Superman: Action Comics #1072 – Mark Waid, Mariko Tamaki, Writers; Clayton Henry/Michael Shelfer, Skylar Partridge, Artists; Matt Herms, Marissa Louise, Colorists
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Superman has descended into the Phantom Zone and found enemies and horrors – but now he might have found a friend. In the third chapter of this weekly epic, Clark is finally reunited with Mon-El, the young Daxamite who was sent into the phantom zone to save his life. “Superboy’s big brother” hasn’t actually aged since his confinement, but he has changed – now the leader of a band of space pirates after deposing and imprisoning the mad Xa-Du, one of the most infamous criminals in the zone. But you don’t get to that level of power without making some hard choices, and it’s clear Superman is disturbed by what’s become of the boy he saw as a family member – and Mon-El clearly thinks Superman couldn’t possibly understand.
Because the Phantom Zone is a far more dangerous place than it was before, thanks to the interference of Aethyr. This cosmic being first stumbled upon the Phantom Zone and was determined to free it, but his intentions since then have gotten far darker. He’s the source of rhe strange changes in the Zone, and he has a deep and unabiding hatred for the House of El. This story seems to be dovetailing into a genre Superman almost never does – cosmic horror, and that gives it an eerie vibe that we haven’t seen before. But there is some levity – in the form of Conner and Kenan getting pulled into the mystery of a heist at the Fortress – one that might have its sights on them next.
The Supergirl story continues to play out like a deep-space mystery. Sent to a Thanagarian prison to retrieve a mysterious prisoner, Kara now has to rescue the judge from a strange spider-like assassin. I’m wondering how the two stories play into each other, because this issue also has some surprisingly dark horror themes to it. The reveal about Kara’s new power – and the power she no longer has – continues to create a sense of uncertainty in the post Absolute Power world, and it’s great to see Kara in another space adventure.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
