Editor's Desk 
When Action Comics #1102 begins, a young Clark Kent, aka Superboy, is once again a strange visitor from another planet. This time, he visits his homeworld of Krypton, roughly a year before it explodes. Clark has been pulled to the past via time travel (if you want more details, check out Supergirl #17, which also drops this week) and must find his cousin Kara if he wants to get back home. Kara has her own problems: in trying to stop Ursa from rewriting time and preventing Krypton’s destruction, she’s now a prisoner at the mercy of a young General Zod!
Both Action Comics #1102 and Supergirl #17 actually manage to stay true to the title “Kingdom of Zod,” especially as the time-travel element allows them to address the elephant in the room: the fact that Zod is dead in the present day. Having Clark and Kara face a younger Zod shows that the general still poses a threat, especially when Ursa tries to tell him Jor-El is right about Krypton’s fate. Zod immediately attacks her, showcasing the rage that will propel him into becoming one of Superman’s deadliest enemies. There’s also a ticking-clock element, as Krypton’s red sun slowly drains Clark and Kara of their powers, forcing them to think out their every move.
Yet I couldn’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu when reading Action Comics #1102. And then it hit me: I’d seen this before. When he first boarded Action Comics for the “Phantoms” storyline, Mark Waid introduced a chapter where an adult Clark Kent is rocketed back into the past, unknowingly coming face to face with his Kryptonian family. As a result, some of the bigger beats feel all too worn, whether it’s another debate about the dangers of changing the past or Clark growing in awe of what Krypton used to be. The present-day sections are more interesting, as Superman and his allies have to deal with the worldwide Kryptonian infection growing worse. Waid infuses those moments with true danger, showcasing how it’s affecting heroes like Martian Manhunter and pushing Lana Lang’s new abilities to her limits.
DC
Action Comics #1102 also boasts some incredible imagery, as Montos draws Krypton in all of its glory. From the sleek hovercraft floating through the sky to the Silver Age-style clothing all of its residents are sporting, Krypton feels truly alien. That’s not even mentioning its sun, which soaks certain pages in a reddish-orange hue. In comparison, the present-day sections grow increasingly sickly green as Kryptonite slowly takes over the entire world. Ivan Plascencia definitely deserves credit for the work he’s putting in, especially as it makes Action Comics #1102 feel as big as its story is suggesting.
The final pages of the issue also escalate things, especially as this storyline reaches its third act. Considering this is a story where we’ve seen Zod die at the hands of his own wife and Superman lose an eye, that’s saying a lot – but it’s also what’s keeping me hooked through all of the ups and downs. Action Comics #1102 might tread well-worn ground with its time travel plot, but it has enough twists to keep the story fresh.
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