is what happens when Lois Lane mysteriously quits.

By the way, Kal-El still has no idea where in the cosmos his family is.

Clark also needs a Post-It reminder to return Bruce's wedding gift.

Action Comics #1002 swoops into stores August 22.