REVIEW: Action Comics #1075
Action Comics #1075, “Phantoms: Part Six” sees Clark continue his time displaced visit to Krypton. Kara also discovers more about her charge in “Who Are You” and, being a landmark issue, we get an extra backup feature entitled “Memory Lane” which gives this book the oversized treatment. Plus, more hijinks with Conner and Kenan!
The standard cover is by Clayton Henry and Tomeu Morey. Commemorating the long running publication of the title, Henry and Morey have put together an excellent montage of some of the more major historic moments. Be on the lookout for this in the foiled fashion as well.
From early on, covers for Superman have had him shattering chains or being struck by lightning. Lucio Parrillo’s variant has him doing both! What better way to celebrate 1075 issues than by combining these two iconography?
Sebastian Fiumara’s variant also uses classic Superman imagery for the milestone issue. Flying onto the scene with a bald eagle on his arm makes this a truly majestic cover.
Many other variants also accompany this release including works from Ibrahim Moustafa, Steve Beach, Keron Grant, and Meghan Hetrick.
Clayton Henry and Michael Shelfer, along with Colorist Matt Herms, continue their stellar work as interior artists. Seeing their take of Krypton really feels like an updated version of the classic depictions and it’s fun to see how the El family interacted before their demise. Skylar Partridge and Colorist Marissa Louise also continue their work on the Supergirl backup feature. They take a brief intermission to catch up with characters on Earth during her story and it was nice they included an appearance of Osul and Otho. Jon Bogdanove and Norm Rapmund, colors by Hi-Fi, wrap up the issue with their featurette. They pull off some great imagery as Perry White reminisces over his life in Metropolis before his big election day.
Mark Waid, lettered by Dave Sharpe, has Clark come face-to-face with the legendary short sightedness of The Science Council as Jor-El’s phantom zone discovery is put on “review”. Basically confiscated for not following proper procedures, we discover he never had imprisonment in mind for the projector’s purpose. We also discover the price being paid for Aethyr’s plan to “solidify” The Phantom Zone and it’s a major problem for Earth.
Mariko Tamaki and Letterer Becca Carey gives us the next installment of Supergirl’s space odyssey. Finally able to procure her charge and get properly on their way, Kara discovers the depth of the criminal charges against them. Still unsure what to expect when they arrive, Kara at least knows the gravity of the situation she’s in.
Joshua Williamson and Letterer Dave Sharpe brings us the election results of Metropolis’s mayoral race. It’s the eve of Election Day and Perry is feeling too antsy to sit around. Deciding to take a walk, we get to see Metropolis through intrigal moments of Perry’s life. Win or lose, Perry makes peace with the way he ran his campaign and hopes the people of Metropolis responds in kind. The election’s over, and the winner is…
(7/10) For a milestone issue, Action Comics #1075 doesn’t have much fanfare. Just another chapter in the ongoing story, which isn’t necessarily bad but is a bit disappointing. Clark’s aside to Krypton’s past gets a substantial connection to what’s happening with The Phantom Zone, but Conner and Kenan’s tale (albeit fun to read) feels more and more disjointed from the main story with each installment. Supergirl’s story is also starting to feel too drawn out but still has the potential to pick up more traction. Still, I’m very excited to see where things are going and can’t wait for next week’s issue.
