Back Issue Box: Action Comics #301

What can I say? With a lack of new material on the shelves to review and with a surprise find of a Comet the Super-Horse kid's book, I have been looking back at some of Comet's adventures. Earlier this week I reviewed Supergirl's Girl Friend Lois Lane #92 in which a nearby comet turned Biron from horse back to human.

I realized that the story turn of Comet turning human hasn't been officially reviewed here. So why not dust off 'The Secret Identity of Super-Horse' from Action Comics #301.

Written by Leo Dorfman with art by Jim Mooney, the story adds a new wrinkle to Comet's story. We know he wished to turn human because he was in love with Circe. He was turned into a horse by the vengeful Maldor and then banished. Kara's rocket freed him from his prison and he began a super-heroic career with her.

Now this issue begins two subplots which have made their relationship a little bit cringey. One, he gains the ability to turn human when a comet is near Earth. And second, it is clear he has developed strong feelings for Supergirl. For these things to happen, you need the same rapid fire plot twists that the Silver Age is known for. 

But a lot of Comet/Biron/Bill's love of Kara seems off from a 21st century view. He doesn't reveal either aspect to her.  As a human, he looks much older than our Maid of Might. And the hint of bestial love of some sort, even fantastical, is a bit odd. 

But here we are! Let's learn how Comet gains the ability to become a man at last! (Of note, scans are from the reprint of the story in Adventure Comics #390.)

Review: Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #92

I have been going down a little rabbit hole here on the site, looking at the origin of Comet the Super-Horse. It started with my review of the children's book Comet!, a remarkably faithful adaptation of the Silver Age origin. With that done, I thought I'd look at the actual origin in Action Comics #293.

With those out of the way, I thought I would take a look at one of the wackier books from the early Bronze Age, Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #92. Leave it to writer E. Nelson Bridwell to take a look back at DC's history and faithfully stick to the details. And leave it to the early Bronze Age to have Lois undergo a rather Olsen-esque transformation into a centaur and a horse. Also, leave it to this time era to make things be a little cringe-y and weird. 

The art really sings here. We start out with a Curt Swan/Neal Adams cover with the Lois centaur while Superman look on shocked. The inside art is Swan again, this time inked by Mike Esposito. Esposito really overpowers Swan's work here. Still, things are truly gorgeous here. 

But please, buckle up. Like many stories from this era, there are more plot turns in this one than in years of current comics. It is a wild ride ... no pun intended!

On to the book.

Back Issue Box: Action Comics #293

It's a slow week for actual Super-comics so I thought I would double down on the Comet stories by reviewing Action Comics #293. Hard to believe that this site is this old and I haven't looked at this closely. But with my reviewing the Comet! kid's book and commenting on how it stuck to the Silver Age narrative, I figured why not look at the actual story. 

I'm always happy to see the Supergirl story get cover treatment. Here we see a wonderful Curt Swan and George Klein image of Supergirl riding Comet. With the super-horse unaffected by Kryptonite beams, even Superman has to note that Comet might indeed be the mightiest super-creature of them all! Kara looks almost manic! As a bonus, we'll see this exact scene coming up in the story!

I'll also point out that this is the second part of a two-parter. To set things up, Linda Danvers is spending some vacation time at the Supergirl Dude Ranch. There she meets Comet who she believes is just a horse. But during her stay she has some odd dreams which seem to hint that Comet could be something more.

And so we end up here with Comet's complete origin. And I think it's a hoot!

On to the book!

Review: Comet: The Origin Of Supergirl's Horse

I took a short trip south around Thanksgiving time, visiting Virginia. One of my goals whenever I travel is to do my best to hit local comic shops. This time I went to Local Heroes, a cool little shop in Norfolk. 

Inside, I discovered something I didn't know existed and which made me give thanks. A big kid's book about Comet the Super-Horse! There is a whole line of these books about DC Super Pets. 

It is written by Steve Korte with wonderful art by old friend Art Baltazar.

Perhaps most impressively, the book for the most part holds true to the Silver Age origin from Action Comics #293. Makes me think I might need to follow-up this post with one looking at that issue. (To be honest, I'm a little surprised I haven't reviewed that issue over my time here.)

This is a wonderful book for a Supergirl fan or a Comet fan. It is a great story for a kid's book filled with magic and heroism. And the art is perfect for the story. It starts with the front cover with a confident Supergirl and winking Comet. Also, I love the sneak peek at Comet's origin on the back. 

This definitely makes me want to seek out the Streaky book!

On to some details.

Review: Supergirl #69

Two weeks ago, in the aftermath the Black Adam movie, I reviewed the Supergirl/Mary Marvel throwdown from Peter David and Leonard Kirk's Supergirl #68 . Given that issue ended on a cliffhanger and with the fervor for the Marvel family still high, I figured I'd cover the next issue.

As I said last time, this is a long arc of a depowered Linda Danvers Supergirl following the Chaos Stream to try and reclaim her Earth Angel powers, stripped from her way back in Supergirl #50 in the aftermath of her fight with the Carnivean.

The villain of this arc was just recently revealed to us here. It is Lilith, the first wife of Adam and a demonic presence. Later we learn she is the mother of the Carnivean and is our for revenge. And using a variety of shape-changing and faerie glamor, she has been manipulating events. 

But the real plot here is Linda recognizing her own worth and shedding her self-loathing. Linda was a problem child before merging with the Matrix Supergirl. She has touched the Angelic. Throughout this story, she keeps putting herself down and wondering if she is worthy. Mary Marvel is a perfect foil for Linda's thoughts. Mary is pure, innocent, good. And Linda can't help but feel flawed in comparison. 

I really loved this book. I loved the journey Linda was on. I feel this second arc wasn't as strong as the first, longform one. But it is a perfect second act for Linda. 

Leonard Kirk remains on art and brings a very fluid, very organic feel style here. I love his depiction of Linda and Mary, young women who look natural and very real. But there is a fantastical element here he also embraces including an amazing splash cliffhanger. 

On to the book.

DC Nation #4

I have said before how much I love the DC Nation free magazine. Every month we get company propaganda but also a lot of interviews, process pieces, creative thinking, and Direct Currents.

For someone like me, who likes the behind the scenes stuff as well as the actual finished products, this book is a godsend. And DC Nation #4 continued the trend. I mean, I am stoked about the upcoming Grant Morrison Green Lantern book. So getting to read an interview with him and Liam Sharp is fan-tastic.

Not that all the news is good news. This issue has 'real' psychoanalysis of the DC Trinity and the reports read pretty rough. The Superman one in particular makes him sound depressed. That isn't my Superman.

But we are here to light a candle, not curse the darkness. So what stuff relevant to this site grabbed me?

There is an article about the foil covers coming out in October. It reminds me of the 'Chromium Age' of enhanced covers in the madcap speculator 90s. Jim Lee has seen all the covers and picks out his favorites. No surprise but the Artgerm variant on Supergirl #23 is on that short list.

Unlike some of Artgerm's covers, this really looks like a young girl Kara. Even her pose strikes me like a kid being told to vogue a bit. I love it.

Lee is able to put into words what I feel from Artgerm's covers. There is a vitality in the heroes that just seeps from the page.

And now more news.

Giffen Legion Of Super-Heroes Poster

Between my recent reviews of the last newsprint Paul Levitz/Keith Giffen Legion issues over on the Legion of Super-Bloggers to my guest starring on several episodes of the Who's Who in the Legion of Super-Heroes podcast to my interactions with Keith Giffen at Terrificon, I have been looking back at the Legion of the Super-Heroes of the 1980's a lot lately. A lot.

It is a great comic and a great run featuring my favorite super-hero team of all time.

One of the curiosities that I love from that time period is the Legion of Super-Heroes poster by Keith Giffen. Done in 1983, this massive poster included every character that had appeared in the Legion mythos up to that point. It is an amazing piece of art. The sheer volume of characters is amazing. Kudos to Giffen for being able to do this.

But did you know that there is a character that appears on the poster three times?

But before we get there, let's take a look at Supergirl.

This was at the time when she was just switching costumes, going to the red shouldered look which she adopted in (Daring New Adventures of) Supergirl #13. Note the lack of a headband! When the costume was first conceived, she wasn't wearing it!

Anyways, it is a gorgeous rendition of Kara. I love her pose here, graceful and almost playful. Just gorgeous.

But who is represented on the poster three times?

Back Issue Box: Adventure Comics #364

Sometimes this blog writes itself with news items and new books to review. Sometimes I have a day when I wonder what I will post. And while new things about the show keep coming out, like the new Supergirl promo, I don't feel like I need to regurgitate all that stuff here.

So this was an empty day and I wondered what to post. So I asked on Twitter for some ideas. And blog friend Clinton Robson, of the Coffee and Comics blog, threw out the idea of doing something about Beppo the Super-Monkey.

I don't think I have ever talked about Beppo during the 8 years of blogging about the Superman family. And I thought I could shoehorn some relevance for current stories given that there was the Kryptonian pod on the Supergirl show. In theory, Beppo could have been in the pod.

So I decided to review Adventure Comics #364 featuring the Legion of Super-Heroes. This story also did a good job of being a primer for the super-pets. If you didn't know the origins of the pets going in, you learned them here. But after looking at the story again, I think it is worth reviewing just to see how loose continuity rules were during the Silver Age. Things are very silly here. And it all starts with that cover by George Klein and Curt Swan. Krypto is biting Cosmic Boy's shorts! Comet is kicking Superboy! Fantastic!

The writer is Jim Shooter. He was seventeen when he wrote this back in 1968! Seventeen! And he was already a veteran. It is clear that Shooter has a love of the DCU in this, even if he does bend the rules of powers a bit here and there. But I would settle in. The Silver Age was known for stuffing a lot of story in!

The art is credited to Peter Costanza and he does a good job with the animals in the story, giving them a realism which was appreciated.

But honestly, who doesn't want to read a story focusing on the super-pets.

Luke Daab's Supergirl Profile

I have seen Luke Daab's superhero profiles in the past and have always been impressed so I was thrilled to see his take on Supergirl here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dc-superhero-3512084

Luke had contacted me and others to ask what elements should be in a profile and came up with this great design. Here are Luke's words:

Ever since I saw the trailer for the upcoming Supergirl television show, I've had Kara on the brain. Doesn't it look amazing? I can't wait! To celebrate and manage my own anticipation, I created Supergirl's well-deserved Superhero Profile. (I may have to make shirts of this design!)

This piece received the help of internet friends Dr. Anj  and Keith G. Baker who suggested Argo City and Kara's rocketship as iconography for the design. My original concept included Comet and Streaky. I dread thinking what I would have ended up creating without their insights. Thanks guys! The biggest problem this piece posed was whether or not to include Kara's 1980's red headband. It's cheesy and dated. In the end, however, I opted to keep it. I'm not a fan of it in the comics, but I like the way the red breaks up the yellow from Kara's hair and skin tone.

Now that I've seen my first image of Red Tornado from the show, you can only guess who I may design next!

Thanks as always for your support!

I have to say that I love this look, a call back to a classic Supergirl. Argo City, Comet, a retro-looking rocket ... this all works. As for me, I think the headband works for the time and definitely works here. It does seem so add a bit of flash to the Kara figure.

Anyways, head to Luke's Patreon to see his works and be impressed. And Luke, I would be down for a shirt if you make them!

Comics Alliance: The History Of Supergirl Explained

With the Supergirl show on the horizon, I have been impressed with the sheer amount of coverage the character is getting. And I'll be honest, I was hoping that her character would get covered by Comics Alliance in a 'Comics, Everybody!' strip.

Lo and behold, it happened this week! Here is the link:
 http://comicsalliance.com/comics-everybody-the-history-of-supergirl-explained/

The idea behind 'Comics, Everybody!' is to review the history of a comic character, often humorously pointing out the crazy twists that can occur only in comics. From resurrections to possessions to reboots, 'Comics, Everybody!' covers all the nuttiness. And whenever there is a question that can't be answered ... well the response is 'comics, everybody'.

So this strip does take a tongue in cheek look at the 'prototype' magic totem Supergirl from Superman #123, Superman throwing Linda into a orphanage, the oddness of Comet, the ickiness of dating Lex, and even the more shrill nature of the initial Loeb reboot and the New 52.

Shockingly, her death in Crisis on Infinite Earths is only mentioned in passing (although as one of the saddest moments in comics!) and without an homage to the cover!

For Supergirl fans it is definitely worth checking out.

But this panel ... far and away ... was my favorite of the piece.

I am an unabashed fan of the Peter David Linda Danvers/Matrix series. So to see that character redone as a 'Scott Pilgrim' like character, earning 'Wings of Fire' was just about perfect.

The perfectionist in me says she never sported the wings while wearing the DCAU uniform. But this strip is a sort of mash-up of her history. It is easily forgiven.

I love the fact that Supergirl is getting all this attention. It has been a long time coming!

Back Issue Box: Action Comics #306

A Kryptonian is somehow cursed with a death field, killing those they love the most when approached. With little choice, the Kryptonian is banished to the Phantom Zone until a cure can happen.

Sounds like Superman:Doomed, doesn't it?

In fact it is the Supergirl cover story in 1963's Action Comics #306, in a story by Leo Dorfman with art by Jim Mooney. We don't get to see the plot on the cover as Supergirl was the back-up feature.

But we get a cover when the story was reprinted in Adventure Comics #398. Look at this great piece by Dick Giordano!

One of the things that I love to do on this site is look back at Supergirl's history and review past issues that resonate with current stories. And this story sure does resonate!

It is a classic Silver Age Superman/Supergirl interaction on this cover with Superman chastising Supergirl. And look at that word balloon. "I have to do this Supergirl -- because everything you touch dies!" Replace Supergirl with Superman and you could have a line from a comic from this month - 51 years later!

Even the title of the story, "The Maid of Doom" reminds me of Superman:Doomed!

In the last chapter of Doomed, Superman gives Steel the key to the Phantom Zone projector, telling his friend to send him to the Zone if things get out of control. And here in this title panel we hear Superman sharing a similar sentiment.

I love the peaceful sort of angelic look on Kara. You know she is going willingly, to protect people.

The story starts out a bit dated, with Linda Danvers on a date with Dick Malverne. At the movies, she pretends to be scared of the monster to show she is a 'normal member of the fairer sex'. Okay ... you have to consider the timing of this story. But very quickly we see just how brave and strong Supergirl is.

She has been given a mission from the U.N. to deliver messages of peace to three war-mongering planets. One of them is the planet Mutor, ruled by the shape-changing Plasmos race.

Despite the harsh environments, Supergirl delivers the treaties.

When she returns, Supergirl approaches her cat Streaky. Suddenly, Streaky keels over dead, emanating some odd blue glow.

It pains Supergirl to see her beloved pet dead.

Almost immediately thereafter, Krypton arrives. When he is touched by Supergirl, he also suddenly dies and he also glows with blue energy.

Surmising that she must have picked up some odd form of radiation poisoning from one of the planet's she visited, Kara speeds home to tell her mother Edna.

Amazingly, when Edna rushes to comfort Supergirl, she touches Kara and doesn't die.

And when the two go to investigate further, the two dead super-pets are gone.

Did they disintegrate from the radiation? Turning to ash like those Superman kills in Doomed?

Or was this all some odd hallucination.

Supergirl heads to the Fortress. After some investigation she learns it isn't a Red Kryptonite fugue.

Heading back to Midvale, Supergirl runs into Mr. Mxyzptlk. She accosts him thinking that he must be behind the apparent deaths of the pets.

But this really isn't a hallucination. When Supergirl grabs Mxy, he dies ...glowing eerily blue as well.

There is nothing left for Supergirl to do but admit to herself that she kills any super-powered being she touches. She is a murderer.+

She begins leaving a taped account of her problems for Superman to find explaining what has happened. She has no choice but to banish herself to the past.

But before she can leave, Comet shows up. He talks to Kara telling her that he can help. But as he approaches ... you guessed it ... he also dies. Glowing blue, he has an odd last statement, noting the irony of wishing to help her but getting himself killed instead. 'What did I do ... to deserve this?'

Perfectly odd.

And as Supergirl tries to figure out what to do next, the dead bodies seem to disappear, a side effect of the radiation.

Finally, Superman shows up, ambling up to Supergirl. He convinces her to not go to the past because she could still kill people there. The only choice is to banish herself to the Phantom Zone until a cure is found for her affliction, similar to Mon-El. He tells Kara to fly to the Fortress and return to with the Phantom Zone Projector.

And, like the hero she is, Supergirl agrees that for the good of the world, she must leave. She is sent to the Zone. (Funny, why doesn't Superman know to do the same in Doomed?)

But why is Superman gloating? Have you figured it out?

It turns out that Superman is one of the shape-changing Plasmos from Mutor. When Supergirl delivered her statement of peace, they decided to attack. They sent their cleverest warrior to rid the world of Supergirl and Superman so they can invade.

We flashback to the beginning of the story. While Supergirl is still in space, the Plasmo comes to Earth and mimics Supergirl. He is able to convince Superman to take Kandor and the Super-pets into the future where a scientist has learned how to enlarge it.

Suddenly Supergirl is the only Super left on the planet.

Then the shapechanger begins his nefarious plot. He splits his body in two, becoming Streaky and Krypto. When Supergirl touches each 'pet', the Plasmo pretends to die, changing part of his body chemistry to glow blue.

As for the bodies disappearing, the alien changes into something else to reappear later. First he is the tree trunk near the trapdoor leading to the Danvers. (Hmmm ... I wondered where that came from.) Then he became Mxyzptlk and then Comet and then Superman.

With Supergirl in the Zone and now in possession of a Phantom Zone Projector, nothing can stop the evil invaders from Mutor!

Wrong!

Supergirl can stop the Mutor war mongers!

She arrives on their planet as they are planning their attack. The Phantom Zone projector is nothing but a flashlight. She never was sent to the Zone. She had figured the whole plot out beforehand. And know that the Mutorians know that their best agent was outwitted they need to sign a peace treaty.

And incredibly, the Mutorians roll over pretty quickly. Not only do they agree not to attack Earth. They agree to destroy all their weapons! Such is the power of Supergirl!

But how did she figure it out?

Well for one, Comet actually spoke to her ... like Mr. Ed! But Comet always telepathically talks to Supergirl.

For another, none of the 'supers' ever flew to her. Superman walked up to her. And asked her to get the projector. There is no other conclusion to reach other than Superman being an imposter.

Armed with that knowledge, she brought the fake Phantom Zone Projector and 'disappeared' so she could follow the phony and uncover the whole plot.

If there is one thing I love from the Silver Age Supergirl, it is the personality quirk of putting her finger to her face when thinking things through.

The other members of the Superman family return from the 40th century ruse to discover all that Supergirl has done. Not only did she figure out the plot, she got the peace treaty signed leading to peace.

And a proud Superman ... a proud world ... raise an S-shield flag to honor Supergirl!

Okay, so she didn't really have a death touch like Superman in Doomed. But I thought it was close enough to review here.

This is an interesting story. There is clearly an 'old school' feel to this story.  And yet the second half of the Adventure Comics issue is one of the Mike Sekowsky Supergirl stories. The cover is the 'New' Adventures of Supergirl. This was a time when Superman was being depowered by the sand creature Quarmm. This was a time when Wonder Woman was depowered and fighting with I Ching. And DC was trying to bring Supergirl into the modern world. Soon these quainter stories and reprints soon disappeared for a more 'modern' Kara, albeit one where she was depowered.

Still, I love this story showcasing a caring and self-sacrificing Supergirl who is also smart enough to outwit the villains and strong enough to make them change their ways. I really think this a great look at the maturing hero.

Overall grade: A

Convention Season - Other People's Commissions

Boston Comic-Con is 2 months away and I am champing at the bit. When life gets hectic and my stress rises, I look to comics for help. And when life gets really hectic and my stress really rises, I need a convention to wallow in my hobby and decompress.

Unfortunately, Boston Comic-Con is 2 months away! Two months!! And trust me ... stress has been at '11' for a while now.

Luckily, I can head to Twitter and other sites to whet my appetite. And part of that is looking at the great commissions and Supergirl art pieces that creators are putting together.

We'll start with Yildiray Cinar! I saw this commission when I saw this tweet by @ArnoKikoo.

Best thing about this commission? That Arnaud asked for Supergirl. But not an angry one! Fantastic!

Next I saw into this fantastic interpretation of Lauren Faust's Super Best Friends Forever by My Little Pony and Gronk creator Katie Cook.

I am going to be able to see Cook in the summer in Boston. We'll have to see if I can get something from her.

Why hasn't there been more Super Best Friends Forever??

I posted Mike Maihack's warm-up for his All Ages Awesomeness just last week. He posted a bunch of pieces he did including an enchanting Black Cat.

But he also did this Supergirl which I think is lovely.

I really love the head band/hair back in Maihack's Supergirl.

But the piece that grabbed me the most was this work in progress by Daniel Govar.

Govar is drawing a 70's Supergirl, in hot pants and ballerina slippers riding Comet The Super-Horse.

I cannot wait to see the final product. This looks fantastic.

I know how detailed Govar's completed commissions are. A buddy of mine got a Destiny from him a few years ago.

So this Supergirl piece is going to mind-blowing!

As for me, I will have to suffer through a couple of more months until my personal con season starts with Boston. I have a commission wish-list for that convention forming. We'll see how successful I am!

Who's Who Volume 13 - Supergirl, Streaky, the Legion of Super-Heroes, etc.

I figured it was time to plug one of my favorite things on the web right now - the Fire and Water podcasts - which are available every Monday. The link to the accompanying tumblr site is http://fireandwaterpodcast.tumblr.com/

The podcasts are hosted by the Irredeemable Shag who runs a Firestorm site ( http://firestormfan.com/  ) and Rob Kelly of The Aquaman Shrine (http://www.aquamanshrine.net/) hence the fire/water title. The hosts have great rapport with each other, the shows sounding more like conversations. The podcasts cover reviews of the Aquaman and Firestorm books, DC role playing games, Power Records, and general DC comic news. But the topic I love most is their reviewing of the classic DC Who's Who book from the eighties, issue by issue, page by page.

This week they reviewed Volume 13, my second favorite issue as it covers a bunch of Legion entries as well as a boatload of Superman related stuff. But there was enough Supergirl stuff in this issue that I felt I needed to include some coverage here.

First off, look at the lower right cover.

That's right, it's Streaky the Super-cat getting some love from Lilith of Teen Titans fame. Good for him to get one last nuzzle before being shunted to comic book limbo.

Yes, there have been subsequent Streakies in other mainstream Supergirl incarnations but never a X-Kryptonite fueled, cape wearing daredevil! (Makes me miss Landry Walker and Eric Jones Cosmic Adventures even more).

As this is the L book, we get a gorgeous splash page by Greg LaRocque of the Legion of Super-Heroes. And LaRocque brings his A game here, including everyone who has ever been in the Legion, including the honored dead.

I will say I was somewhat disappointed that the team only gets a small 'history'. Sure it opens up way more space for the beautiful art. But Legion fans pride themselves on their knowledge of the team's lore. Surely something else could be written about their history. I do like that they are called 'unquestionably the most powerful team in the DC universe'.

As I said, LaRocque put in all the Legionnaires. That includes Supergirl.

She had been killed 6 months earlier in the Crisis. So I remember being happy to see her here amongst friends again.

Also in the issue is the Legion of Super-Pets which includes Supergirl's animal pals Streaky and Comet. I had forgotten about this entry completely and was glad to see that these characters that are important in Supergirl's history merited a small blurb in this encyclopedic book.

And I also had to include the Lois Lane page as she was (I believe) the only supporting character who got a page on her own merits. Jimmy Olsen got in as Elastic Lad. Alfred Pennyworth makes it in as The Outsider. Lana Lang is in as the Insect Queen.

Lois is Lois. That's good enough.

And boy, I love Bob Oksner's art.

Anyways, I highly highly recommend the Fire and Water Podcasts as a great comic forum. And if you are a Who's Who fan, you need to listen to those episodes in particular.

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+