Review: Action Comics #992

Action Comics #992 came out last week and was the epilogue to the The Oz Effect. In this issue, Superman does some soul searching as he comes to terms with the idea that his father is not who he thought he was. It makes sense. This is a life changing event for Superman and therefore should be explored.

It is interesting for me that Superman decides to dive deep into a 'nature vs. nurture' thought process about Jor-El. Clark keeps thinking about what it means for him if Jor-El is not the magnanimous soul he thought he was. In some ways, I suppose I can understand Superman rethinking this deeply. In other ways, it seems like just a little navel gazing. He didn't know Jor-El. He wasn't raised by him. This isn't Pa Kent. Maybe ... maybe ... if Oz turned out to be Pa then this much introspection would be needed. That would be a big turn for Jonathan Kent. But instead, Superman wonders how seeing Jor-El act this way means he might turn as well. Okay ... I suppose I can roll with the idea that this idealized vision of an unknown father being shattered could shake a man.

Plotter Dan Jurgens and writer Rob Williams decide to lean into it. Superman isn't even sure if believes this was Jor-El. But more importantly, they have Superman's friends decide to approach him to help. In this universe, Superman is the inspiration. So I was glad to see so many people approach him given how many times he has helped them. It's great.

And Will Conrad is on art and brings a fine line to the proceedings which gives the whole issue a nice polished feel.

On to the book.

The issue opens up with a scene of a frustrated Superman trying to get a sense of just how deep the roots of Jor-El go in his life. We see that Kelex still considers itself the assistant of Jor-El.

And that is just a metaphor for the questions he is asking about himself. How deep does this corruption of Jor-El go. He is asking what he is if Jor-El can be so heartless about the common man.

It ends with Superman lashing out by smashing a table in the lab.

We aren't used to Superman having a temper. We certainly aren't used to him being frustrated to the point of destroying furniture. So this is the hook we need as readers to get a sense of how much this is bothering him. The simple answer is 'a lot'.

The first person we see who tries to help him? Batman.

This made me smile. I still have some mental twitches over the recent years where these guys seemed to hate each other. Since Rebirth, we are much closer to a true World's Finest friendship. So I am glad that Clark's 'best friend' is the one to come and help him work through this.

And, in particular, Bruce can help. The recent Button storyline had Bruce come face to face with the Flashpoint Batman, his father. And that isn't the Thomas Wayne of this Earth by any means. Batman can empathize!

But before this can go far, a crisis arises. Superman again has to go and save refugees being attacked by an totalitarian government.

The ripple effect of all this goes into Superman's personal life. Perry White is wondering where his star reporter Clark Kent is. Because he hasn't been at work for a while.

Luckily Lois is there to cover. She basically lies and says Clark is in deep cover, on the story she is working on. Convenient.

But this isn't easy for Lois either. She can't like what Clark is going through but she will support his dealing with it however she can.

Superman is worried that some threat is tampering with time. How else could Jor-El have survived?

So he heads to Oa where he gets help from his other friend Green Lantern. They have Tomar Re's tapes of Krypton's destruction. So Clark asks to see if any other rocket escaped.

The tape is jumbled. We don't get a clear view. Someone is tampering with time. And that is some heavy stuff.

I do wonder if Superman has seen this tape before. Wouldn't you think he would have by now? I suppose he would want to see it again to make sure nothing changed.

That means he has to investigate more.

He heads home and confesses to Lois all his worries. If Jor-El is a killer, what will he become? Is there evil in him? What if someone is changing time?

Thankfully, Lois is there to brush all that away. She tells him he is the best father. And he is enough of a reporter to know he needs to go get the story.

I love this pair. I love how they support each other. I love how they love each other. And to think just a couple of years ago, this wasn't around.

So if someone is messing with time, especially about the end of Krypton, Superman will go back in time and poke around. So he heads to the JLHQ, finds the Cosmic Treadmill, and heads back.

I'm sure this will end well. Let me go back in time and head to the red sun planet where I have no power and see if time has been tampered with realizing that I myself could be tampering with time.

It also feels like one of those Silver Age stories where Superman always seemed to be looking back or visiting.

And then there is a cliffhanger.

Booster Gold shows up to try and stop Superman from heading back. This visit could collapse the timeline.

Jurgens writing Booster Gold will always be magical. Seeing a current Superman visit Krypton could be interesting. I don't know if I 100% understand the personal angst Superman is feeling about Jor-El. But I can understand him not liking that his birth father is a villain.

At the very least, it makes sense that Superman should be following up on this. This wouldn't be a chapter in his life that would simple pass. And so this coda makes sense for the character.

Overall grade: B/B+

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