Action Comics #1075 review

Hey, here’s a surprise, a bonus big issue to mark 25 issues since the previous Not Really an Anniversary Issue. And isn’t that a lovely cover from illustrator Clayton Henry and colourist Tomeu Morey?

Inside, there’s no surprise when it comes to the quality of the first strip, it’s another exciting episode in the 12-part Phantoms series by writer Mark Waid, artists Clayton Henry and Michael Shelfer, colourist Matt Herms and letterer Dave Sharpe. An assured, entertaining read.

There is a surprise in terms of the story, which has Superman imprisoned alongside his parents by Science Council chief Ro-Zan, who’s envious of Jor-El’s discoveries. He’s especially keen on the Phantom Zone projector.

While Superman – sorry, Klar-Ken – keeps his counsel, another El isnt shy of showing displeasure.

This is my favourite chapter yet of the serial, showing us the resourcefulness of Superman’s birth parents, while giving us a look at some other relatives.

A Zor-El who doesn’t look like Jor-El’s brown-haired twin. A Zor-El with actual personality. A Kara Zor-El who behaves like a real kid. It’s a moment of light relief in a story that’s been down the line serious.

I should clarify that. The main storyline, involving Krypton and the Phantom Zone, is serious, but Waid – not wanting the readers to miss Superman’s supporting cast while he’s off-Earth – has been giving us a sub story with New Superman Kong Kenan and Superboy Kon-El, drawn by Shelfer. Me, I’d happily stick with Superman, and have the boys in a back-up, rather than popping up and interrupting a more compelling story. Still, their adventure at a space museum isn’t bad for what it is, and there’s some fun with the Vogons.

Sorry, Khunds. Waid is trying very hard to insert some sitcom energy, even introducing the segment with what seems to be a theme song. What made me happy this time was Kon stepping on some plan or other of Kong’s – I’ve been getting tired of him treating Superboy like an idiot.

Now, that surprise I mentioned, in the Henry-drawn Krypton sequence.

Superman’s inner dialogue. Could it be that he’s not on his Krypton, that when Aethyr dropped him down a time tunnel he emerged on a parallel Krypton? That would circumvent the problem I had last time about Superman being able to exist alongside himself as a baby – different Kal-Els. Better yet, it would mean that the crazed Jor-El Superman met a few years ago wasn’t his own father. OK, it means this nice guy Jor-El here becomes a maniac with a terrible haircut but if it means canonical Superman has never met his dad post-Krypton’s death, brilliant. I can imagine Waid being as irked as I was by the whole Mr Oz rubbish and deciding to explain it away. Fingers crossed.

Script and visuals complement one another throughout, with my favourite panel being Henry, Herms and Sharpe’s strikingly creepy update on, if memory serves, a famous film moment.

Also this issue, in a massive surprise the Supergirl back-up isn’t boring. While writer Mariko Tamaki still doesn’t tell us the identity of the prisoner the Girl of Steel has been sent to escort, we do see them without their robes and find out they have powers.

Also, the cute wee robot is growing on me, while we get an authentic Power Girl cameo back on Earth and learn that the Super-Twins, unseen on panel for many months, still exist. On the negative side, asked outright what Supergirl is up to, Superman is as annoyingly cryptic as all previous chapters of the Universe End story have been.

Sadly, Supergirl herself, supposed star of the show, is once again ineffective in dealing with challenges thrown at her, and she’s disappointingly quick to lose her temper. Accentuating the positives, though, artist Skylar Patridge, colourist Marissa Louise and letterer Becca Carey give us more beautiful pages, such as this.

A terrific action shot featuring good old Ultra-Humanite.

This being a 40pp issue, we get another short, showing us the result of Perry White’s bid to be Mayor of Metropolis. It’s the night before polling day and Perry and wife Alice are both awake when they really should be sleeping. Alice goes back to bed, Perry goes for a walk.

Inevitably, he winds up at the offices of the Daily Planet, where he has a useful chat with a working-late Clark Kent, and we get one of the best shirt-rips ever.

Memory Lane is a lovely strip from writer Joshua Williamson and artists Jon Bogdanove and Norm Rapmund. I’ve read dozens and dozens of stories with pencils by the former and inks by the latter, and had no idea I was looking at their work here. I’ve always enjoyed the art of both gentlemen but never seen them work together, as far as I can recall. I love it, there’s a classic Americana vibe to it. Were I editors Jillian Grant and Paul Kaminski I’d be looking at a World of Metropolis mini-series for Bogdanove and Rapmund to illustrate. And if Williamson could script, and colourist Hi-Fi and letterer Dave Sharpe were along for the ride, marvellous.

All in all, this is an excellent almost-anniversary issue. I am loving Action Comics Weekly Take 2, it’s a shame we have it for only another month or so.