Superman: Action Comics #1081 – Mark Waid, Mariko Tamaki, Writers; Clayton Henry, Skylar Partridge, Artists; Matt Herms, Marissa Louise, Colorists
Ray – 9/10
Ray: “Phantoms” has been one of the most interesting arcs in Superman’s comics in a while, delving into the mythology of the Phantom Zone in a way we’ve rarely seen. The prisoners are loose, the Super-family has been trying to round them up – but Xa-Du, the mad Phantom King, has rallied the remaining escapees to capture the Kryptonians and make them pay for the sins of their ancestors. Mon-El is safely returned to the Zone to protect him before the final battle, but it’s clear his decades of captivity are weighing heavily on him – making Superman redouble his vow to cure the young man he sees as a brother. But first, there’s an armada of the deadliest villains Krypton has ever seen to deal with.
This episode has some great action, as well as a very fun twist as to how the villains are defeated featuring a surprising guest-star. It also leaves some unique elements for Waid and other writers to play with if they like, including Kon’s new role as a Space Emperor. (spinoff plz). But it also has a melancholy edge. While Superman’s saved the day, he’s also been cut off from Kandor due to its mercurial council and has been forced to face that Krypton had some deep-seated issues as a culture that need to be resolved even today. There’s a fascinating twist as to the future of the Zone at the end that I hope will be used more in the future. This is how you do a weekly event.
The Supergirl backup finishes this week as well, with Kara left to reckon for her controversial actions against orders over the course of the series. The pacing of this story could be a bit iffy at times and I think it’ll read better as a single unit, but the story has some very interesting themes of redemption that dovetail nicely with the main story. Overall, this era was definitely a success and I’m looking forward to seeing what John Ridley brings to the table next.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
