Action #975 discussion (spoilers!!!!)

[gwangung]

Honestly, I'm kind of ready to move on. We've been dragging this "Is he the REAL Superman?" stuff out for a year now and it's starting to look a little silly. I don't have the patience for this kind of thing like I used to. I just want them to resolve his backstory once and for all and move forward. I can't imagine there is any way to resolve it that isn't convoluted and confusing to new readers. Other than to say the entire Lois and Clark mini never really happened and they've been here the whole time.

Personally, I think people will look really silly when they show that "Is he the REAL Superman" is an irrelevant question.

[stephtanner]

I enjoyed the issue though I would've enjoyed it more had I not spoiled myself. My only complaint is that like last week's book, the main story here went by too fast. C'mon DC. Put some more meat on these bones.

The reveal was well-done. Had I not spoiled myself, I would have thought the fake Clark was an older sibling of Jon's. The reveal build-up read like an older sibling being jealous over his parents neglecting him and lavishing all their attention on a younger sibling. Lois not remembering Jon at the end was a nice twist. Though the stories are short, the writers are doing a good job whetting my appetite for the next issue. I just hope Lois plays more of an active role in this story instead of just walking around as an amnesiac.

Last but not least, the backup story was pure gold. Dini did an excellent job portraying Mxy as whimsical but also very menacing. I got a kick out of STAS being mentioned. That brought back memories of the "Mxyzpixilated" episode written by Dini. I also felt sympathetic to Mxy's plight. Waiting for a rescue by Superman that never came. Very sad. Kind of reminded me of the time Mxy appeared before Clark as some homeless bum who lost his powers. These are probably the only times I felt sorry for Mxy.

Mxy's interaction with Jon was entertaining. It was basically child vs child with the actual child being the more mature and sane one. Lol. I thought it was very cute that Mxy was Jon's favorite story as a young boy. How awesome would it be to have a dad that can regale you with such fantastic stories. Clark, by the way, looked very handsome in that flashback. I don't normally like facial hair, but the beard made him look like a rugged manly man.

All in all, it was cool to see Jon meet one of his dad's villians. I guess the legacy of the Superman family is to deal with Mxy generation after generation.

[Superlad93]

+1000000000 to DC and the Superman team if they use spoilers:

Lana's "red energy" going back to Lois and Clark

end of spoilers as a sort of "Shazam" lightning bolt to get Superman and Lois to where Mxy is for the final showdown or something like that.

That would be all the callback to Morrison's Action Comics that I'd need

[magha_regulus]

All in all, it was cool to see Jon meet one of his dad's villians. I guess the legacy of the Superman family is to deal with Mxy generation after generation.

I'd love to see a story where Jon meets the future Superman from the 5th Dimension Klyzyzk Klzntplkz.

Klyzyzk Klzntplkz.jpg

[Atomic Man]

Maybe Trump is the President we deserve if People are willing to swallow this level of Alternative Fact bullshit. Mr. Mxyzptlk was in the First Action Comics story line of the New 52 so how can they say he was forgotten? Hell He was the Reason the Kents were bumped off.

Let me see if I understand you correctly: you're equating alternative facts in the real world, like possible election tampering, spying, etc., with a direction a comic book story is taking that you happen to dislike?

Also, there's no reason that what happened in Morrison's run couldn't have still happened. It's pretty clear from the next issue's cover that Myx is behind New 52 Superman. He may have very well engineered Nyxly and her "past," as well as Vyn and everything that happened to the New 52 Superman.

Personally, I think people will look really silly when they show that "Is he the REAL Superman" is an irrelevant question.

Agreed. I also think the issue of the "real Superman" is the entire point of this story and Rebirth in particular, and will not only be answered in Reborn but throughout the rest of the larger Rebirth arc. The question will be answered definitively for the DCU and comic book readers.

[Atomic Man]

+1000000000 to DC and the Superman team if they use spoilers:

Lana's "red energy" going back to Lois and Clark

end of spoilers as a sort of "Shazam" lightning bolt to get Superman and Lois to where Mxy is for the final showdown or something like that.

That would be all the callback to Morrison's Action Comics that I'd need

Well, the color red was critical to Morrison's 5th dimensional saga, and now we're seeing a lot of importance to this "red energy."

[RedWhiteAndBlueSupes]

Honestly, I'm kind of ready to move on. We've been dragging this "Is he the REAL Superman?" stuff out for a year now and it's starting to look a little silly. I don't have the patience for this kind of thing like I used to. I just want them to resolve his backstory once and for all and move forward. I can't imagine there is any way to resolve it that isn't convoluted and confusing to new readers. Other than to say the entire Lois and Clark mini never really happened and they've been here the whole time.

Truthfully, I'm with ya man, this is kinda playing out a little too long. If we could just get back to telling Superman stories again from a more recognizable status quo, that would be just peachy keen. But i don't think the "they've just been here the whole time thing really makes any sense" because Wonder Woman/Flash/everyone still remembers they're lives during the New 52, they will gradually remember they're history before that but I don't think they will forget about the new 52 "event". Wondy still remembers loving Supes, I don't see her forgetting that. So I think you've gotta keep that New 52 Superman timeline in place with the rest of the new 52 timeline or else it would just throw a big monkey wrench into the whole Rebirth series so far.

[stillanerd]

I've got to hand it to the Superman writers, cause I didn't suspect Fake Clark being Mr. Mxyzptlk at all. Thought it just seemed so out of nowhere, and yet, by the end of the issue, it works and makes complete sense to boot. Though I did think the main story did suffer from too many full spread splash pages; but the back-up by Paul Dini--which proved more important that the main story--was brilliant.

[Atomic Man]

huh, I just read that part again, do you remember what issue that super family reference could be from, I'm drawing a blank here.

I was thinking of the original version of the Super Sons, though after reading up on it, I realize we never see the faces of Clark and Bruce's wives. I guess I always just assumed it was Lois, though I thought there was also another imaginary story with Lois and Clark married with Super children?

[RedWhiteAndBlueSupes]

Also, there's no reason that what happened in Morrison's run couldn't have still happened. It's pretty clear from the next issue's cover that Myx is behind New 52 Superman. He may have very well engineered Nyxly and her "past," as well as Vyn and everything that happened to the New 52 Superman.

True enough, he very well could have. I think if it isn't specifically stated to have not happened, then it probably happened. But really, Morrison's Action does kind of contradict the current story with Mxy so it doesn't surprise me if it was downplayed somewhat.

[Superlad93]

Mr. Mxyzptlk was in the First Action Comics story line of the New 52 so how can they say he was forgotten? Hell He was the Reason the Kents were bumped off.

I'm sorry but it seems you might have interpreted a section in the issue wrong or you might've heard some misinformation. When Mxy says "my Clark" he seems to be talking about Pre-flashpoint to new 52 Clark. The only details that Mxy is unclear on are how everything in Rebirth happened. He was likely taken after Morrison's arc, since he was never seen again till now. And as Mxy explains in this every issue: all the versions of him and Superman are just aspects/veneration. This is why it didn't matter to him that Superdad seemed to be a different version from Nuperman. The thing that set him off was the fact that Superman now had a happy family that seemed to be doing just fine without hit. His heart was broken because of this.

Morrison arc still happened, and this book doesn't actively contradict it.

[RedWhiteAndBlueSupes]

I was thinking of the original version of the Super Sons, though after reading up on it, I realize we never see the faces of Clark and Bruce's wives. I guess I always just assumed it was Lois, though I thought there was also another imaginary story with Lois and Clark married with Super children?

Yeah there are several silver age tales of them with Super Kids. But every one I think of involves Superbaby or toddlers. I don't remember one with a teenaged son like that. Personally i just thought it was a reference to the Superman "family" of the good old days from Mxy's perspective. Silver Age Supes/Lois and pre-crisis superboy (he did come back to bother pre-crisis superboy as "Master Myxzptlk" as well)

[Atomic Man]

Yeah there are several silver age tales of them with Super Kids. But every one I think of involves Superbaby or toddlers. I don't remember one with a teenaged son like that. Personally i just thought it was a reference to the Superman "family" of the good old days from Mxy's perspective. Silver Age Supes/Lois and pre-crisis superboy (he did come back to bother pre-crisis superboy as "Master Myxzptlk" as well)

I guess I was thinking of the teenage Clark Jr. from the Super Sons. I guess that could be Silver Age Superboy as well.

[Midnighter]

Yeah there are several silver age tales of them with Super Kids. But every one I think of involves Superbaby or toddlers. I don't remember one with a teenaged son like that. )

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super-Sons

[KurtW95]

Was Dini trying to imply that there is only one Mxyzptlk in the multiverse?