Action Comics #1047: Superman Returns!

Well well well! After many months and a great deal of epic action and worldbuilding, we have finally reached the end of the Warworld Saga and returned to Earth alongside our hero, Superman. Of course, coming back to Earth doesn’t mean he can relax. Rather it means walking into a whole new slate of problems… starting with the return of a certain Kryptonite-themed enemy on the first page.

Speaking of Clark’s return to Earth, he doesn’t come back alone – and I don’t just mean his Authority teammates. Rather, Superman returns onboard Warworld itself, which promptly parks itself in Earth’s atmosphere. Superman intends to help locate and return those displaced by Mongul to their homes where possible or help them to settle on Earth if they must or wish to. Unsurprisingly, this is a concern for the leaders of Earth’s nations who perceive its presence as a potential threat, and so Superman is called upon by the United Nations to explain his choice and why it should be allowed to stand.

It’s an interesting setup for the next phase of Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s epic run on Action Comics, opening several pathways for future stories both on a large and micro scale. What will become of Warworld’s displaced citizenry and their impact on Earth? What about the two orphaned Phaelosian children, Otho and Osul? Moreover, Superman raises the potential for large-scale advances on Earth made possible by unprecedented access to Warworld’s technology. Not unlike the special that closed out the Warworld saga, to begin with, this first chapter of “Kal-El Returns” ties a few threads while opening others, and every one of them is a source of both hope and danger.

And speaking of that, the reaction of the most famous of the anti-alien crew in the DCU, Lex Luthor, could prove to be quite problematic in days to come. Watching Superman’s address, Lex begins forming plans based on what he sees… and on the potential he finds when nosing around in areas he really shouldn’t be inviting himself to visit. Lex has been laying low and/or playing the larger DCU villain for some time now, so it’s exciting to see Lex returning to prominence in his true home: the Superbooks.

Also making his return is Riccardo Federici, who I must admit I have missed. Ever since the end of Future State, Action Comics has been blessed by a series of great artists, each of whom brought their own unique beauty and grandeur to the title and its hero, but I do think Federici is a great choice to bring Clark back home. His work is both human and epic – it’s the quality that makes him such a great choice for titles like The Last God or the Warworld Saga, as well as for large-scale stories like last year’s Fear State specials. Superman appears on “stage,” so to speak, and you can immediately get a feel for his strength (that physique! That presence!) and his humanity (that soft face! Those friendly expressions!) and that’s a beautiful balance for a character like Clark Kent.

All told, this is a strong first chapter to Johnson’s next storyline and, with so many potential plot seeds in play, I can’t wait to see where it goes.

Meanwhile, a new storyline begins in the backup feature with Red Moon Part 1 by Johnson and David Lapham. Much like the previous story, it interconnects with the main feature, in this case following up on the fate of Thao-La. Moreover, we begin to see the fallout from the fall of Mongul, as there are some among the residents of Warworld who are less favorably inclined toward their “freedom.”

I’m a big fan of Thao-La despite her limited appearances so it’s exciting to see her up and about, despite the mystery surrounding her revival, which I assume is something we will explore in later chapters of either the backup or the lead feature. It’s a bit awkward to see Superman thank her for her bravery in rebelling against Mongul when she did come as an envoy/servant of Warworld. Her expression at the receipt of that praise seems to indicate that she is aware of that awkwardness as well. It’ll be interesting to see where it goes – how she deals with her past actions and whether she chooses to stay on Earth or seek out her people.

The looming threat revealed on the final page of the backup almost took me by surprise – with everything else that’s been happening I had almost forgotten about the Mongul loyalists, but I love that the story hasn’t forgotten them, or written off the reality of people who are genuinely loyal to tyrants even after their fall.

This does kind of raise a question I’ve been considering for some time, namely… what will happen with the concept of Mongul and Warworld going forward? In comics, it’s pretty rare for a major change like this to stick in the long term, but I do think in the case of Mongul it’s somewhat easier to resurrect if and when someone wishes to do so due to the hereditary nature of the title – an unknown child could always rear their head, for example.

That’s just me speculating about the future though. For the moment I’m more than happy to watch the fallout from Mongul’s defeat play out with all the faith that it will be just as intriguing as the defeat itself has proven to be.