Leviathan Wednesday: Manhunter #14 and Manhunter #15

Welcome to Leviathan Wednesday, my look at Mark Shaw's history and how it led him to become Leviathan. 

Shaw's history took some significant turns in the Marc Andreyko Manhunter book as we discovered that he was brainwashed by the DEO into become a killing machine. The Manhunter cult and the N'Lasa being were all part of  his programming, artificial memories implanted into him. And we also learned he had the Dumas personality built in as well, being two assassins in one, a perfect weapon for a corrupt secret organization. 

Trust me when I tell you things are going to get weirder in today's post where I cover Manhunter #14 and Manhunter #15. The first issue sort of wraps up the major Shaw storyline as he confronts the OMACs and makes a sort of ally with Kate. Manhunter #15 is a bit crazier as it opens up yet another can of worms about Shaw's history. 

In fact, for those of you who manage to get through these long posts, I am going to ask you an important question at the end. (I will bold it for those who want to just scroll.)

As I have said, Andreyko really embraced the Manhunter history in this arc and I appreciate it. And Shaw is such a compromised human, abused and tortured and unstable, and all because of the superiors of the shadowy organization he worked for. No wonder he wants to take them out. No wonder he hates them. No wonder he became Leviathan.

But the art on these two issues is just incredible. In #14, you have Javier Pina bring his smooth, organic, clean style to the book. In #15, you get flashback tales from two current superstars, Rags Morales and Sean Phillips. Sean Phillips is a personal favorite. In his story we learn that Kate Spencer's gauntlets belonged to the Azrael Batman. So seeing him draw an issue of Manhunter was a treat.

On to the books. Settle in.

Rhode Island Comic Con

This Sunday, I'll be heading to Rhode Island Comic Con, the last convention of my con 'season'. This is a huge con with celebrities and comic creators which has grown over the years to now fill the RI Convention Center and the floor of the nearby Providence Civic Center.

I have been heading to this con since the beginning and have grabbed some great commissions and signatures in the past (including Stan Lee!). This year I'll only be there for one day and so I doubt I'll luck my way into a commission. That means that the main goal is signatures. It is a shame because there are some huge favorites of mine that are going to be there, artists I haven't seen at other cons. But, c'est la vie!

Probably the biggest name for me that is going to be at the convention is Chris Bachalo, an artist whose work I have loved forever. For me, he is always going to be the main artist of the Pete Milligan Shade, The Changing Man book from the 1990's. I loved that book!

Bachalo has also done runs on other books in my collection that I love - Death, X-Men, New X-Men, etc. If I could get a Bachalo sketch I would be absolutely thrilled. But I can't imagine it happening. Instead I had to pare down a big stack of books to a manageable size for signatures.

But look who else I'm hoping to meet.

Bullet Review: New Avengers #16 and #17

I have lamented the darker tone of the New 52 almost since its inception finding only a few rays of light in this dark universe. Take away Morrison's Action Comics, Bryan Miller's Smallville, and Sterling Gates' Vibe, there haven't been many optimistic interpretations of the heroes of the DCU.

Even the Justice League, usually the brightest of teams, has become a mockery of itself. Its members snipe at each other, hardly seem to like each other, and there haven't been many adventures where they simply team up to save the world.

So I find it ironic, almost laughable, that the most recognizable and classic take on the JLA that I have read recently has been in ... of all places ... a Marvel book, an alternate universe seen in Jonathan Hickman's New Avengers, in a story aptly called 'A Perfect World'.

I read New Avengers as part of a cultural exchange with a buddy of mine. The main storyline mirrors Crisis on Infinite Earths. The Illuminati discover that incursions occur where one Earth will collide with another, bringing about the end of both universes ... that is, unless one Earth can destroy the other.

It is interesting to see just how far the Marvel heroes will go to save their world. Dr. Strange has opened his soul up to the darkest magic to gain power to save his world. Reed Richards and Iron Man have created anti-Earth missiles, a way to kill a planet to save their own. The morals are so loose that Captain America had to quit the group rather than take part in genocide.

The tone is dismal, each issue opening with a recap and Reed's statement that it is inevitable that they will die. And that they have to do whatever they can to stave that off.

Recently, the Avengers have come upon a device to peer into other worlds, to see other incursions, in hopes of gathering information. And one such world, Earth 4,290,001, a pseudo Justice League has formed. There are standard archetypes - the Sun God (Superman), the Knight (Batman), the Jovian (Martian Manhunter), Doctor Spectrum (Green Lantern +/- Wonder Woman), Boundless (The Flash), and The Norn (Dr. Fate).

And remarkably, for this age, they are revered as saviors, set up in The Tower, and heroic.

Hickman does a great job of showing us in just a few panels that these are heroes trying to do what's right and inspire. We see The Knight mourning a site where despite saving many, hundreds died. The Knight laments not being better ... not saving everyone.

'They expect us to be better than what's possible,' he says. It is a reminder that we hold our heroes to the highest standard. We want them to be on that highest plateau.

And then in my favorite panels, we see The Sun God turn Reed's mantra on its head. "Everything lives" ... not "Everything dies." He talks of celebrating life. Living life to the fullest. And he asks his team to join him in beating back the night and conquering death.

It is simple, inspirational, powerful. It is what you would want Superman to say. Except it isn't Superman, it is 'The Sun God'.

And then the Knight adds in. They can never give into fear. They can never become less than what they are.

Again, powerful and inspirational. I want my heroes to be the bright light. I want them to rise above.

And they do just that, saving their world by defeating the invading advance guards that rip worlds apart, incinerating the burnt out husk of an Earth that the hordes are sending into their own. They save everyone without compromising ... but at personal cost, the Norn sacrificing some of his future life.

But the next incursion already is beginning. Battered and fatigued, they almost give in to sadness when Sun God refocuses them. They will fight until they fall. Look at the panel, Sun God smiling, his hand on Knight's shoulder. These two are friends, for real!

Black Panther and Namor, watching these heroes, are impressed by this group. And so am I.

This is the sort of Justice League I wouldn't mind reading ... at least every once in a while.

I have read other alternative takes on the Justice League but they are usually a deconstruction, a humanizing of this group, bringing them down to our level. Whether it is Supreme Power, or the dead heroes in Wanted, we usually see the group flawed or ridiculed. Even in the New 52, the League is a pale version of its classic self. So how interesting to see Hickman construct them, mold them back into the inspirational heroes they were.

It also helps that Rags Morales is on art, drawing an almost Ordway-esque classic appearing superhero team.

Now I am not praising New Avengers completely. It is an incredibly slow burn. There are innumerable recap pages per issues. It is derailed by Marvel crossovers. There is an incomprehensible mythology of black swans, mapmakers, and other universal societies who are part of this universal cataclysm. I mockingly call it 'Interminable Crisis' because it seems like Crisis on Infinite Earths with no ending in site.

But these issues were fascinating, a competitor's look at DC's classic heroes.

Review: Action Comics #18

Action Comics #18 came out last week and was a phenomenal pitch-perfect ending to Grant Morrison's run on the title. In fact, it was so good that it took me this long to put my thoughts together to discuss my review. It took this long to look through the book and decide which panels should be included in the review. It took me this long to try to temper myself so I didn't simply gush.

After the earliest issues of this title, I started to get a sense that this story wasn't so much a story about an evil 5th dimensional imp as it was a commentary on Superman himself in this grungy world of current comics. More and more metatextual snippets were being put into the book including but not limited to the inclusion of creator rights, Silver Age visuals, Golden Age sensibilities, a sense of the timelessness of Superman, and the vile Super-Doomsday - a warped Superman which would fit in perfectly in the New 52 DC world. How can Superman perform the impossible and remain a symbol of good, inspiring humanity while being one of us? How can he survive a comic world where the dollar seems to be mightier than a pure hero?

With that sort of timeless feeling of Superman, Rags Morales and Brad Walker make the perfect art combination bring a sort of 'steady' feel to the book, a more understated look at Superman in this age of crazy panels and wonky stylizations.

If you like Morrison, if you can deal with some of his zaniness and go along for the ride, if you can believe a man can fly and call upon the spirit of humanity to defeat the devil you should not miss this book.

As I said since he was first seen in Action Comics #9, Super-Doomsday has to represent Morrison's thoughts about the current comics market. Here is a 'corporate approved' anti-hero filled with hate and angst. He has killed other incarnations of Superman. He is an unstoppable force of power and symbolism cloaked in his omega signs, swastikia/dollar sign S-shield, and copyrights. Heck, in this current market where books have Superman punching a pregnant Lois to death aren't we an angstrom away from seeing this.

And yet, despite the K-chains, the Anti-Superman squad, the crushing mental attacks of Vyndktvx, Morrison's Superman continues to fight the never-ending battle. Incredible.

I also loved the small flourishes here, the backwards credits hinting at the ultimate solution.

As I said before, Morrison infuses this issue with as many visuals from early Superman stories as he can, a way to remind us of his great history. Vyndktvx's attack happens at all times at once. So why not the Silver Age and the Golden Age.

So when the Red-K woman member of the Anti-Superman Squad gives Superman a kiss, he suffers from vicious hallucinations. They include a lion-headed Superman and an ant-headed Superman, classic images of the wild Red Kryptonite stories of the Weisinger era.

But then Morrison turns it on his head a bit. The ant-head, the sign of a drone worker, a pawn to make money on. Can Superman defeat commercialism, a desire to make him easier to sell?

I still think the Red-K woman is Maxima ... but she is never named.

And even Ferlin Nyxly, Mxyzptlk's son, shows up. With Mxy recovering in the hospital, Ferlin ... a music therapist ... shows up to badger his father for ruining his life. Saturn Girl tunes into his mind and makes a weird discovery.

Perhaps in the biggest twist of all, Nyxly is called a 'limb of Vyndktvx', somehow the son of Mxy and a 'damaged edge' of the 'little man'. Could Mxy be the villain in this piece all along? Maybe a part of Mxyzptlk?

As for Ferlin, he is another part of this universal look by Morrison at the history of Superman. I review Ferlin's first appearance here. It is just another delicious nugget in the book.

And even more of the breadth of the DCU and Superman's influence arrives. In this battle for the soul of the world, he needs as many allies as possible. Captain Comet shows up with a spruced up version of the Wanderers, a small army to battle the Anti-Superman Squad.

The Wanderers!!!

Super-Doomsday ends up being some sort of puppet of Vyndktvx as he starts saying the lines that the imp is saying. One of the plot points from last issue was that Vyndktvx asked everyone on Earth to turn their back on Superman, to deny him help.

With the Earth collapsing and people dying, Vyndktvx/Doomsday links Superman with the mind of humanity hoping their fear will further demoralize the Man of Steel. Instead it is the key to Vyndktvx's defeat.

But how great is this line by Superman?  He is the opposite reaction to an unstoppable evil. He doesn't give up. He can do the impossible.

And with everyone linked, he asks the world to do the impossible. Everyone needs to say there name backwards to send Vyndktvx back to the fifth dimension. And, no surprise, everyone does it.

Look at some of those names there. Morrison is there. As are a number of the people who have worked on the book. Talk about smashing the fourth wall from this direction into the book rather than the other way around.

And Superman says his name backwards ... both Clark Kent and Kal-El. And that is key to me. Because I believe Superman is more Clark Kent than Kal-El. I want him to say his name is Clark Kent. I want Clark and his upbringing and the Kents to be a crucial part of his story. This was another great panel and great solution for me.

But it isn't just that world magic that does it. Remember Ferlin Nyxly is a limb of Vyndktvx. So he says his name backwards and it is Xvtkdnyv!

Still how can he be that?

Well, we see a glimpse into that world. Vyndktvx is hauled off to 5th dimension jail but vows he was et up by Mxyzptlk. And indeed, it looks like this was the biggest trick of them all because Mxy rises to king. The Jester as King. Incredible.

I do wonder if Vyndktvx is some sort of corner of Mxy himself, the evil parts of him expunged so he can become the harmless jokester he is while ascending to the throne.

But the circles inside circles inside wormholes continue to rock this story. This tale of Vyndktvx ultimate fate, of Mxy's painful time on the throne, and Mxy's love for his daughter turns out to be a fairy tale Jor-El tells Kal-El. The secret to defeating the 5th dimension incursion told to Superman as a baby!

Alas, we see the first rumble of Krypton's destruction play out in front of us. Just wonderful.

Meanwhile on Earth, Superman must continue to do the impossible, including hoisting the self-destructing Super-Doomsday off Earth, saving the day again.

Recovering from the blast, Superman has one more vision. With the all-knowing sun above him, he again sees Mrs. Nyxly. She has one more wish left, but since she escaped death in the red of his shield, it must include red. Anything Superman wants.

Hmm ... he could have wished on the red sun of Krypton, wishing the planet never died.

He could wish on the blood of his father, saving Jonathan's life.

But instead, Superman accepts his life as it has unfolded. He is happy with who he is. And so he wishes for the base on the red planet Mars to survive. Selfless. Perfect.

Now why Red/Blue Superman other than to include some more pastiche from his history, I don't know. But I loved it.

If there is one thing that I haven't liked about this whole Action arc by Morrison, it has been the very limited role Lois has played.

But she is savvy here. She heard Superman say 'Kralc Tnek'. And she doesn't seem too surprised by it. Maybe she has suspected all along. With Superman 'missing' since taking Doomsday off-world, Lois calls Clark. If he doesn't answer, maybe he is Superman after all.

This being comics, he makes his way back to Earth just in time.

And after surviving this battle for his life, his soul, his home, he relaxes with his dog accepting a loving lick and smiling.

Is there a better ending for this story? A smiling Superman and his dog sharing a quiet moment of joy?

This hasn't exactly been a story to set up the New 52 Superman for the future. It hasn't been the equivalent of Byrne's Man of Steel. It has been a typically magical, quirky, and psychedelic ride of Superman's history, the durability of the pure hero and the concept of Superman, and the defeat of a villain threatening the universe throughout time. I seriously don't know if this would appeal to someone trying to read Superman for the first time.

But guess what ... I really don't care right now.

Right now I am going to be selfish and devour a Superman who inspires humanity, unifies the world, does the impossible, and defeats evil.  I will enjoy all the nods to the past, smiling whimsically with each one. And I will cherish this story.

Because I don't know how many more Superman stories like this I will get.

Overall grade: A+

Morrison's 'Goodbye To Action' Tour

I have sung the praises of Grant Morrison's run on Action Comics over the last year and a half. This run has been a 'big' story, covering multiple timelines, pieces of Superman's life, looking back at Krypton, Smallville, T-shirt Superman, and then the established hero Superman, all fighting against Vyndktvx as he strikes from every point of Superman's life.

With the run coming to a close, DC has unleashed the publicity machine. Over on the Source blog ( http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2013/02/06/grant-morrison-discusses-his-action-comics-run-and-teases-his-final-issue ), they have links to all the places Morrison interviews landed - an amazing 7 places! All posted interviews with Morrison about his Action Comics run ... and all on Wednesday. Amazing. And worthy of that coverage.

Rather than cover each separately, I thought I would put the 'tour' highlights here. I found all the interviews very interesting, each adding something to the coverage, each revealing some different snippets of what was going through Morrison's head. They are all definitely worth reading in their entirety, so please visit the sites and dive into some backstory. I'll present snippets from three of the sites, answers that grabbed me.

First up, Comics Alliance at this link: http://www.comicsalliance.com/2013/02/06/grant-morrison-action-comics-exit-interview-final-issue-new-52/

CA: Bouncing off that, you kicked off a Populist/New Deal flavor that reflected a lot of what is going on in America and other places in the world, especially following the financial crisis. What sort of contemporary or political issues influenced the rest of your run and especially coming up to the conclusion?

GM: Symbolically I'm not a big fan of dealing with politics in superhero comics because I think it diminishes both sides of the argument, but I do have my own take on things. I've got my own politics and so they do tend to find their way in. And really for me, its more symbolic, the way story winds up to tackle all those issues and looks at them through the perspective of Superman and Red Kryptonite and weirdness. So its gone underground. I think the early Superman was very much more aligned with the anti-establishment, anti-authoritarian current, because I think when Superman started out that he was what entered into.

So to bring it back at a time when people are more feeling that again seems very appropriate. But at the same time Superman has to be a lot of other things and that is what this story is about. As you'll see in the last couple of issues, that really is the paramount question, which side is Superman on? Is he on the side of the establishment or is he on the side of the rebel? And that's what it is really all about. And that is where all the tension is on the character.

One thing that I think is clear about this Superman is that he is, as always, on the side of justice. If that means rebelling against the system or working with the system seems completely secondary. 

But I can imagine that does increase internal conflict and tension in the character. Did Clark really think he would be running from the police (as he was in the first issue)? 

CA: Fans can feel the end of your run approaching, especially when it says, "The Second Death of Superman" on the cover of issue #16. What can you tell us about the finale of the book?

GM: Well it's a big crazy story. It's something we haven't tried before and I wanted to do something we hadn't really seen in a comic before. So it takes place on a lot of different levels. We have the fifth dimensional character, the evil, psychopathic Lord Vyndktvx who is making his final move on Superman.

So it's Superman under-fit, you know -- physically, literally, symbolically, conceptually. It's kind of an assault on Superman that is happening on more levels then you would normally see in a comic book and I wanted it to do more with the last question, "What does Superman represent?" as well. What is he in the new world? It's a big one and it's kind of psychedelic in that way and psychedelic in the sense that it implicates that he doesn't have specific way so everyone gets a chance to join in this one.

 As I said when it was announce that Morrison was on the book for one more issue, I really really need their to be some sort of giant ending to this story. So to hear Morrison talk about all the layers this story is impacting makes me think we are in for a treat. A psychedelic answer to 'what does Superman represent?'. Sounds like a classic Morrison story to be sure.

Nice symbolism here, the fallen statue commemorating Superman's first death. And 'Super-Doom' is such a classic 'modern' design with the pouchy belts and ludicrous face.

Next up is a blurb from the Newsarama interview: http://www.newsarama.com/comics/grant-morrison-action-comics-final-issues-interview.html

Newsarama: How would you describe your goal as you introduced Superman in Action Comics #1, and how did that evolve into your goal for the finale?

Grant Morrison: Yeah, initially the idea was to do a six-issue story, which was all that I'd come in to do back then. When Dan came to me and said I'd be relaunching Superman, or restarting Superman, I had some ideas left over from All-Star, where I'd do a young Superman story. I really wanted to do a T-shirt and jeans and a different idea.

So initially, that's all it was, and that was going to be the Brainiac story, and this superhuman character suddenly brought about a whole culture of superheroes, all wearing costumes. And that was it.
But then we had the Legion story, and suddenly it evolved these time travel complications. And in that way, I thought, well, I haven't done a big Mr. Mxyzptlk story or a Fifth Dimension story. I had done a bunch of the other villains in All-Star. And I came to feel that I wanted to do a Mr. Mxyzptlk story, but it wasn't enough to do just him anymore, because really, what was he, about to commit a crime, with the powers of a god? The whole thing kind of grew from there.

But what it became for me was a way of also hinting at what happened to Superman in the five years between Action Comics and the current continuity. So from taking the point of view of a Five Dimensional being allowed us to show the days from Superman's life, with prom night and the night his parents died and you get to see him in the Justice League.

So it was a structural thing, once I got the idea of the longer story, was to do a story that could encompass Superman's entire life, as seen from the viewpoint of a villain who was about the destroy that life.

Much of these interviews reviews Morrison's original plans (6 issue Brainiac story, young Superman) and how that branched out to include some left-over ideas from All-Star Superman and a sideways look at Mr. Mxyzptlk and General Zod.

I do wonder just what Morrison would have accomplished if he stayed on the book. Instead of working all these times and all these events into one story, maybe he could have done a story for each of these. Now don't get me wrong, I think the idea of a villain attacking Superman from all points in time is unbelievably imaginative and has worked here. But I would have liked more.

Nrama: Issue #16 touched upon the idea of learning from tragedy, from the process of overcoming challenges and failures, which I think we can all identify with, as we go through life and at least hope we're growing that way. Is that an important theme in the story? 


Morrison: You've hit a nail on the head, because nobody can be Superman, but the best of my stories are about that part of us that feels like Superman. You know? The part of us that allows us to struggle on through adversity and get up when we're hit down. And I think that's where Superman has value, as a symbol of that thing we all feel inside, you know, and it comes forward in certain situations.

So yeah, the whole run is about that. I didn't want to make it literal or political really. You can see elements of that, particularly in the early issues. But it's more about what Superman means in the world as a fictional character. Is he inspirational or is he not? Is he pernicious? Is there something dark coiled in it all? And that was part of what this story is about.

So what you see is a Five Dimensional being assaulting Superman on every one of those levels, from the literal on the giant monster level right up to conceptional and what does Superman mean, you know? We see them all being attacked.

I guess, that's what Superman about, is about the indomitable self.

What a great summation of why I love Superman. I know I can't be Superman, not even from just an immutable ethical point of view. But I can strive to be like him, to feel like him. And the fact that he fights a never-ending battle and is 'indomitable' just adds to that.

And then for Morrison to explore Superman's influence on that world - does he inspire - is crucial. Because this is comics world where heroes aren't trusted, Superman is a loner, and smacks around Supergirl. I need a Superman who can somehow ascend above the fray, be a true hero, and inspire. I think this Superman has done that, perhaps best seen in in Action Comics #0.

Here is the link to the Comic Book Resources interview: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=43599

CBR: People often make a complaint about the way some of the DC stories and your work in particular has developed the past few years which always boils down to this vague complaint about things getting "more Silver Age." Do you have a sense for where that comes from?

GM: I think these things are natural for a fantasy character. I've always said, it's not that I'm a huge Silver Age fan. People always get that wrong. It's more that in the Silver Age, those stories were more popular and appealed to a wider audience. So I'm always thinking, "Why did they appeal?" Those Silver Age Superman stories were about stuff. They weren't just superheroes wrestling with one another. They were about feelings we can all understand. Superman's guilty, or Lois is in love but Lana's in love too...how do you deal with that? All of those things were very much about something real people could understand. I think that's why comics were so popular.

So it's not a fetish for the Silver Age I have. It's more a fetish for good stories that people in the real world can relate to. I'm trying to tell stories that have an emotional value rather than a punch up or a concordance of heights and weights and power measurements. I've always gone back to those stories for that reasons. But with current comics fandom, "Silver Age" has become an almost meaningless term. It's either a term of abuse or a term of endearment, but it doesn't really attach to much at all.

I think people talk like that because when they see news things, they to react by reaching back to find something it's a bit like so you can fit it into a box in your head. I don't even consider "All-Star Superman" to have much in common with the Silver Age at all. It's a pretty modern Superman story to me. 

Nice question on CBR.  I think All Star Superman had a much greater Silver Age feel than this Action run so interesting the hear that Morrison doesn't agree with that.

I do like that Morrison acknowledges just why the Silver Age is often beloved. I know that I am in the 'term of endearment' group in regards to the Silver Age. So I don't think it is a bad thing to channel to beats that worked in those stories, to reference them, and build on them.

Hard to believe it is almost over! I do think Action has been one of the best things to come out of the New 52.

Review: Action Comics #16

Action Comics #16 came out this week, the penultimate issue of Grant Morrison's reimagining of the Man of Steel's origins. This has been one big story in Action since its inception and this issue shows us all of those plot threads collapsing in on each other. We are seeing the ends of days ... but we are seeing it on different days as time itself is attacked. 

This is standard Morrison insanity. As readers, we are shunted through four timelines: the day before yesterday, yesterday, now, and the year 3030. These are dark times, each and every one. But as readers we are only given fleeting glimpses of them before we move to the next. And the villains of this last year and a half are here as well. Vyndktyvx of course. But also his Anti-Superman Army. And the Super-Doom from Action Comics #9. 

Maybe I am used to this Morrison stuff, but I just rolled with, let it roll over me, picking up on the themes here. This is a crucible for Superman, a life and death battle sprinkled throughout his life. 

But I also felt that this wasn't just different times in this Superman's life being attacked. Maybe this explains the crises in other Supermen incarnations. There is a Crisis on Infinite Earths vibe here. There is some 'Whatever happened to the Man of Tomorrow'.  There is some Doomsday. And other small hints at other Supermen. Heck, I'm the guy who thinks Ferlin Nyxly in an early 70's issue is somehow involved. As a longtime Superman, this sort of stuff is beautiful.

We start in a dark future, the 3030 Earth, mired in a police state, a place where the Legion is in hiding. The Legion is fighting to get into their headquarters, fighting to get to the last time bubble, to go back and change things so this doesn't happen. There may be a Superman statue in the background. But his light, his inspiration is nowhere to be found here.

And here is the Legion, the original three and the espionage squad fighting their way in to head to the past. It felt like old time to see Shrinking Violet, Chameleon Boy, and Projectra use their skills to get by the first wave of guards. But it is the snaky, robot-handed Jeckie. Again, this isn't the current Legion. I can't remember when this was the Legion. But it is Morrison showing us all histories, all versions.

Chameleon Boy and Projectra might die, but their sacrifice won't be in vain if the Legion can change things. 

But how does this tie into Superman? Is Vyndktvyx reaching this far into the future?

We switch to yesterday, where Lois and Jimmy wait for Clark by the same Superman statue we saw in 3030, a statue commemorating Superman's death years ago, a death he returned from to rebuild things. Lois says this is a sign of rebirth, not death. This isn't a grave. This is a place of hope.

But we have seen that statue before in Whatever Happened ... and in Funeral For A Friend.

But things change here. The weather becomes darker. It is similar to the day Superman died. And the reverence is broken by Superman fighting Phantom Kryptonian Xa-Du.

While in battle, Superman asks Jimmy and Lois to find Mr. Triple X at the hospital. I have to say I might need to reread things. I thought Mxyzptlk died on this world. Here he is comatose.

As for Superman, he batters Xa-Du by out-boxing him. Superman studied the sweet science? Could this be some Morrison homage to Superman vs Muhammed Ali? Or just a nod to his simpler past, being taught by Pa in the barn.

Throughout the big moments, the crazy battles, there are powerful small moments. I loved this one where Lois' niece Susie. She briefly shakes off Vyndyktvyx control, saying she was forced into helping him when he threatened her family. That makes it easier for me to understand why she would join the little man. 

I always say that big moments deserve big art. I loved this picture of Vyndktvyx as he offers eternal life to anyone who turns their back on Superman when he asks for help.  This is a big moment from a plot point. Will people turn their back on their hero? I don't this Superman, the hero of the people, will be shunned.

It is also big art. I love the burned Mxy' derby sitting on Vyndktvyx' head, a trophy of his prior victory.

But I also love how spider-like he looks holding all this together. At first I thought this was an effective show of how powerful he is, squatting on the space time continuum. But then I thought this instead showed how he is barely holding this together, this globe of screens exploding away from him.

Back in the now, Superman lays at the mercy of the Anti-Superman gang and their Kryptonite spectrum powers. Green causes blood poisoning. Red causes changes in perception (an interesting take on the old concept of Red K, more that it is an hallucinogen than creating mutations). And blue kills your spirit. I guess Blue K makes you feel blue? Knowing Morrison, it has to be a soul-killing power.

And who is this red-powered woman who talks of being spurned? It has to be Maxima! I remember Green and Johnson initially wanted Reign to be Maxima but were told someone else had ideas for her. This has to be her in her red-headed glory.

While trying to revive Mr. Triple X at the hospital, Jimmy notices that outside has worsened. Red skies, storms, just like Doomsday, the day Superman died. So many references to prior stories there making this like a tapestry of Superman's lives.

But this is the thing. This doesn't look like the last time Superman died.  This is the same time Superman died. That's why it looks the same. Vyndktvyx is attacking Superman throughout time. This looks like three years ago. It looks like now. It looks like yesterday. It is all the same attack!

That's brilliant.

Before Triple X can awaken, Nimrod shows up to kill him. Look at Lois fend him off. Lois slamming a fire extinguisher into a super-villain's skull. That's the Lois I want to read.

Now the day before yesterday, we see the Earth 1 Lex building the harmonic machine his Earth23 counterpart did in Action Comics #9. In that issue, Superman trapped Superdoom between the wavelengths. Here, Lex, nudged by Vyndktvyx, releases him on Earth 1.

Back in my review of Action Comics #9, I said:

Maybe that Over-Superman will break free of his dimensional prison and threaten the Earth 1 Superman. Maybe Morrison wants to show that only a simple and pure Superman can defeat that guy, so that when our Superman faces it, we will be shown that he is what Superman should be? Maybe.

Looks like I might get to see that after all. Can Superman overcome this mockery? This faceless smug bully who is the worst of what Superman could be? I think Morrison understands Superman. To have him face this enemy and defeat him is perfect.

Krypto shows up to help but with the Kryptonite fueled army and Superdoom as well as magical Kryptonite chains he is of little help. Things look bad.

Superman in Kryptonite chains is such famous image. I bet we see a Kryptonite Nevermore image next issue, another iconic image from another Superman's life - Superman breaking out of K-chains. But look at that last panel, a determined Superman, sickly green, still ready to fight when things seem lost. That is Superman too.

Now that was a crazy ride. 

It did just what a penultimate issue should do. It set up all the pieces for the ending. Superman, The Legion, Krypto, Mr. Triple X all poised to fight Vyndktvyx, the Anti-Superman Army, and Super-Doomsday. This issue moved the story forward (throughout multiple timelines no less). And we understand enough (mostly through last issue's exposition) just what the motives are here. 

But all that was told through the beauty of multiple threats, multiple timelines, multiple stories, and multiple references to prior Superman incarnations. That is the Multitude. I don't know if I understood all of it. But I know a good Superman story when I read one. And this was a very good Superman story. This was one of those issues were it was hard to pick the panels to show because so many showed so much.

Rags Morales and Brad Walker's art shines here. This is cataclysmic in some places, trippy in others, emotional elsewhere. The art conveys all the feelings it should, enhancing this wild ride.

Unbelievable.

Overall grade: A

Review: Action Comics #15

Action Comics #15 came out this week, bringing us one issue closer to the end of Grant Morrison's brilliant run on this book. From the title's inception there has been a feeling that this has been all one big story, the 'little man' peeking around the corner of every slice of this book. And this issue cements that, bringing so much of what we have seen into focus as we near the end.

Now part of that means that Morrison has a lot to explain here and more than any issue of his, this one seems to have the most exposition. Rather than having the villain monologue, we instead have insider Ms. Nyxly giving us the back story of the Vyndktvx. While I am usually of the 'show me don't tell me' mindset as a reader or viewer, I actually breathed a sigh of relief here. Many of Morrison's past stories end enigmatically. And while I usually enjoy those stories, rolling with the events, I often ask myself 'what the heck just happened.' So to understand the impetus for this whole big arc, even if I was simply hearing it, will only make me appreciate this even more.

That isn't to say that nothing happens in this book. In fact everything seems to be happening at every time. We learned from last issue that The Multitude is one of Vyndktvx's weapon, a many-pointed spear which can attack from infinite points and throughout time. In this issue, we are basically following that attack from three different time periods - Clark's high school prom, the 'current' Action time, and some point I assume in the future where the Earth seems in ruins, under a red sun, where the anti-Superman army is chasing down Kal. In fact, we learn that last issue takes place two years in the future of the 'current' Action. So like many Morrison stories, I have to simply immerse myself in the story and absorb it.

Rags Morales and Brad Walker split the art chores here and with similar styles, the book moves along smoothly.

Here in the present, Ms. Nyxly begins telling Clark about just how Vyndktvx attacks. How part of his plan is to strike at different time in Superman's life, weakening him everywhen. And what is worse, he seems to have the power to change things.

The book opens with Clark thinking of his prom night and how something tragic happened that night. Vyndktvyx is there, Pa helping the 'little man' with his car. Superman wonders what might have been if things went differently. And that is the power of Vyndktvx. It may have been different!

And we get a glimpse of what happened that night.

That's the Kent's truck, mangled in an accident, a body crumpled on the road.

Could Vyndktvyx be responsible for the Kents' deaths? We have seen Pa, on his death bed, talk to Clark somewhere along the way of this run. So things have changed. The question becomes, are these changes immutable? Or can they be set right?

Meanwhile, in the assumed future under a red sun, a rapidly weakening Clark has to stay ahead of Vyndktvx's army. There is Nimrod. There is the Kryptonite Man. And Metalek is there. And Lois' telepathic niece Susie too. And a Red Kryptonite woman and a Blue Kryptonite man we haven't met yet.

Three ongoing timelines ...

Meanwhile, in the 'present', Nyxly starts her story out by asking Clark to share a glass of wine and a toast to the 'triumph of good over evil'.

If it one thing I have learned from Morrison is that very little is done by chance. The whole makeup of this panel, the bright but solid background, the sunlight dappled Superman, the words of the toast. This has to be something more than a simple sip of wine.

We finally hear about Vyndktvx, the failed court jester of the 5th dimensional court of King Zrfff. Despite all his tricks, Vyndktvx couldn't get the king to smile.

And then, surprisingly, we get a possible hero in this piece. Mr. Mxyzptlk shows up and simply wins the court over. The King laughs. The Princess Gsptlnz swoons. And the dimension is entranced. I love how he brings out the 3 dimensional universe as a plaything for the King. And the name of the universe ...Triceveryday30 ... is perfect.

And he gives Gsptlnz three wishes as a present.

All this love lavished on Mxyzptlk angers Vyndktvx to know end. And so revenge against the universe is planned.

Again, time in this book is fluid and overlaps. Nyxly (nee Gsptlnz) tells Superman that Mxyzptlk loved sparring with him, loved being outwitted by him. Of course, all those battles take place in the future of this 'current' timeline. Roll with it!

In the war torn future, Superman makes it to his Yucatan Fortress of Solitude (a fortress I think he had in the early 2000s) and calls out the troops.

He asks the Legion to come through time to help fight.

He calls Comet! Could there be a Super-horse in this DCnU?

He calls on the Wanderers! Will we see Quantum Queen and Psyche?

And even Krypto gets called into the fray.

Wonderful!

But there is more we need to know about Vyndktvx.

In his rage, he uses three weapons - The Nothingcoat, the Imaginator, and the Million-pointed Multi-spear. Aiming to kill Mxyzptlk, Vyndktvx accidentally kills the king.

And the power of these weapons are so great that 230 worlds immediately die. Others fight on, including Vartox and Super-turtle.

And Vyndktvyx is not untouched either. Using these weapons has corrupted his body. What's worse, two planets repel the Multitude. Krypton (by Jor-El) and Earth by Superman.  It is enough to add Superman to the revenge list.

And so we see how this revenge plays out over time.

This perfect moment of young love, where Lana and Clark feel on top of the world, is shattered by news of Ma and Pa's death.

And in the 'present', Nyxly cannot use her third wish to save things because she is shot through the head by Nimrod, another failure on Superman's part.

And yet, I wonder if that third wish has already been used, part of that libation earlier.

And in the future, Superman looks just about defeated, in the clutches of a Kryptonite fueled army.

Whew ... that is a lot of story and a lot of backstory for 20 pages. But it is the three storyline that struck me here. Imagine just how each of these moments could cause Superman to lose faith in who he is, how he could give in to defeat. The death of his parents. The shooting of his friend, a 5th dimensional princess who could help, right in front of him. A devastated Earth, standing alone against an army of villains tailor made for him. And all these attacks happening 'at once' like a needle shoved through time.

Amidst all that big story is the small moments that simply resonate. Lana looking up at Clark lovingly in the dance talking about how everyone wants to be in love like them. The alarum sent out to Comet and the Wanderers. And Superman having to chew over the time slips he is experiencing - Mars 2 years hence but experienced, attacks from Mxyzptlk even farther.  All small moments that just struck me.

I think that this being a simple revenge story somehow makes Vyndktvx seem a little smaller in scope. Somehow this all seemed 'bigger' when I thought he was a megalomaniac looking for universal domination, looking to eliminate his one threat in Superman. Now he is a jilted and untalented jester who simple wants to hurt the people who hurt him. Maybe that is the biggest joke of all.

And it is funny that in some ways I thought this might be the weakest issue in the Action Comics run to date - just chock full of monologue. And yet, I also thought is was a strong issue, an important piece in solidifying this entire arc, while still peppered with the tiny wonders that I love in Morrison.

Only a couple more issue of this. Too bad.

Overall grade: B+