The Phantom Zone criminals who attacked Earth have been defeated, but others have spread out into the universe. And they’re the worst of the worst.
The likes of Jax-Ur, whose illegal experiments with rocket ships saw space travel outlawed, leading to one escape route from exploding Krypton being fenced off.
Sadistic man-hater Faora Hu-Ul.
And Krypton’s answer to Bonnie and Clyde, Nadira and Azrel.
And that’s just for starters. Most of the Super Family are pushed to their limits rounding up the madmen and sadists who just want to maim, kill or simply cause mischief. Supergirl has a differently difficult mission, trying to convince the Bottle City of Kandor’s Science Council to get the citizens involved with rounding up the Zone escapees.
This is my favourite scene in an issue choc-full of them. Writer Mark Waid and artist Clayton Henry, colourist Matt Herms and letterer Dave Sharpe, have produced another great-looking, splendidly scripted chapter in the Phantoms storyline. Waid digs into his phenomenal memory for Silver, Bronze and Modern Age stories to populate the issue with villains and planets memorable and obscure. Henry dials up some new looks for a few of the bad guys, making them more attractive for 21st-century use. The action scenes are all different, all effective, with some featuring Justice League guest stars. Waid’s characterisations are terrific, from Supergirl’s toughness with the obnoxious Science Council leader to Superboy’s revelling in his new status as a warlord of Khundia. And then there’s Mon-El responding to Superman’s pleas to return to the Phantom Zone for his own safety rather than risk succumbing to lead poisoning.
We’re used to seeing Mon-El as the ultimate stoic, the uncomplaining wingman; seeing him give free, full reign to long-buried emotion is new, and powerful.
The penultimate issue of the storyline, the chapter ends on a pretty decent cliffhanger, but the story point I’m most invested in is the Kandor business. Will Science Council chief Bry-Zan send out the Superman Emergency Squad to help? I’m guessing no, but that the good- if tiny – people of Kandor will ignore her, suit up, and get out there to show the Phantom Zone criminals what’s what.
Sorry, speculation is outside the purview of a review. I guess I’m trying not to get to the Supergirl back-up strip, which once again features excellent illustrations from Skylar Patridge… and a script from Mariko Tamaki that makes no sense. On an alien world murderous siblings Fear and Rage are still fighting, but somehow Supergirl and Power Girl – who is actually back on Earth – have psychically merged with Fear and are cheering her on.
I cannot wait for this strip to end. Enjoy the art – coloured by Marissa Louise and lettered by Becca Carey, then go back to this issue’s main strip for a reminder as to who Supergirl and Power Girl actually are.
The cover by Clayton Henry with colourist Tomeu Morley is a corker. Totally misrepresenting the main story, but how cool is that skeletal Superman!
Too Dangerous For a Girl 2 
Has anyone ever explained how lead can poison Daxamites with its proximity since it gives off zero radiation? My guess is that particles of lead cling to Daxamite cells and destroys them.
Oh and Waid story good, Tamaki story bad.
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Very good question, Steve, I’ve never seen an explanation, so yours wins. It’s very smart!
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The Mon-El scene has me racking my brain. Superman currently has a career as Superboy again, but it seems Mon-El is still in the 21st century and hasn’t been rescued by Brainiac 5? So when and if he does meet Superboy again, how will this colour their relationship? My head hurts.
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It’s a continuity insert. Previously we haven’t seen much of what happened between when Mon-El was originally saved by being put in the Zone and when Saturn Girl first freed him. Waid is giving us a glimpse of what changed Mon from the warm and loving surrogate big brother to Clark he was originally to the emotionally repressed hero he became. I think a millennium of mental torture is also why he put up with Shady.
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I don’t get the question, Mon-El was always still in the Zone when Superman was an adult.
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Such a great moment, seeing Power Girl whup Faora — the difference between a feminist and a man-hater.
I think that if any plot points continue from this story, I expect it to be Superman’s exile from Kandor. I think that’s a great marker for Waid to lay down, and he (or another writer) can pick it up and move the story forward.
On the other hand, Superboy’s warlord status is a) a blast, but b) something that should probably be put back in the box by next issue’s end.
I tried to defend that Supergirl story for a while, but it sucked every bit of goodwill out of me.
Oh, and Mart, have you read the March solicits? Philip Kennedy Johnson will be writing a House of El series, where we’ll surely see the Super Twins again (including, eventually, an explanation of where they’ve gone).
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The Power Girl vs Faora scene reminded me of the tremendous fight between Faora and Supergirl in the Phantom Zone mini-series.
Did you see Olgrun mentioned in the latest Green Lantern. I wonder if that’ll feed back into the upcoming El business.
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Totally agree that the Supergirl backup makes No Sense! Not even vaguely interesting.
Sent from my iPad
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Ah well, it’s all over now… please God!
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Anj here! Happy holidays.
We hit on many of the wonderful things here – from the role call of PZ baddies (including our pals Nadire and Azrel) to the Supergirl and Mon-El scenes. Waid is just firing on all cylinders here.
As you say, Supergirl being confident enough to stand up to the Kandor Council, and being the one sent there to do it, shows how Waid views here and her role in the El family. Just give him a Supergirl book!
Great review as always!
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Thanks Anj, it does seem Waid is a fan of the PZ series, doesn’t it?
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