ACTION COMICS ANNUAL #12

2008

Written by Greg Rucka

Pencils by Pere Perez

Inks by Pere Perez

Cover by Renato Guedes

Synopsis

During Brainiac’s attack on Kandor, Ursa leads the Black Zero on the assault to defend the city.  The parents of Thara Ak-Var are part of the military unit Black Zero, but they are unable to protect Thara, who is trapped inside Kandor.  Alone, Thara bonds with Alura Zor-el, who has lost her daughter.  In the Phantom Zone, Lor-Zod explicably physically grows up in a matter a seconds.  Unwilling to be with his abusive parents, Lor-Zod is alone.  Lor-Zod tries to find food inside Fort Roz, where the residents of the Phantom Zoe hide and live, but he suddenly finds himself trapped.  Non rescues Lor-Zod and is kind to him.  In Kandor, Thara has recurring dreams of flames.  She visits the priests, who call out her name.  She then has a vision of the legendary hero Flamebird.  Thara becomes a disciple of the religious guild.  In Fort Roz, Lor-Zod roams around and finds Brainiac technology Zod had been hoarding.  Lor-Zod tries to use to contact Superman, but instead contacts Thara.  The communication doesn’t last as Zod finds Lor-Zod and takes away the tech.  Zod binds Lor-Zod and abuses his son.  Meanwhile, Thara leaves the religious guild and returns as the leader of the military guild.  Using her security clearance, Thara uses a projector to enter the Phantom Zoneto rescue Lor-Zod.  She finds him, but also encounters Zod and Ursa.  Thara manages to unbind Lor-Zod and get away.  Zod prepares to follow, but Non destroys the Phantom Zone projector.   

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

Up until the end, there is no dialogue.  Everything is told in a dry narration of events, with the art showing us much of what we are reading.  I obviously have no way of knowing for sure, but I get the feeling that probably much of the text Rucka wrote for this issue was part of the background information he wrote prior to beginning his run on Action Comics.  This book is the foundation, the building blocks, for all that is happening during Rucka’s run, laying down the groundwork for Thara’s past, the connection to Lor-Zod, and the connection to Flamebird and Nigthwing.  It is not required reading, but I certainly think it expands and broadens what we already know or have been told about the characters.  Rucka has done a good job providing, through dialogue and narration, enough of this story within the “Sleepers” storyline currently going on.  So, if you were to skip this, I don’t think you’d be missing much in terms of required material or information.  I think you would be missing a good story and nice art, but that’s just me. 

Personally, I think the text Rucka wrote may have never been intended for publication and only used when someone editorial felt the backstory of Thara and Lor-Zod would make a great annual.  This issue reads as if someone were writing just enough to provide the details required to help write the events that come after this issue.  The reason I think this is that there really is not much characterization of the two leads.  We don’t get to know them or who they are, other than the basic facts.  It reads like a laundry list.  Thara was in Kandor when Brainiac took it, she saw Ursa fall down causing her parents to die, she entered the religious guild, she had a vision, she connected with Lor-Zod, she left the guild, she freed Lor-Zod.  It is dry, almost dispassionate.  I felt very disconnected to what was going on and to the plight of the characters.  They don’t come across as characters that I can empathize with.  This is especially true when you realize the issue doesn’t get around to why Thara and Lor-Zod are going after the Sleepers in the first place.  One would guess that it is to attack Zod, but it still doesn’t explain enough. 

I must commend Rucka for working the story of Thara and Lor-Zod into the fabric of Geoff Johns’ run on the series that began with the re-introduction of Zod and the definitive appearance of Braniac and the origin of Kandor.  All of what Rucka provides here seamlessly is woven into the new Superman mythology; it doesn’t feel out of place at all. 

I also like the sneak peek into a little more of Kryptonian culture, such as the look into the religious guild and especially a good explanation for the odd naming convention.  It still doesn’t explain why Zod has only one name.

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