Review: Action Comics #1071 Superman Story

Still catching up on reviews after vacation which means I am finishing my review of last week's books now. So on to the main story in last week's Action Comics #1071, written by Mark Waid with art by Clayton Henry and Michael Shelfer.

Unlike the Supergirl back-up in this issue, writer Mark Waid pushes the story forward in a very entertaining way. There are mysteries here. This is a 'new' Phantom Zone, part physical, filled with odd monsters. That is a mystery. There is a heck of a cliffhanger, with a known enemy turning out to be a long lost friend. So there is a lot still to be known like any good tale early in the telling. But it isn't stagnant. We even get a fun little subplot with Kenan and Conner.

Waid, being the sort of fan he is, also is able to weave in a bunch of DC history. We get a quick primer on the Zone itself. We get some classic villains. It works very well. 

Clayton Henry remains solid on art. This is a story with lots of varying landscapes, monsters, villains, and action. It unfolds wonderfully. The action in particular works well, especially in the context of the barren landscape and crazy spider monsters. Michael Shelfer, someone new to me, is on art for the subplot pages and brings a zany energy which is perfect.

On to the story.

We knew from a hint in World's Finest #19 that Waid had a love of Aethyr, the Phantom Zone demon.

The book opens up with Aethyr claiming that he will free everyone from the pain of the Zone, the torment of the limbo. 

I am a sucker for Aethyr. I am intrigued to see how Waid updates him.

As I said, the Zone is even more chaotic now in the story. At times it has substance. At times it is that ethereal experience.

When Superman arrives, it is a physical space and villains are shooting stun rifles at him. 

Luckily, he still has his powers ... at least for a short time. Sunlight gauntlets made by Bruce (Eclipso) Gordon. 

We've seen things like these gauntlets before. Remember Supergirl's solar energy suit in the Andreyko run. I just wonder why these things are always forgotten. 

With his powers, Superman overcomes the villains. He demands they take him to their leader, whoever supplied the weapons. 

But he knows that the more he expends, the quicker his batteries will be drained. Like stopping these crazy birds/dragons from attacking.

Where are these things from? Why are they there? What is happening to the Phantom Zone? This is a small detail but it definitely piques my interest. I like a good mystery.

And then we get a sort of role call of the Phantom Zone denizens.

Zod, Ursa, and Non.

Jax-Ur and Professor Xa-Du. Professor Va-Kox and Faora Hu-Ul. 

Mon-El. (We need a Legion book. And is Mon's original origin back in place?)

But when Waid mentions Az-Rel and Nadira, he had me smiling.

Az-Rel? Nadira? Aethyr? Is Waid really leaning into the Gerber/Colan Phantom Zone mini-series?

Meanwhile, in Metropolis, Kenan and Conner are playing a baseball game against each other. 

I love this. Kenan throwing a pitch that he then catches behind the plate himself. Check out the great, wild art by Shelfer. Love the energy here.

The whole thing has a 'Bugs Bunny vs the Gas House Gorillas' feel to it. That is a very good thing for someone like me. Perfect. 

The game abruptly ends when an alarm goes off in the Fortress.

Okay, so Supergirl is protecting Metropolis. Superman is in the Zone. And Jon is ..... boy we have come a long way from Jon being a big deal. So we get Kenan and Conner. Kenan and Conner are fun characters. They should be hilarious together. I hope we get more of them.

Meanwhile in the Zone, Superman is burning through energy because giant spiders show up and attack.

Giant spiders? What is going on in the Zone?

Waid adds to the mystery by having Superman use his x-ray vision on these things. They don't seem like organisms. Internal works of geometry? Are these constructs of some sort? Is there a Phantom Zone villain who can manifest these things? Is this Aethry using his powers to manifest these visions like the psychedelic stuff we saw in the Gerber/Colan series?

Still, Waid is feeding us information while we puzzle through it. It is effective.

Just when it looks like the spiders will overwhelm our hero, the ship of the dread Professor Xa-Du comes to drive them away. 

The villains Superman was leading then grab him and take him onto the ship.

And then the cliffhanger. Xa-Du removes his bandages to reveal a rather angry, evil looking Mon-El. 

Is this Xa-Du possessing Mon-El? Has Mon-El become evil after being stuck in the Zone and took out the real Xa-Du, taking on the name? Has he really turned evil?

As someone starving for Legion material, seeing Mon-El (especially in his classic garb earlier in the story) makes me thrilled. 

But this whole Phantom Zone storyline is gripping for an old timer like me. Like much of what Waid has done since returning to DC, he is walking that fine line between classic storytelling and modern sensibilities. 

Overall grade: A