Action Comics #1073 kicks into high gear with the third part of “Phantoms”, finally introducing Aethyr, the mysterious figure who’s been warping the Phantom Zone for his own twisted amusement. Not only is Superman facing a foe who can warp time, space and matter itself, but the solar bands he brought into the Zone are rapidly decreasing. With waning powers and a godlike foe in his way, the Man of Steel is up against the ropes, even with his old friend Mon-El helping him.
Creating a new foe for an iconic superhero like Superman is harder than it appears. The villain has to be someone who can stand toe to toe with the likes of Brainiac, Metallo, or Lex Luthor; they also have to be a solid threat for Superman. Thankfully, Mark Waid gives Aethyr the right kind of menace, especially in a scene where the creature punishes the Phantom King Xa-Du for failing him. It’s a horrifying sequence, and Waid sells it for all it’s worth. Superman and Aethyr’s first encounter also ends with a whopper of a surprise; suffice to say, it once again makes me happy that Action Comics is going weekly.
Clayton Henry also has a hand in making Aethyr a terrifying foe. Under Henry’s pencils, the new ruler of the Phantom Zone is a kaiju-sized beast with pale skin, an angular face, razor-sharp teeth, and the glowing golden eyes of a predator. Clad in a dark green robe, he is the polar opposite of Superman, which works to make him a credible threat. It isn’t just the fight against Aethyr that’s impressive; Superman also gets to fight against Xa-Du’s pirate ship, and a page has him barrelling through the ship, resulting in a massive explosion.
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Elsewhere, the Conner Kent/Kong Kenan story finally picks up, as the mystery behind the Fortress of Solitude’s disappearance is revealed. I know it sounds like I’m being harsh on this element, but this truly feels like backup story material rather than main story material – even if Michael Shelfer’s artwork results in a cornucopia of alien races that vary in size and shape. Knowing Waid’s tendencies to tie together seemingly separate threads in his comic work, it’s only a matter of time until this ties into the crisis in the Phantom Zone.
But the actual backup story by Mariko Tamaki and Skylar Partridge continues to be a haunting, thoughtful sci-fi tale. Readers finally get a look at the prisoner Supergirl is meant to save, and a look into the prisoner’s head where they contemplate the meaning of life. Partridge gets real trippy with the art here, drawing a series of turning panels that has Supergirl tumbling through space and landing on a planet that feels impossibly tiny.
Overall, Action Comics #1073 is a mix of Superman stories that range from the introspective to the bombastic, and craft a new foe for the Man of Steel.
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