Action Comics #1077: Where’d the Sun Go?

Superman made his way back to the Phantom Zone, but is he too late to stop Aethyr? Action Comics #1077 is the eight part of the “Phantoms” storyline by the superstar creative team of Mark Waid, Clayton Henry, Michael Shelfer, and Matt Herms. Superman’s solar batteries are recharged, but when he returns to the Phantom Zone he learns Aethyr is using Earth’s sun’s power to make the hellish prison tangible. Can Superman and Mon-El stop the god from destroying the Phantom Zone and Earth? Learn the secret of the Phantom Zone in this issue full of cosmic weirdness, action, and family reunions.

The story is finally back on track. In last week’s review, I complained that the issue felt like filler and was inconsequential to the story. However, this week’s issue is perfect and has the action that I have been waiting for in this arc. Waid does a fantastic job at pacing this issue and letting the reader sit with the weight of Superman’s mission. We are finally back in the Phantom Zone and see Waid’s vision of how to make a hellish prison even worse. It’s effective storytelling with incredible character moments and heart-racing action. We finally get to see Superman take on Aethyr and it was remarkable. I mean seeing Superman punch a god is always going to be cool.  We also get a cameo from the Justice League and members of the Super Family in this issue, which I always love. I love that Waid managed to tie this arc into Justice League Unlimited, and I’m excited to see where the arc goes. This is the first issue in the arc that has not felt slow and like filler.

The side plot of this arc follows Super-Man and Superboy and it feels like this side plot and the main plot switch off being entertaining. This week, the main plot was perfect and this side plot fell flat. I thought this side plot would finally tie into the main plot, but its resolution did not and it felt like a waste of page space. It has been entertaining to see Super-Man and Superboy interacting, and their dynamic is fun. However, this side plot felt irrelevant overall and cut into the pacing of the story. It was a fun story, but it felt out of place in this comic. I do hope these two get their own series soon.

The art in this issue is fantastic and so refreshing. Clayton Henry, Michael Shelfer, and Matt Herms are creating attention-grabbing and exciting landscapes in the Phantom Zone. This issue is full of action and Superman is given strong dynamic poses. Henry and Shelfer manage to make the Phantom Zone look like the hellscape that Waid describes. The design of Aethyr is terrifying and adds to the menacing tone he brings to the story. As he grows in size this issue, the art makes the story of Superman fighting him even more terrifying. The whole creative team is making a fantastic Superman comic for old and new fans alike.