Action Comics #1078 doesn’t waste any time getting into the meat of its story: after finally getting back to Earth, Superman informs the rest of his Super-Family, alongside Mister Terrific and the Flash, that the sun is dying due to Aethyr’s manipulation of the Phantom Zone. The only way to stop the damage is to destroy the machine located in the heart of the sun. But there’s a dilemma: the destruction will cause untold damage to the Zone and everyone living in it.
This conflict is the heart of the story, and it’s one that Mark Waid brings a surprising amount of nuance to. Some heroes correctly point out that the Zone is full of bloodthirsty criminals, most of them having made attempts on Superman’s life over the years. But the Man of Steel isn’t willing to throw away even one life; Waid underlines how this is both a noble position and one that causes friction (especially with the city of Kandor, who is responsible for sentencing most of the Zone’s prisoners.)
The artwork in Action Comics #1078 is just as fast-paced as the heroes’ approach to saving the world. Clayton Henry packs a lot into his panels, whether it’s The Flash building a sunproof armor for Superman at superspeed or even the opening pages, which has the entirety of the Superman family falling to Earth as the waning sun affects their powers. But the moment that stands out the most to me is when Superman charges into the sun in his new suit. As he soars toward the Phantom Zone engine, his armor breaks away, finally revealing his trademark red and blue suit. With Matt Herms’ color work highlighting the bold red and blue against the glowing golden rays of the sun, it’s an image that will burn itself into your brain. (Pun intended.)
DC
Michael Shelfer also tackles a fair amount of the issue, but this time with a different set of characters: Supergirl and Jon Kent. Both of them have a major part to play in the world-saving plot, but their time somehow feels fairly short. It’s annoying because this is a bond I’d like to see more of, and it’s a wholly refreshing alternative to the Superboy/Kong Kenan subplot that ate up previous issues.
Speaking of Supergirl, the backup by Mariko Tamaki and Skylar Partridge has ground to a halt this week. While I’ve been enjoying the slow burn this issue has taken, it’s mostly recapping things we already know at this point. I hope that future installments will push the story forward, or at least explain why Supergirl, out of all the members of the Superman family, was tasked with this mission.
Though Action Comics #1078 features a race against time, there are a few elements that slow its momentum. The final page, though, is a major surprise that hints that Superman’s struggles with the Phantom Zone are far from over.
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