Action Comics #15 Preview

[Desaad]

Honestly, I would have just been happy if we got an explanation for how Nxy "fixed" Clark Kent's identity in #12, but yeah, this was a pretty freaking awesome issue. Morrison's definitely going big for his last arc.



What were the references?

The jungle-fortress is from Azz's "For Tomorrow". The 70s characters are Vartox and the Super Turtle and a few of the other 'super beings' mentioned by the princess.

[Auguste Dupin]

Honestly, I would have just been happy if we got an explanation for how Nxy "fixed" Clark Kent's identity in #12, but yeah, this was a pretty freaking awesome issue. Morrison's definitely going big for his last arc.



What were the references?

I'm pretty sure I'm missing most of them, but I recognised Vartox among the people fighting the Multitude, and at one point, Superman hides in the Fortress that he acquires at the end of Azzarello's run (or at least one similar enough). The part where Nxly is describing the champions Mxy was toying with is probably full of references.

[T Hedge Coke]

Superman finally having alcohol put me in mind of the cover fix that replaced one drink with another to make sure no one could think Superman would ever touch a beer or anything. But also, it got a bottle in there, and her last wish and between those, I was very much reminded of Crisis Times Five and bottles as containers for 5th dimensional imps (and colors).

And the Vindictive Ex kinda is a vindictive ex. Which ought to be too on the nose, but somehow, here, it works. Very fairytale literalism.

[DarkKnghtJared]

I recognized Vartox, I was talking about For Tomorrow specifically.

[Celestin]

Awesome issue. Can't wait for the next one.

Two things though.

There were 233 worlds. 230 were destroyed. 2 survived - Krypton because of Jor-El and Earth because of Superman. Then what was the 233th world? Mars that was technically saved with Earth?

And the second thing that will probably be answered in the next two issues - what happened to Mxy's kid?

[Desaad]

Superman finally having alcohol put me in mind of the cover fix that replaced one drink with another to make sure no one could think Superman would ever touch a beer or anything. But also, it got a bottle in there, and her last wish and between those, I was very much reminded of Crisis Times Five and bottles as containers for 5th dimensional imps (and colors).

And the Vindictive Ex kinda is a vindictive ex. Which ought to be too on the nose, but somehow, here, it works. Very fairytale literalism.

I don't think there can be any doubt that the drink and the shirt bit are somehow significant. 5 D imps are kept in liquid (pens, rather than bottles, same deal) and are all about symbols.

[Desaad]

Awesome issue. Can't wait for the next one.

Two things though.

There were 233 worlds. 230 were destroyed. 2 survived - Krypton because of Jor-El and Earth because of Superman. Then what was the 233th world? Mars that was technically saved with Earth?

And the second thing that will probably be answered in the next two issues - what happened to Mxy's kid?

I think the idea is that it is mxy.

[T Hedge Coke]

There were 233 worlds. 230 were destroyed. 2 survived - Krypton because of Jor-El and Earth because of Superman. Then what was the 233th world? Mars that was technically saved with Earth?

If it's Mars, Mars wasn't destroyed by a certain kill-everything event back in history, but it did wipe out life on the planet, making J'Onn the last living son and all.

[gwangung]

Fun story, with a cosmic bent to it that was reminiscent of the 1970s (which Superman never had back then, curiously).

[Quinnhop]

I love how this run isn't even really a Superman story.

It's a Mxyzptlk, Gsptlnz, and Vyndktvx story, featuring Superman.

It's like a story about God, featuring humanity. It might revolve around humanity but it's really a meta-narrative about God. Here it's a meta-narrative about Imagination itself.

Can't wait to do a proper review.

[Celestin]

I think the idea is that it is mxy.

I thought about that, but the scene make it look like that it was simply their kid with them wondering how to name him.

[Volderon]

What a great issue, I cant wait till the runis over so I can read it in its entirety. Itll probably be less confusing...but still confusing enough that you need to read it another 4 times just like his Batman run to understand it.

[Mr. Holmes]

I love how this run isn't even really a Superman story.

It's a Mxyzptlk, Gsptlnz, and Vyndktvx story, featuring Superman.

It's like a story about God, featuring humanity. It might revolve around humanity but it's really a meta-narrative about God. Here it's a meta-narrative about Imagination itself.

Can't wait to do a proper review.

Yeah Morrison is kind of using that idea of heaven being on Earth, but just from higher dimensions, as are the fifth dimensional imps/angels. Like the Phantom Zone issue, it's just continuing the idea of Superman as sci-fi mythology.

[misslane38]

I love how this run isn't even really a Superman story.

This is kind of why I didn't like it as much.

It's a Mxyzptlk, Gsptlnz, and Vyndktvx story, featuring Superman.

And I don't find any of those characters particularly interesting.

It's like a story about God, featuring humanity. It might revolve around humanity but it's really a meta-narrative about God. Here it's a meta-narrative about Imagination itself.

Can't wait to do a proper review.

A story about those things would interest me, but I would prefer it be told through Superman and not other dimensional beings. There are so few issues of Morrison's take on Superman left, and while I was anxious about his run and have had some criticisms of it, I was eager to see his take on Superman. Instead, the stories too often feel like a distraction/detour; they don't really succeed in filling in those precious narrative gaps between Action and Superman. So far Action #0 was my favorite because it helped me understand the protagonist and his world. But, that's just me. Your mileage may vary.

Superman hides in the Fortress that he acquires at the end of Azzarello's run (or at least one similar enough).

[Thor-Ul]

C'mon, who else is expecting the "escape act"?