Action Comics #989 review


While Mr Oz continues his attempts to persuade Superman to abandon Earth...

... two of his agents have dark intentions for the Daily Planet. Lois tries to reason with the man, JB - who’s bought into some Trumpian ‘fake news’ agenda - stall him long enough for Clark to come and save the day. Sportscaster Steve Lombard is more into direct action, and pays the price. 


Jon Kent, meanwhile, who’s been visiting the newspaper, is itching to help out as Superboy. 


While Superman deals with the worldwide chaos sparked by Oz’s agents, Lois gets an unexpected helping hand. 


Mr Oz, who claims to be Superman’s birth father, uses Superman’s absence to try two new fronts in his campaign to steal Superman away from Earth - first Lois, then Jon. He tries different approaches for mother and son, assuming Jon is the weaker link. Writer Dan Jurgens’ dialogue is especially good this issue, starting with probably the first ever use of ‘pabulum’ in a DC comic and moving onto a delightful diss of Damian Wayne. 


Entertaining as Mr Oz is as he plays Machiavelli, we mustn’t forget he’s busy engineering the deaths of thousands - hardly Grandpa Walton. I can’t see any of the Lane-Kents falling for his guff

This chapter of The Oz Effect is a treat for me as a lifetime member of the Daily Planet fanclub, with Perry, Jimmy, even Silent Jacquee, having roles. As for Steve, it’s good to see that, blusterer that he is, he’s nevertheless a courageous soul. Who’s to say he couldn’t take out JB - interesting initials, those - with a sticky tape dispenser, those things are heavy! It’s Clark, Lois and Jon who are the stars of the show, though, each gutsy and steadfast in their own way. 

Victor Bogdanovic, this issue, works over Jurgens’ breakdowns, adding a super-animated feel to the solid layouts. Bogdanovic is aided on inks by Trevor Scott, while Mike Spicer colours, his choice of a red overlay on the splash page a smart choice to alleviate the horrors depicted. Rob Leigh, as ever, does a fine job on the letters. 


I’m not terribly keen on Nick Bradshaw and Brad Anderson’s cover homage to All-Star Superman #10, that chin shape was weird enough when Frank Quitely did it... I prefer Neil Edwards and Jeromy Cox’s Mr Oz-centred alternate. You can’t beat The Planet globe getting smashed. 

You’ll notice I’m still not buying Mr Oz being Jor-El. I am buying Action Comics twice monthly, for guaranteed quality Superman adventures. 

Dan Jurgens, Nick Bradshaw, Brad Anderson, Frank Quitely, Neil Edwards, Jeromy Cox, Victor Bogdanovic, Trevor Scott, Mike Spicer, Rob Leigh

Comments

  1. I hate that this is Jor-El. HATE IT! First they did it to Kara, with Zor-El, now this idiocy. I am not hating the writing on this series, but this turn of events is just... it actually makes me angry.

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    1. I hate it too, there are so many ways to use Jor-El and DC are claiming he’s a mass murderer.

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    2. the only who can solve this problem is probably the greatest Hero History never heard of

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  2. The way Superman argued with Mr. Oz in this issue made me very happy; I don't think we'd see New 52 Clark be as immediate resolute against his argument. Any doubts he had, he kept to himself, and immediately pushed them aside. Because he's Superman, and he's here to help.

    Dan Jurgens writes our guy like none other.

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    1. He does indeed. I can’t wait to see what he has up his sleeve for #1000.

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  3. JB as in...John Byrne? Ironic then that Byrne didn't start trashing series he was doing until a few past Superman and he gets typecast as a different kind of nut job. Still not thrilled with the tone deafness of Jor-El now being a murderer and all evil but now I've realized I'm stuck with it until this Xorned I can enjoy the story more. Pity Jurgens looks to be copying Tomasi's story about Jon being corrupted/manipulated by manchester Black...

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    1. I may have been overreaching in suspecting a Byrne reference, Jurgens is the consummate professional and a real gent, not known for even playful sniping.

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  4. honestly Metallo have "died " before when Ultraman ripped out his kryptonite heart an eye still think there may be some fake out on Zor-El's death in Supergirl but eye can be wrong just hope Jor-el can redeemed an Lara can show up in the present cause Jon needs some grandparents an the poor Kents r long gone an who knows what the situation is with Sam Lane in Rebirth

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    1. Ugh, Sam Lane. The WORST.

      As for Jor-El, I still suspect this isn't the real McCoy. The comic has taken such pains (and specific pains) to test him, saying he matches up with DNA, etc, and Kelex recognizes him as his creator, etc... I think the preponderance of those things is intended to distract us from a secret "out" they're leaving somewhere within the evidence. Whether that be him being the Earth 3 Jor-El instead, or what-have-you: This simply isn't our Superman's dad.

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    2. Sam Lane seems far better than his pre 52 self nothing like the genocidal madman world of new krypton

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    3. eye kinda wish that Superman Reborn undid the Kent's death eye really like Clark earth parents being part of his stories

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  5. And the whole merger that happened where the Clarks and Loises became just one Clark and one Lois, I am still smarting over that one.

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    1. ice works on that u just need to know where to apply it eye just hope they retain some of Grant Morrison's new 52 origin especially Superman an The Men of Steel

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  6. just throwing this theory out but what if Helspont has a Clawed hand in what ever happened to make Jor-El the way he is Dan Jurgens did write him an arc in The New 52 Superman series an Helspont claimed he had a connection with Krypton an possibly Jor-El unless eye am incorrect an turning good people into vile villains would be up Helspont's alley please feel free to counter my argument

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    1. The "Kryptonite" lodged in his body could be a Daemonite influencing him so his actions then siting back an watching Jor-El descend of his own tragic volition

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    2. My theory is that several timelines are merging, that's what Rebirth is. Could this Jor-El be a Jor-El from another timeline or another Earth who accidentally ends up on Prime Earth the same way Superman and Lois did? What happens to him as the timelines corrects itself?

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    3. that is what Booster Shot may answer gonna start getting Action Comics on that arc an get the collections to catch up

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    4. I like that theory, Hector-please be correct!

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