Action Comics #1072 is written by Mark Waid and published by DC. Art is by Clayton Henry and Michael Shelfer, colours by Matt Herms and letters by Dave Sharpe. This issue also features a backup story written by Mariko Tamaki with artwork by Skylar Patridge and colours by Marissa Louise. Main cover art (left) is by Clayton Henry and Tomeu Morey.
Action Comics #1072 is available from today, in print and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your digital copy from Amazon ComiXology UK right here.
Synopsis
The secret history of one of Superman’s oldest friends, Mon-El, is revealed…and his deadly connection to Xa-Du, the Phantom King, leaves Superman speechless! The Man of Steel’s mission into the corrupt heart of the Zone continues in the most shocking installment yet of the Action Comics weekly as the grand villain behind its peril stands poised to strike! Plus, Supergirl finds herself in pursuit of an assassin seeking justice of their own!
Review
Mark Waid has dropped the exposition issue! Action Comics #1072 answers some of the questions that we’ve been asking ourselves for the last two weeks. Last week, it was revealed that Mon-El was Xa-Du, leaving every reader perplexed as one of Superman’s greatest friends was now on the opposing side. But once again, doing what he does best, Waid subverts our expectations and gives us the rundown on what’s actually going on within the Phantom Zone, why it has terraformed in the way it has, and who the real threat is.
There’s a flashback where Superman explains who Mon-El is and the relationship that the two hold. For some, this might be taking up space in the issue, but I thought that it was great placement by Mark Waid. This is part of DC All In and is supposed to act as a jumping-on point for both new readers and current readers. While it adds to the already exposition-heavy issue, it’s worth reintroducing the character to an audience that isn’t all too familiar with him. This is particularly appreciated as some recent comics have failed to do so or have just jumped into their stories, assuming their readers have read the DC All In Special or previous DC Comics.
For people who don’t recall (it was only last week, keep up), Kon-El and Kenan were alerted to the presence of an intruder at the Fortress of Solitude, and we only ever got to see their shocked expressions at what they found. Their discovery wasn’t someone or something, but… nothing? Everything in the Fortress of Solitude has gone missing, and whoever is the mastermind behind it has also taken Kon-El and Kenan to where he’s storing all the goods, mimicking a museum. While the picture is becoming clearer on what’s going on within this ‘Phantom’ storyline, from reading this issue, you can make a justifiable guess on who’s behind it all. I’ll keep that out of this review and give you something to discover once you read it.
While Waid has revealed the mystery behind what’s going on, he doesn’t fail to ensure that this will prove a difficult task for even the Man of Steel. Clayton Henry and Matt Herms do a superb job of matching the writing. In the past two issues, which were a bit more action-heavy, they depicted Superman as a blur, this unstoppable force. But now, as he slowly starts to become weak, they showcase it well by having him move much more slowly, making each attack he lands visible to the readers. This is something I hope to see continue throughout the storyline as Superman loses or regains strength against this formidable adversary.
While the ‘Phantoms’ storyline was exposition-heavy and provided answers, Mariko Tamaki still keeps us in the dark on this mission that Kara is on. The judge was only created for this specific case, as no previous judge was allowed to have any affiliation with the prisoner. Kara’s task has only gotten harder, as now the coordinates of the prisoner have been sold across the galaxy, meaning that she’s not the only one after him. Her powers are still on the fritz, but her newfound power that she gained after Absolute Power is still proving to be useful, as she uses it to bring ease and less pain to people.
Verdict
Action Comics #1072 puts its foot on the brake as it slows the pace down to spend time providing exposition to explain to readers what’s really taking place in the Phantom Zone and revealing who the real threats are in the story. Mariko Tamaki, on the other hand, still leaves us in the unknown about what’s really going on with her mission but still manages to keep us hooked on the mystery of her prisoner and the Judge.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
