Rudy's Realm: Action Comics Annual #12 (DC Comics)

In the past, Action Comics annuals have been the place writers offer story fodder or had given into editorial gimmicks (Superman as an ape, Superman meets ethnic heroes which are never seen again etc.) but Greg Rucka used this issue as an opportunity to not only showcase the origin of the new Flamebird and Nightwing team but tell the story of two people in love.




Thara Ak-Var has known tragedy. When Brainiac's invasion of Kandor, Krypton's capital city, happens both of Thara's Military Guild parents are led into battle by their commander Ursa-Zod only to be slaughtered before their daughter's eyes as their commander flees in terror. Orphaned but not hopeless Thara is placed into the Military Guild with the faith that one day she can succeed where her parents failed and give Kandor its freedom. When Argo City, a city that was blasted free when Krypton exploded, is captured by Brainiac and integrated into Kandor Thara is reunited with Alura Zor-El and her husband, the parents of her childhood friend Kara Zor-El who had been rocketed to Earth like her cousin Kal-El, easing the burden of loss from each of their shoulders.

Lor-Zod, the boy who would one day become Christopher Kent, knows pain. Conceived and born in the prison of Fort Roz in the living death of the Phantom Zone to Geral and Ursa-Zod, Lor is unique in the way of being raised around cruelty and insanity yet when it fell to him to prevent the inmates from escaping he was willing to pay that price for a world he barely knew. Abandoned back in the Zone he finds his way to the fort and General Zod's stockade of Brainiac technology and data. When Lor takes one of Brainiac's headpieces to himself he awakens his connection to the entity of Nightwing as Flamebird burns within Thara's being at that same moment. When that moment subsides, Lor is shackled by his parents for the inmates to torture as they please while Thara knowing the man whom she shares this connection to is trapped in the Phantom Zone has only his rescue in mind. Thara Ak-Var has experienced as much tragedy as Lor-Zod has pain but the legend of Flamebird and Nightwing has always been a story in which tragedy and pain play a central part.

Rucka's writing answers a lot of burning questions like Christopher's recent age spikes, escape from the Phantom Zone and how he'd even met Thara prior to Flamebird and Nightwing's first appearance. The equal time given to both stories which met in the end didn't detract from the over all effect which can sometimes be the case. And the fact that Superman showed up on two pages at most in a nearly wordless appearance wasn't felt as negative at all as the central story was so captivating.

8/10
Rudy T.