If there were ever such a thing as a “must read,” I’d have to say that Action Comics #975 would certainly be it. Not only is it a great comic book to begin with, but it also pulls back the curtain on one of the most intriguing mysteries DC has been gestating since last summer – and not just those contained to the Superman line of books.
For those not up to speed, the pre-Flashpoint Superman – who has been living on Earth 0 in secret – stepped out of the shadows upon the death of his New 52 counterpart to assure this planet is not without a Man of Steel. But, much to the surprise of him and others, a non-powered Clark Kent also publicly emerged, effectively confounding readers everywhere.
In the time since, speculation has run rampant, with fans guessing that fake Clark was anything from another Bizarro clone to Superboy Prime to a shapeshifter. Well, if that last one was your assumption, you were kind of on the right track.
Oddly enough, the true culprit is none other than Mr. Mxyzptlk, who, in the past, was known to be one of Superman’s more playful villains. But, thanks to an incredible backup story written by Paul Dini and illustrated by Ian Churchill, we learn the full details regarding his turn toward the malevolent and just how he was able to dupe everyone – and himself, believe it or not – into believing he was a version of Clark Kent.
Knowing that the “Superman Reborn” crossover is only halfway over (the story continues next week in Superman #19), we can only wonder what else Peter J. Tomasi, Pat Gleason and Dan Jurgens have in store for us. Judging by Gleason’s recent statements, the Mxy reveal was just the beginning.
Action Comics #975 is now available in comic shops. For more, be sure to check out our review.
