Tick, tick, tick. Can you hear the clock counting down? Can you sense the doom that awaits? Do ya, Superman? But before we reach what’s been one of the most anticipated events in comics for the last two years, the Man of Steel is going to have to endure the Oz Effect in the once flagship title of Action Comics. Mr. Oz has at long last been revealed! There’s no more guessing, theorizing, or daydreaming about it: Jor-El lives! Yup, the man who kidnapped people like Tim Drake and monsters including Doomsday is Superman’s bio-daddy. But how the heck did he make it off of Krypton? What’s he doing in this version of the DC Universe? How has he been able to witness the effects of multiple versions of his son merging into one history?
Action Comics #988 is meant to answer some of those questions. And man, is there anything better than getting the answers? Well, yeah, some might argue its actually more fun to imagine the solutions rather than having the problems finally solved. Sometimes, the answers are frustrating. They feel like cheats. Maybe incomplete. This is the fear comic book readers live with in the face of a big reveal like the one we’ve experienced. Jor-El being the shadowy figure we first met in DC Universe: Rebirth #1 wasn’t the most unpredictable answer. The success of this narrative gamble will depend on the execution of this coming issue.
Mediocre ideas executed well still surprise us. Phenomenal ideas that completely botch the landing will disappoint us. Whether we’re going to end up delighted by Jor-El’s survival or driven mad will be determined this week and in the subsequent issues of Action Comics. I think the big question we all have though is whether or not a certain godlike blue figure is involved. At least that’s my theory, what’s yours? And how close will we be? Only one way to find out, so brace yourselves…
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