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Action Comics (2016)
Superman: Action Comics - The Oz Effect
After years of build-up, the Man of Steel discovers the identity of the villainous Mr. Oz in SUPERMAN: ACTION COMICS-THE OZ EFFECT, complete with a lenticular motion cover!
Shrouded in mystery for years, the puppetmaster known as Mr. Oz has finally shown his hand. His agents have begun to move as the Man of Steel works to stop the chaos they unleash in Metropolis and across the globe. But when Mr. Oz steps from the shadows, his identity rocks the Last Son of Krypton to his core. Who is he? The answer will change Superman forever.
A mystery that has weaved through the pages of DC UNIVERSE: REBIRTH, DETECTIVE COMICS, ACTION COMICS and even Geoff Johns' SUPERMAN: THE MEN OF TOMORROW, is finally resolved here in SUPERMAN - ACTION COMICS: THE OZ EFFECT! Written by legendary scribe Dan Jurgens and illustrated by a team of superstar artists led by Ryan Sook and Viktor Bogdonavic, this graphic novel features a lenticular motion cover only available in the first print run! Collects SUPERMAN - ACTION COMICS #985-992.
Shrouded in mystery for years, the puppetmaster known as Mr. Oz has finally shown his hand. His agents have begun to move as the Man of Steel works to stop the chaos they unleash in Metropolis and across the globe. But when Mr. Oz steps from the shadows, his identity rocks the Last Son of Krypton to his core. Who is he? The answer will change Superman forever.
A mystery that has weaved through the pages of DC UNIVERSE: REBIRTH, DETECTIVE COMICS, ACTION COMICS and even Geoff Johns' SUPERMAN: THE MEN OF TOMORROW, is finally resolved here in SUPERMAN - ACTION COMICS: THE OZ EFFECT! Written by legendary scribe Dan Jurgens and illustrated by a team of superstar artists led by Ryan Sook and Viktor Bogdonavic, this graphic novel features a lenticular motion cover only available in the first print run! Collects SUPERMAN - ACTION COMICS #985-992.
187 pages, ebook
First published March 27, 2018
38 people are currently reading
185 people want to read
About the author
Dan Jurgens
2,227 books285 followersDan Jurgens is an American comic book writer and artist. He is known for his work on the DC comic book storyline "The Death of Superman" and for creating characters such as Doomsday, Hank Henshaw, and Booster Gold. Jurgens had a lengthy run on the Superman comic books including The Adventures of Superman, Superman vol. 2 and Action Comics. At Marvel, Jurgens worked on series such as Captain America, The Sensational Spider-Man and was the writer on Thor for six years. He also had a brief run as writer and artist on Solar for Valiant Comics in 1995.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
March 24, 2018
Oz is revealed but before we get to that there's a teamup between Supes and Lex against the Machinist. Lex's manipulative side is starting to show again which I find disappointing because I'm afraid he'll go back to being a villain. He's more interesting at the moment striving to be a better Superman than Superman. Guillem March provided the art and it's not that great. Everyone looks like their skin is made of silly puddy. I remember when he was the next big thing when he was drawing Gotham City Sirens. He had a nice clean style with a little Tim Sale thrown in.
I'm disappointed in who Oz was. I get it as part of Doomsday Clock but it still feels . I thought his motivations were kind of stupid, especially since he was manipulating all the humans to turn evil and selfish and then saying look how awful humans are. His cult didn't make a lick of sense either. Viktor Bogdanovic steps up for most of the art and knocks it out of the park. I really like his style. Plus a rare issue by Ryan Sook.
I'm disappointed in who Oz was. I get it as part of Doomsday Clock but it still feels . I thought his motivations were kind of stupid, especially since he was manipulating all the humans to turn evil and selfish and then saying look how awful humans are. His cult didn't make a lick of sense either. Viktor Bogdanovic steps up for most of the art and knocks it out of the park. I really like his style. Plus a rare issue by Ryan Sook.
January 3, 2018
THE OZ IDENTITY IS REVEALED!
Well...that was okay. I mean I get why. It's to give superman some family moments. To question him. I think having Oz who he is shows how devious, or how fucked up, the man who's pulling the strings is. How he knows how to hurt the man of steel and give him a hell of a tortured mind. Saying that we also get Superman running around the world saving people because that's what he does best. Also first story is Superman working with Lex and it's a different twist on it all.
Good: The short little lex story worked well and showed both their true selves which I enjoyed. I also liked some of the Oz reveal, especially with Jon being kind of the open minded individual that the two other Kents were not. I also thought the fights were pretty intense.
Bad: The art was a little iffy sometimes, especially in the Oz section. I also thought the dialog was a little on the nose at times and to 90's (come on Dan!) Also the reveal was kind of like 'Oh...." And not all that amazing.
This was a solid volume but I just expected more from the great "Oz". I like the future idea of hurting superman emotionally but beyond that this volume wasn't nearly as good as the last one that's for sure.
Well...that was okay. I mean I get why. It's to give superman some family moments. To question him. I think having Oz who he is shows how devious, or how fucked up, the man who's pulling the strings is. How he knows how to hurt the man of steel and give him a hell of a tortured mind. Saying that we also get Superman running around the world saving people because that's what he does best. Also first story is Superman working with Lex and it's a different twist on it all.
Good: The short little lex story worked well and showed both their true selves which I enjoyed. I also liked some of the Oz reveal, especially with Jon being kind of the open minded individual that the two other Kents were not. I also thought the fights were pretty intense.
Bad: The art was a little iffy sometimes, especially in the Oz section. I also thought the dialog was a little on the nose at times and to 90's (come on Dan!) Also the reveal was kind of like 'Oh...." And not all that amazing.
This was a solid volume but I just expected more from the great "Oz". I like the future idea of hurting superman emotionally but beyond that this volume wasn't nearly as good as the last one that's for sure.
December 29, 2017
Great setup for Doomsday Clock
SPOILERS!
World: The art is great, the colours pop and the splash pages are bright and beautiful. The world building here is fantastic, since Rebirth we've been dealing with Oz and the mystery is revealed but more inportantly for the world building this is a ramp up to Doomsday Clock. The pieces from Action Comics and Superman and The Button allows this to make sense. Sure some will not like the reveal of Oz and it will be against the core of the character but I disagree because the world needs this to happen to shake Supes to the point that is needed for Doomsday Clock to happen. Great!
Story: The story is well written, topical and paced wonderfully. The reveal of Oz was expected and many had guessed correctly, the use of this character has been a point of argument as some believe that this is a legacy character and hurting the legacy and the core of that character is disrespectful. I agree somewhat but I also agree that this needs to happen. Oz needs to exist for Superman to go through this arc, not just this arc, but the entire arc he's had since Rebirth and leading to the culmination I expect from Doomsday Clock. This is the build up to that. I really loved how this book look head on at the issue of our current world and how hopeless we've become and the put that against the Hopefulness of Superman. It's always been said that he represents the Hope and the beacon for the DC universe and this arc allowed it to be shaken and also allowed for wonderful drama. I like it a lot.
Characters: Superman is great, he has an arc and as much as a beacon he is, he also gets to grow, it's great. Oz is great, he's a legacy character yes and he should be treated with respect and should be also the beacon that we of the past have hoped for. However, if you look at the history of this character in comics and also media he has also been a sounding board for Superman to question some things and also paired with the other legacy character you would expect to be his opposite (Pa). I liked how they used Oz, Superman needed this a lot. The rest of the cast was great, giving Clark a larger world and also weight to his decisions. Lois is always the best!
I loved this arc, it sets up Doomsday Clock wonderfully and opens the door for great drama to come.
Onward to the next book!
*read individual issues*
July 17, 2025
3.5 stars. If you couldn’t tell by the title, this book deals with the Oz character. They had been teasing him for awhile. Here he was stirring the pot causing situations for Superman. We finally learn who this character is which I thought was as an interesting reveal. This puts Clark in a tight spot with his son and how he views himself. But, we also learn that someone even more powerful has been manipulating Oz. Now Supes wants to find this person. I thought this book would close out the arc but it ends on a big cliffhanger. I wasn’t going it track down the last trade because of the reviews but now I wonder if I should. Solid art through the book and I had been having a pretty good time overall diving into some Superman stories.
June 21, 2021
This was pretty good for the most part.
It picks up with Superman and Lex vs Machinist and the whole plot there is quite intriguing but Mr Oz shows up to remind Lex of who he really is and finally a tale about Superman having to deal with multiple disasters, wars going around the world and then finally when he seems down, Mr Oz reveals himself to be and its an epic revelation seeing him and then he starts to question his existence and purpose and fights Mr Oz and when he tries to corrupt his son, Clark has to save his son and we learn of the twisted origin and motive and the man behind it all and its a bombshell for Clark as his truth of existence is coming down and he has to see things for himself.
I love how this volume gave us the revelation of Mr Oz and then the fight between them and just shows so many revelations and challenges Superman in a very different way like challenging his beliefs and all which questions his morality and I love how Superman endures and says he trusts humanity and finally there is this part with Luthor which was fun and the mystery of is quite fun and will be a massive challenge for Clark going forward.
Its not the greatest story but has good parts and gives an expected revelation but this changes Clark going forward massively and the art is pretty good for the most part.
It picks up with Superman and Lex vs Machinist and the whole plot there is quite intriguing but Mr Oz shows up to remind Lex of who he really is and finally a tale about Superman having to deal with multiple disasters, wars going around the world and then finally when he seems down, Mr Oz reveals himself to be and its an epic revelation seeing him and then he starts to question his existence and purpose and fights Mr Oz and when he tries to corrupt his son, Clark has to save his son and we learn of the twisted origin and motive and the man behind it all and its a bombshell for Clark as his truth of existence is coming down and he has to see things for himself.
I love how this volume gave us the revelation of Mr Oz and then the fight between them and just shows so many revelations and challenges Superman in a very different way like challenging his beliefs and all which questions his morality and I love how Superman endures and says he trusts humanity and finally there is this part with Luthor which was fun and the mystery of is quite fun and will be a massive challenge for Clark going forward.
Its not the greatest story but has good parts and gives an expected revelation but this changes Clark going forward massively and the art is pretty good for the most part.
March 20, 2018
The mystery of Mr Oz finally unravels as Superman comes face to face with the master manipulator in this five issue epic that redefines the Rebirth landscape.
But first, we get a two-issue story by Rob Williams that puts Lex Luthor back onto the path of villainy as he and Superman are dragged into a war zone and pitted against each other. This one's pretty good, but it feels kind of inevitable. Luthor as a hero hasn't really rung true despite DC trying to make it a thing, but he's been absent from the Super-books for quite a while now, so it makes sense to shake him up a bit. The art by Guillem March is a bit off-putting, since he makes everyone look a bit stretched and like they're constantly in pain but I guess that's kind of his thing.
The Oz Effect itself does a good job of revealing Mr Oz's role behind the scenes as part of Rebirth, and his ultimate motivation feels like something out of an anime, since it shows a lot of damage in a short space of time for the character. It also allows for a lot more to go on with the DC Universe in general, like A Lonely Place Of Living over in Detective Comics. The art, surprisingly has issues by both Ryan Sook (a huge rarity these days) and Viktor Bogdanovic, on loan from New Super-Man.
We also get an aftermath issue that helps Clark come to terms with what's happened to him, as well as resolving to get more answers which leads directly into the next arc too.
The Oz Effect's biggest shock is the reveal of who Mr Oz is, but it rolls with it well enough to create a solid storyline that gets a lot of mileage out of the character while opening up a lot of opportunity for more Superman stories as well as elsewhere.
But first, we get a two-issue story by Rob Williams that puts Lex Luthor back onto the path of villainy as he and Superman are dragged into a war zone and pitted against each other. This one's pretty good, but it feels kind of inevitable. Luthor as a hero hasn't really rung true despite DC trying to make it a thing, but he's been absent from the Super-books for quite a while now, so it makes sense to shake him up a bit. The art by Guillem March is a bit off-putting, since he makes everyone look a bit stretched and like they're constantly in pain but I guess that's kind of his thing.
The Oz Effect itself does a good job of revealing Mr Oz's role behind the scenes as part of Rebirth, and his ultimate motivation feels like something out of an anime, since it shows a lot of damage in a short space of time for the character. It also allows for a lot more to go on with the DC Universe in general, like A Lonely Place Of Living over in Detective Comics. The art, surprisingly has issues by both Ryan Sook (a huge rarity these days) and Viktor Bogdanovic, on loan from New Super-Man.
We also get an aftermath issue that helps Clark come to terms with what's happened to him, as well as resolving to get more answers which leads directly into the next arc too.
The Oz Effect's biggest shock is the reveal of who Mr Oz is, but it rolls with it well enough to create a solid storyline that gets a lot of mileage out of the character while opening up a lot of opportunity for more Superman stories as well as elsewhere.
April 3, 2018
Only Human. A fight against the machinist. Jurgens continues to do a good job of contrasting Clark and Luther, but this one is a little shallow with the extended Machinist fight, and if it's meant to be the end of the Luthor-as-hero arc, it's a bit underwhelming [3/5].
The Oz Effect. And then we come to "The Oz Effect", which is another of the big storylines that DC has been pushing on since Rebirth. But, if you thought that Mr. Oz was Ozymandias, prepare to be disappointed. Oh, there's another answer that's clever enough, but much like "The Button", this feels mainly like treading water. Or if you prefer, it's turtles all the way down, because there's someone else behind Mr. Oz and ... maybe he's our mystery Watchman? The Watchman plot only feels like it really gets rolling in the last issue, when Superman figures out that there's something wrong with time, a common but unfulfilled trope throughout Rebirth.
As for the Mr. Oz plot itself ... it's OK. The identity of Mr. Oz is intriguing, but feels unsustainable. The fact that he hates Earth because it's evil and he's sitting there making it evil is dumb. There's some interesting personality conflicts and some interesting familial conflicts, but the rest of this story feels thin [2+/5].
The Oz Effect. And then we come to "The Oz Effect", which is another of the big storylines that DC has been pushing on since Rebirth. But, if you thought that Mr. Oz was Ozymandias, prepare to be disappointed. Oh, there's another answer that's clever enough, but much like "The Button", this feels mainly like treading water. Or if you prefer, it's turtles all the way down, because there's someone else behind Mr. Oz and ... maybe he's our mystery Watchman? The Watchman plot only feels like it really gets rolling in the last issue, when Superman figures out that there's something wrong with time, a common but unfulfilled trope throughout Rebirth.
As for the Mr. Oz plot itself ... it's OK. The identity of Mr. Oz is intriguing, but feels unsustainable. The fact that he hates Earth because it's evil and he's sitting there making it evil is dumb. There's some interesting personality conflicts and some interesting familial conflicts, but the rest of this story feels thin [2+/5].
April 3, 2018
Fantastic! This moves along the big crossover event happening right now. I can't tell much of the plot as it relies so much on the story so far and I don't want to give anything away. Superman has an epic meeting with a fellow Kryptonian and once this story's disaster is over Supes knows the timeline has been altered and he wants to go back to his birth to find where things went astray. This was a page turner and I loved it.A great read to follow the Superman/Flash volume released earlier this year.
September 16, 2019
Reading in preparation for Doomsday Clock
A highlight in this series that's been pretty average for the most part. Sets up a lot of plot for later. I won't be continuing for the reason that this is as far as I've needed to read for Doomsday Clock.
A highlight in this series that's been pretty average for the most part. Sets up a lot of plot for later. I won't be continuing for the reason that this is as far as I've needed to read for Doomsday Clock.
April 15, 2018
Best yet of the rebirthed Supes but was expecting some sort of ending. Nope, nothing tied up here.
May 12, 2019
Hodně podobné premise z Infinity Crisis, uvítal bych výraznější finále, ale bavilo
December 26, 2018
Who in their right mind thought that it would be a good idea to make Jor-El be the bad guy!? I could use some extremely strong and long words here, but it'd just make me look like an unhinged Superman fan. That being said, why on Earth would you destroy the character and the mythos in such a sloppy and pathetic manner? I normally despise retcons, but this needs to be retconned out of existence as quickly as possible.
October 18, 2023
9/10:
This might be one of my favorite Superman stories of all time! The woes of humanity shown through the eyes of Mr. Oz are so real and truly showcase how evil we as humans can be. But to then learn the truth about Oz and all that he endured only strengthening his resolve was so brilliant. Single-handedly, Mr. Oz may be my favorite modern DC villain, and it’s all because of this story.
There are some awesome moments throughout this story that don’t revolve around the titular villain (and the one who’s probably pulling his strings; Dr. Manhattan). Namely, there’s some really interesting character work between Superman and Lex Luthor as they work together against Machinist. It wasn’t a huge story or anything, but there was something so awesome about seeing those two work together and eventually see Lex saddened by the destruction of his own House of El crest.
I know this story is considered vital to Doomsday Clock, so now I’m even more excited to finally reach that story! Only a few “pre-requisite” stories to go!!
This might be one of my favorite Superman stories of all time! The woes of humanity shown through the eyes of Mr. Oz are so real and truly showcase how evil we as humans can be. But to then learn the truth about Oz and all that he endured only strengthening his resolve was so brilliant. Single-handedly, Mr. Oz may be my favorite modern DC villain, and it’s all because of this story.
There are some awesome moments throughout this story that don’t revolve around the titular villain (and the one who’s probably pulling his strings; Dr. Manhattan). Namely, there’s some really interesting character work between Superman and Lex Luthor as they work together against Machinist. It wasn’t a huge story or anything, but there was something so awesome about seeing those two work together and eventually see Lex saddened by the destruction of his own House of El crest.
I know this story is considered vital to Doomsday Clock, so now I’m even more excited to finally reach that story! Only a few “pre-requisite” stories to go!!
May 7, 2018
Basic plot: The mysterious Mr. Oz claims to be Jor El and has been manipulating humanity to show its worst side to Superman, but there is more to this story.
I am really starting to see how tightly plotted the Action comics story has been crafted to lead up to the inevitable connection to the doomsday clock event. I am officially impressed ans excited. More than that, though, this volume really taps into the sense of who Superman is -a symbol of hope- and the absolute shitshow that is the world today. We need hope, it is in preciously low supply, and there are so many utterly horrifying events happening daily that the supply of hope dwindles. We need Superman more rhan ever to remind us of who we can be if we strive for better. Truer today than ever before.
I am really starting to see how tightly plotted the Action comics story has been crafted to lead up to the inevitable connection to the doomsday clock event. I am officially impressed ans excited. More than that, though, this volume really taps into the sense of who Superman is -a symbol of hope- and the absolute shitshow that is the world today. We need hope, it is in preciously low supply, and there are so many utterly horrifying events happening daily that the supply of hope dwindles. We need Superman more rhan ever to remind us of who we can be if we strive for better. Truer today than ever before.
March 17, 2020
Kryptonian Don't Surrender!
Mr Oz is just a beginning. Bigger threats are coming that even terrifies Mr Oz. Thats another 5 outta 5 read from Superman Action Comics Rebirth. The secret, that who is Mr Oz, comes out of shadows and destroys Superman's world and his beliefs. Even the hope itself start losing hope. Superman has faced many foes to save humanity but how can he do something when humans are killing humans and animals on global scale? I have never seen Superman so emotionally damaged before.
Superman and Lex is on another mission. I like their team-up. I know something is definitely cooking inside bald head of Lex. This isn't just the right time for the world to know that.
Lenticular motion cover and inside pages are amazing. Artwork is more than just awesome. Totally an awesome read if you are following Action Comics Rebirth.
Mr Oz is just a beginning. Bigger threats are coming that even terrifies Mr Oz. Thats another 5 outta 5 read from Superman Action Comics Rebirth. The secret, that who is Mr Oz, comes out of shadows and destroys Superman's world and his beliefs. Even the hope itself start losing hope. Superman has faced many foes to save humanity but how can he do something when humans are killing humans and animals on global scale? I have never seen Superman so emotionally damaged before.
Superman and Lex is on another mission. I like their team-up. I know something is definitely cooking inside bald head of Lex. This isn't just the right time for the world to know that.
Lenticular motion cover and inside pages are amazing. Artwork is more than just awesome. Totally an awesome read if you are following Action Comics Rebirth.
October 10, 2018
Ever since the start of Rebirth the identity of Oz was the big thing for the Superman comics, and I'm a bit disappointed in how it turned out. Not because of his identity, but more because of the lackluster story. This is how most of the exchanges play out:
"Humanity is doomed, come with me and leave this planet behind!
"No, humans good! Must save"
"No, humans bad! Must come with me!"
"Yes, I am X, can you believe it?"
"I can't believe you're X!"
"But it's true, I am X"
Jurgens lets the wheels spin in these issues and only the last pages of the conclusion have some okay character moments. There's one page that shows how Supes is starting to doubt his mission and that's pretty powerful, but most of the dialogue or fights with Oz are nothing special. I wasn't a fan of the artist either.
"Humanity is doomed, come with me and leave this planet behind!
"No, humans good! Must save"
"No, humans bad! Must come with me!"
"Yes, I am X, can you believe it?"
"I can't believe you're X!"
"But it's true, I am X"
Jurgens lets the wheels spin in these issues and only the last pages of the conclusion have some okay character moments. There's one page that shows how Supes is starting to doubt his mission and that's pretty powerful, but most of the dialogue or fights with Oz are nothing special. I wasn't a fan of the artist either.
January 19, 2023
This volume culminates the build up from Geoff Johns run up to the Rebirth era. Here they finally reveal the mysterious Oz character. And I'm a little bit disappointed. The reveal is dramatic but the character I'm expecting is not what I wanted to see. It is also connected to Doctor Manhattan tampering the DC Universe.
This also challenges Superman beliefs in humanity. Are they worth saving for? Will human change? Is there still hope?
I am starting to like Bogdanoviç art but it is constraint maybe due to Jurgens do the art breakdowns.
It is not a perfect Superman story and the identity of Oz is a little underwelming.
This also challenges Superman beliefs in humanity. Are they worth saving for? Will human change? Is there still hope?
I am starting to like Bogdanoviç art but it is constraint maybe due to Jurgens do the art breakdowns.
It is not a perfect Superman story and the identity of Oz is a little underwelming.
March 11, 2018
I'm not a big fan of this trope they've set up, iv just seen it way too many times. But the explanation behind it all was pretty decent. Seeing as this is just another chapter of a bigger threat coming, I guess it wasn't as bad. Also I'm glad it went in a different direction, I expected Superman to throw a punch as soon as he finds out Mr. Oz's motives and instead we have a morality play and the focus on 'Hope.
May 11, 2024
3.75 stars. I have some mixed feelings on this due to the Mr. Oz reveal, but this was an incredible read that really challenged the Superman character and everything he believes in. This stood out as a really unique story that was not about Superman getting into some big fight but rather just questioning humanity and the idea of hope. A few different artists throughout and it was okay but not great.
The volume starts out with a two issue arc where Superman and Lex take on the Machinist. He obtained some Lexcorp tech and is controlling people all over with these little chips and they are fighting each other. Eventually Lex ends up being controlled by one of these and fights Superman. He starts going a little crazy unleashing all of his Apokolips tech against Superman and starting to turn into a Darkseid-like appearance but this is all to overload the chip. It is an interesting story because was Lex super smart and this was the way to fry the chip, or was he genuinely trying to take out Superman because he was still under control by the chip? Just another good story that continues the Superman and Lex dynamic where you can’t really trust Lex but he always has some explanation for when it appears he is being more villainous.
The main story here is the Oz Effect. We have seen Mr. Oz appear sporadically all throughout this series, watching the Superman family, intercepting Doomsday being sent to the Phantom Zone, guiding Jon in the fight against Zod, etc. Now he finally reveals himself to Superman and he is Jor-El. My initial reaction to this was not positive. Jor-El is a good character with an established history and has always been sort of an inspiration for Clark. Despite Clark never knowing him, he has heard voice recordings or learned about him from Kelex. So to basically throw this all away and reveal Jor-El never died and now he is some evil mastermind setting up conflict all over the world was jarring. I’m still not really a fan of this decision because it is such a departure from everything we knew about Jor-El but ignoring my feelings on the reveal, it actually made for an incredibly compelling story and took Superman to new territory.
Clark’s initial reaction is to not believe this is his father, especially after just dealing with the fake Clark Kent situation. And even after lots of evidence this is really him, by the end of the story Clark is still a little doubtful this is actually him. I like that, because Clark is right to assume this is just some trick and of course he would not want his image of his father tarnished. Jor-El’s whole argument is that he made a mistake sending Clark to earth. The people of earth are terrible by nature and do not deserve Clark. Jor-El also thinks earth is on the verge of perishing and wants to save Clark just as he did before. We get some backstory that when Krypton was exploding, Jor-El was just magically transported out of there and spared. He was then eventually sent to earth in ill health and he ended up in a very bad country with constant fighting between its people. Jor-El thought he made friends with those he was staying with and they betrayed him. This completely warped his perception of humanity and he figured they were all terrible. So for years he has just been trying to keep Clark safe behind the scenes and setting things in motion. He claims he never forced people to do evil, he just gave them options and they chose evil. Based on his own personal experiences and everything he sees throughout the world, you can see where he is coming from.
Clark routinely struggles with this mentality. Is everything he believed a lie? Are people beyond hope? He can hear terrible things all over the world with his super hearing. It is a constant emotional struggle for Clark throughout the whole book. Jor-El takes Jon and explains all of this too. He also tells Lois who he is. Jon, being young, is receptive to what Jor-El is saying. Clark is still resilient in his hope for humanity and not letting Jor-El set up more conflict. Jor-El basically says there is a larger threat coming. It is revealed that even Jor-El has been influenced by some higher power and he vanishes again. There is a cool moment where Clark visits the green lantern corps to watch actual historical footage of Krypton’s demise and there is a glitch. So the footage may have been tampered with, or time itself is tampered either way. Clark then goes to the cosmic treadmill to travel back to Krypton’s demise for answers and Booster Gold teleports in a second too late trying to prevent him from doing that.
Overall, I don’t love the Oz reveal, but it makes sense in the context of the story and really challenged Superman, and probably has more impact than if this were some other new villain. A very compelling read that still leaves a lot unanswered.
The volume starts out with a two issue arc where Superman and Lex take on the Machinist. He obtained some Lexcorp tech and is controlling people all over with these little chips and they are fighting each other. Eventually Lex ends up being controlled by one of these and fights Superman. He starts going a little crazy unleashing all of his Apokolips tech against Superman and starting to turn into a Darkseid-like appearance but this is all to overload the chip. It is an interesting story because was Lex super smart and this was the way to fry the chip, or was he genuinely trying to take out Superman because he was still under control by the chip? Just another good story that continues the Superman and Lex dynamic where you can’t really trust Lex but he always has some explanation for when it appears he is being more villainous.
The main story here is the Oz Effect. We have seen Mr. Oz appear sporadically all throughout this series, watching the Superman family, intercepting Doomsday being sent to the Phantom Zone, guiding Jon in the fight against Zod, etc. Now he finally reveals himself to Superman and he is Jor-El. My initial reaction to this was not positive. Jor-El is a good character with an established history and has always been sort of an inspiration for Clark. Despite Clark never knowing him, he has heard voice recordings or learned about him from Kelex. So to basically throw this all away and reveal Jor-El never died and now he is some evil mastermind setting up conflict all over the world was jarring. I’m still not really a fan of this decision because it is such a departure from everything we knew about Jor-El but ignoring my feelings on the reveal, it actually made for an incredibly compelling story and took Superman to new territory.
Clark’s initial reaction is to not believe this is his father, especially after just dealing with the fake Clark Kent situation. And even after lots of evidence this is really him, by the end of the story Clark is still a little doubtful this is actually him. I like that, because Clark is right to assume this is just some trick and of course he would not want his image of his father tarnished. Jor-El’s whole argument is that he made a mistake sending Clark to earth. The people of earth are terrible by nature and do not deserve Clark. Jor-El also thinks earth is on the verge of perishing and wants to save Clark just as he did before. We get some backstory that when Krypton was exploding, Jor-El was just magically transported out of there and spared. He was then eventually sent to earth in ill health and he ended up in a very bad country with constant fighting between its people. Jor-El thought he made friends with those he was staying with and they betrayed him. This completely warped his perception of humanity and he figured they were all terrible. So for years he has just been trying to keep Clark safe behind the scenes and setting things in motion. He claims he never forced people to do evil, he just gave them options and they chose evil. Based on his own personal experiences and everything he sees throughout the world, you can see where he is coming from.
Clark routinely struggles with this mentality. Is everything he believed a lie? Are people beyond hope? He can hear terrible things all over the world with his super hearing. It is a constant emotional struggle for Clark throughout the whole book. Jor-El takes Jon and explains all of this too. He also tells Lois who he is. Jon, being young, is receptive to what Jor-El is saying. Clark is still resilient in his hope for humanity and not letting Jor-El set up more conflict. Jor-El basically says there is a larger threat coming. It is revealed that even Jor-El has been influenced by some higher power and he vanishes again. There is a cool moment where Clark visits the green lantern corps to watch actual historical footage of Krypton’s demise and there is a glitch. So the footage may have been tampered with, or time itself is tampered either way. Clark then goes to the cosmic treadmill to travel back to Krypton’s demise for answers and Booster Gold teleports in a second too late trying to prevent him from doing that.
Overall, I don’t love the Oz reveal, but it makes sense in the context of the story and really challenged Superman, and probably has more impact than if this were some other new villain. A very compelling read that still leaves a lot unanswered.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2019
Este fue uno de esos cómics muy esperados ya quedes el primer tomo tanto de Action Comics como de Superman de Rebirth, nos dieron pistas de que había alguien, jugando desde las afueras del tiempo y el espacio, con Superman. Así que casi 5 volúmenes después, aproximadamente 2 años de publicación, llega el Efecto Oz. Y aunque leí muchos buenos comentarios, a mi me gustó, no es excelente pero creo que el mensaje y las motivaciones de Oz son muy interesantes cuando se ponen a contra luz de Superman y lo que el personaje representa.
La identidad de Oz, aunque problemática para la continuidad, se nos proporciona una explicación que aunque es un Deus Ex Machina, desde el one shot introduciendo Rebirth vimos a un personaje que era capaz de hacer lo que se nos dijo que le hicieron a Oz, así que aunque no nos satisfaga, técnicamente la explicación es coherente en el universo Rebirth.
Me gustó mucho la contra posición de lo que Oz representa para Superman. Jurgens se esforzó por crear el equivalente del Joker a Batman. Hemos escuchado mucho que esos dos personajes no pueden existir el uno sin el otro, ya que mutuamente se construyen y se otorgan un significado: Batman existe porque el Joker existe y sucesivamente. Lo mismo pasa de cierta manera con Oz y Superman; Si Superman representa la esperanza y lo que la raza humana podría llegar a ser, Oz representa la desesperanza y lo que la raza humana ya es. Ambos personajes muy parecidos, con situaciones parecidas pero con experiencias radicalmente diferentes: Donde Superman es capaz de ver luz, Oz solo ve oscuridad. Como villano me pareció muy bueno y todo el tomo me tuvo tenso por la cantidad de problemas con los que tenía que lidiar Superman. De cierta manera me recordó al Joker de Heath Ledger, causando caos en la ciudad y haciendo que Batman se esforzara a su máximo para tratar de salvar a la gente.
Mi problema con el volumen son los diálogos. Demasiado rebuscados y elegantes. Mi ejemplo más claro de eso es el terrorista que ataca el Daily Planet, cuando está hablando con su socia, todos sus diálogos parecen sacados de un libro de Shakespeare. Y así pasa con varios personajes.
El final tampoco me gustó mucho. La resolución del conflicto entre Oz y Superman me pareció muy apresurada. Primero se están matando y después se están abrazando sin mostrar realmente una transformación en los ideales de cada uno. Lo que me da tranquilidad es que estoy seguro que no hemos visto lo último de Oz y es muy probable que lo veamos de regreso en Doomsday Clock seguramente.
En general fue un tomo entretenido que me mostró otra faceta de Superman y sus villanos.
La identidad de Oz, aunque problemática para la continuidad, se nos proporciona una explicación que aunque es un Deus Ex Machina, desde el one shot introduciendo Rebirth vimos a un personaje que era capaz de hacer lo que se nos dijo que le hicieron a Oz, así que aunque no nos satisfaga, técnicamente la explicación es coherente en el universo Rebirth.
Me gustó mucho la contra posición de lo que Oz representa para Superman. Jurgens se esforzó por crear el equivalente del Joker a Batman. Hemos escuchado mucho que esos dos personajes no pueden existir el uno sin el otro, ya que mutuamente se construyen y se otorgan un significado: Batman existe porque el Joker existe y sucesivamente. Lo mismo pasa de cierta manera con Oz y Superman; Si Superman representa la esperanza y lo que la raza humana podría llegar a ser, Oz representa la desesperanza y lo que la raza humana ya es. Ambos personajes muy parecidos, con situaciones parecidas pero con experiencias radicalmente diferentes: Donde Superman es capaz de ver luz, Oz solo ve oscuridad. Como villano me pareció muy bueno y todo el tomo me tuvo tenso por la cantidad de problemas con los que tenía que lidiar Superman. De cierta manera me recordó al Joker de Heath Ledger, causando caos en la ciudad y haciendo que Batman se esforzara a su máximo para tratar de salvar a la gente.
Mi problema con el volumen son los diálogos. Demasiado rebuscados y elegantes. Mi ejemplo más claro de eso es el terrorista que ataca el Daily Planet, cuando está hablando con su socia, todos sus diálogos parecen sacados de un libro de Shakespeare. Y así pasa con varios personajes.
El final tampoco me gustó mucho. La resolución del conflicto entre Oz y Superman me pareció muy apresurada. Primero se están matando y después se están abrazando sin mostrar realmente una transformación en los ideales de cada uno. Lo que me da tranquilidad es que estoy seguro que no hemos visto lo último de Oz y es muy probable que lo veamos de regreso en Doomsday Clock seguramente.
En general fue un tomo entretenido que me mostró otra faceta de Superman y sus villanos.
September 5, 2018
Going into this book, I had some reservations. I’d already heard (because avoiding spoilers in comic books is nearly impossible), who Mr. Oz is. And a big part of me was like.... What? That goes against basic Superman mythos! Because that character (I’m going to avoid spoilers) is supposed to be dead! That’s one of the constants in the Superman story: truth, justice, the American way... and that. (Again, really trying to avoid spoilers here). But the further I got into the story... the more I couldn’t help but think how utterly ingenious and earth-shattering it was. What if Superman hadn’t been taken in by the best of humanity? What if he had been taken in by the worst? And does humanity--which is still just as violent now as during any other point in history--really deserve the symbol of good that is Superman? The moments with Jon and Lois interacting with this aforementioned spoiler-y character were also interesting--and Superman interacting with him was obviously gripping: the combination of both love and doubt, of both hope and suspicion. Those moments in particular were palpable on the page. I also liked that this story ended with a cliff-hanger--both with the plot and with the theme. Superman is doubting his place in the universe, as well as humanity itself. He wants to believe in hope. He wants to believe in good. And, as Superman, he’s doing everything he can to keep all of that alive. But there is one page in particular that really punches the reader in the gut: Superman is on the Daily Planet roof. Lois and Jon are behind him. And he’s hunched over, listening to all of the pain, suffering, and hate going on in the world. I mean... wow. Just let all of that sink in. Humanity is giving too much anguish for even Superman to handle. He has his family supportively behind him... but he also (because of the danger Mr. Oz told him is coming) has to wonder if putting faith in humanity means putting his family in danger. It’s a powerful image that I’m sure I could analyze in a million other ways, but those were the messages that spoke most strongly to me. All in all, this is just a compelling story that takes a what-if and plants it into the canon in such a way that leaves the reader guessing and yearning for more. I’m very excited to see what’s going to happen next.
August 19, 2022
I'll be honest, given my love of Supes and his whole deal, I get pretty protective of him. This is a one of the many reasons I despised so much of the New 52. So suffice it to say that when I figured out the reveal of this story a few pages before it hit, I was genuinely aghast.
Big Spoilers.
It felt like a true perversion of the mythos, and I was made pretty uncomfortable. As I read, though, I found myself (somewhat resignedly) coming around. The fact that I had such a visceral reaction to it translated into something that felt like a powerful story. Also, on a more macro level, this era's attempt to reconcile the (perceived) innocence and simplicity of Superman's hopeful message and worldview with an increasingly hard-to-swallow reality--and this is only 2018! It's one of those things where a part of me wishes they wouldn't bend over backward to explain it because Superman *doesn't* exist in our world and so we shouldn't neccesarily need to justify him, but occasionally it can bear fruit. Using his father as a mouthpiece for this seemed a bit garish at first, but then it did sneak in that who else would be so ferocious in their protection than a father? Jurgens is right, it IS sad to think sometimes that Jor-El meant to send his baby son to a good world and instead he sent him to a world so troubled that it desperately needs his protection. (But really, wouldn't that be most worlds fit that description?)
Having Jor-El work for years behind the scenes to orchestrate this was a ridiculous conceit, and without a doubt functioned mainly as a somewhat clumsy mislead to Ozymandias, but oh well.
Ultimately, this ended up being more nuanced and interesting than I thought, if still retaining a bit of Jurgens's 90's style that always feels a bit like a throwback with varying results.
3.5 stars
Big Spoilers.
It felt like a true perversion of the mythos, and I was made pretty uncomfortable. As I read, though, I found myself (somewhat resignedly) coming around. The fact that I had such a visceral reaction to it translated into something that felt like a powerful story. Also, on a more macro level, this era's attempt to reconcile the (perceived) innocence and simplicity of Superman's hopeful message and worldview with an increasingly hard-to-swallow reality--and this is only 2018! It's one of those things where a part of me wishes they wouldn't bend over backward to explain it because Superman *doesn't* exist in our world and so we shouldn't neccesarily need to justify him, but occasionally it can bear fruit. Using his father as a mouthpiece for this seemed a bit garish at first, but then it did sneak in that who else would be so ferocious in their protection than a father? Jurgens is right, it IS sad to think sometimes that Jor-El meant to send his baby son to a good world and instead he sent him to a world so troubled that it desperately needs his protection. (But really, wouldn't that be most worlds fit that description?)
Having Jor-El work for years behind the scenes to orchestrate this was a ridiculous conceit, and without a doubt functioned mainly as a somewhat clumsy mislead to Ozymandias, but oh well.
Ultimately, this ended up being more nuanced and interesting than I thought, if still retaining a bit of Jurgens's 90's style that always feels a bit like a throwback with varying results.
3.5 stars
April 8, 2018
I've yet to have a more swings-and-roundabouts, highs-then-lows read from DC, and that's saying something.
The two-parter to start made me seriously worried – Lois being all Ms Exposition, Miss Recap and Lovey-Dovey-Wastaspace, Lex being, er, Lex – but it was actually pretty good, snappy and intelligent where that word has clearly been a dirty one with these publishers of late. But then we get the heinous problem that is DC Politics. After the Big Reveal, we see that this particular bad, which we so want to love as a character, saw some dodgy Islamist warlords and so on and based his whole back-story on those. Oh. Dear. We're supposed to accept your argument as valid on that flimsy basis? That easiest representation of evil drives this whole event story? You couldn't have found something more edgy, more interesting and more compelling than Islam as motivation for a Jewish-borne, Christ-like Ubermensch to be up against?
It gets worse before it gets better. They use the word "pabulum" to try and claim that intelligence back (oh, the irony). They make Lois look like she's a he in transition. And they give us that Big Reveal a second time in case we missed it an issue or two ago. And then they bring in Superbrat. But, you know what? Come the end enough has been set up for the BIG EVENT that the Big Reveal (and the Big Reveal Repeated) started to set in motion that I was actually on board for finding out where we were going. So, some utter, utter frustration, too much pabulum, and yet some gumption to get the hooks in tight for future books. It all amounts to something like three and a half stars.
The two-parter to start made me seriously worried – Lois being all Ms Exposition, Miss Recap and Lovey-Dovey-Wastaspace, Lex being, er, Lex – but it was actually pretty good, snappy and intelligent where that word has clearly been a dirty one with these publishers of late. But then we get the heinous problem that is DC Politics. After the Big Reveal, we see that this particular bad, which we so want to love as a character, saw some dodgy Islamist warlords and so on and based his whole back-story on those. Oh. Dear. We're supposed to accept your argument as valid on that flimsy basis? That easiest representation of evil drives this whole event story? You couldn't have found something more edgy, more interesting and more compelling than Islam as motivation for a Jewish-borne, Christ-like Ubermensch to be up against?
It gets worse before it gets better. They use the word "pabulum" to try and claim that intelligence back (oh, the irony). They make Lois look like she's a he in transition. And they give us that Big Reveal a second time in case we missed it an issue or two ago. And then they bring in Superbrat. But, you know what? Come the end enough has been set up for the BIG EVENT that the Big Reveal (and the Big Reveal Repeated) started to set in motion that I was actually on board for finding out where we were going. So, some utter, utter frustration, too much pabulum, and yet some gumption to get the hooks in tight for future books. It all amounts to something like three and a half stars.
September 24, 2018
"Only Human" by Rob Williams with art by Gullem March in issues #985-986 pits Superman against the Machinist. The Machinist uses stolen tech from Lexcorp which prompts Lex to get involved, but in doing so seems to revert back to his villainous ways. Mr. Oz makes an appearance at the end, showing that much of this has been due to his manipulations, possibly the only really interesting revelation of this two-parter.
"The Oz Effect" by Dan Jurgens with art by Viktor Bogdanovic (Ryan Sook in issue #988) in issues #987-991 finally reveals who Mr. Oz is. Mr. Oz's motivation seems a bit simplistic, and there really isn't a conclusive finale. Like the Batman/Flash crossover, "The Button," this seems to be setting up more questions than providing answers. For at the end, we learn that Mr. Oz is himself being manipulated by some unknown entity. Not a bad story (the art is especially nice) considering Mr. Oz is not who most people thought he was (and is, in fact, probably one of the last characters you would expect), but at some point I'd like some closure.
The epilog from issue #992, "Aftereffects," by Dan Jurgens and Rob Williams with art by Will Conrad, shows Superman contemplating his encounter with Mr. Oz and what it means to his world. He begins to realize that the timestream has been altered and sets out to do something about it. This is definitely a transition issue. The best part, though, was when Batman suddenly appears in Superman's Fortress of Solitude without Superman being aware he is there. Superman says, "I didn't hear the Batplane approaching," to which Batman replies, "No... ...you didn't," with no other explanation. That Batman is such a card!
"The Oz Effect" by Dan Jurgens with art by Viktor Bogdanovic (Ryan Sook in issue #988) in issues #987-991 finally reveals who Mr. Oz is. Mr. Oz's motivation seems a bit simplistic, and there really isn't a conclusive finale. Like the Batman/Flash crossover, "The Button," this seems to be setting up more questions than providing answers. For at the end, we learn that Mr. Oz is himself being manipulated by some unknown entity. Not a bad story (the art is especially nice) considering Mr. Oz is not who most people thought he was (and is, in fact, probably one of the last characters you would expect), but at some point I'd like some closure.
The epilog from issue #992, "Aftereffects," by Dan Jurgens and Rob Williams with art by Will Conrad, shows Superman contemplating his encounter with Mr. Oz and what it means to his world. He begins to realize that the timestream has been altered and sets out to do something about it. This is definitely a transition issue. The best part, though, was when Batman suddenly appears in Superman's Fortress of Solitude without Superman being aware he is there. Superman says, "I didn't hear the Batplane approaching," to which Batman replies, "No... ...you didn't," with no other explanation. That Batman is such a card!
January 25, 2019
Overall 3 stars; an enjoyable book which I understand leads a longer arc. This could have been a 4 star book as I enjoyed the story but I hated the art. Everyone looked like they had taking steroids and were over-buffed. Take a look at the Superman on the cover which looks like he has extra muscles and imagine reading that for the entire book. I still have a residual headache, which is unfortunate. Now it’s ok to not have exact continuity when drawing these characters but please - some continuity would be appreciated. In the end, the last comic had better art from Will Conrad, so I gave the book a final at 3 stars. The last book set-up with Bruce turning up, and Supes visiting Green Lantern Corp HQ was nice.
The revelation of Mr. Oz and the set up for the next arc were generally interesting though I wish we slowed down the action just a little. Supes spent too much screaming like Goku in panels for me not to giggle. All that screaming - LUTHOR! MACHINIST! All the art with his eyes red and shining, I almost expected him to go Super Saiyan. I wish they had been more focus on the pathos than the action but I acknowledge this is a personal taste.
Some random observations:
The revelation of Mr. Oz and the set up for the next arc were generally interesting though I wish we slowed down the action just a little. Supes spent too much screaming like Goku in panels for me not to giggle. All that screaming - LUTHOR! MACHINIST! All the art with his eyes red and shining, I almost expected him to go Super Saiyan. I wish they had been more focus on the pathos than the action but I acknowledge this is a personal taste.
Some random observations:
December 27, 2023
Jeżeli na przestrzeni całej serii naprawdę czekaliście z wypiekami, kto kryje się pod płaszczykiem postaci zwanej Oz, to tu uzyskacie na to odpowiedź. Tylko nie wiem czy będzie ona satysfakcjonująca. Dla mnie nie była, choć pewne zaskoczenie się pojawiło.
Kto się kryje za maską Oza? Tego nie zdradzę, choć ujawnienie się przeciwnika będzie niemałym trzęsieniem Ziemi dla Człowieka ze Stali. Na tyle dużym, że przedefiniuje jego postrzeganie pewnych rzeczy. I zaboli. Mało tego. W obliczu nadchodzącego, jeszcze większego zagrożenia, Oz postanawia ukazać prawdę o ludziach bohaterowi. Że są niewarci jego poświęcenia i ratunku. Przez świat przelewa się fala przemocy, a Superman ciągle wierzy w ludzkość i rusza do akcji.
Szkopuł w tym, czy naprawdę warto? Fanów postaci nie muszę uspokajać. Oni wiedzą, że to S na klacie to symbol nadziei i że Supek tak łatwo nie odpuszcza, co go prowadzi na kurs kolizyjny z świeżo ujawnioną postacią. Historia jest mimo tego bardzo przeciętna. Obie strony będą wykładały tu ciągle swoją rację, stosując te same metody, co nieco mnie wynudziło.
Mimo tego to nadal dobrze rozrysowana bijatyka, tylko że bez polotu. I kończy się mało efektownie, nie oferując nam żadnych emocji. Jurgens jest przy tej serii rzemieślnikiem. Można liczyć, że da nam sporo akcji, ale kilka chwil po lekturze w zasadzie nie pamiętam co się działo na przestrzeni całej dotychczasowej serii. Na plus za to kreska, z wyszczególnieniem Viktora Bogdanovica. Jego interpretacja Supka wygląda świetnie. Reszta już tak sobie.
Kto się kryje za maską Oza? Tego nie zdradzę, choć ujawnienie się przeciwnika będzie niemałym trzęsieniem Ziemi dla Człowieka ze Stali. Na tyle dużym, że przedefiniuje jego postrzeganie pewnych rzeczy. I zaboli. Mało tego. W obliczu nadchodzącego, jeszcze większego zagrożenia, Oz postanawia ukazać prawdę o ludziach bohaterowi. Że są niewarci jego poświęcenia i ratunku. Przez świat przelewa się fala przemocy, a Superman ciągle wierzy w ludzkość i rusza do akcji.
Szkopuł w tym, czy naprawdę warto? Fanów postaci nie muszę uspokajać. Oni wiedzą, że to S na klacie to symbol nadziei i że Supek tak łatwo nie odpuszcza, co go prowadzi na kurs kolizyjny z świeżo ujawnioną postacią. Historia jest mimo tego bardzo przeciętna. Obie strony będą wykładały tu ciągle swoją rację, stosując te same metody, co nieco mnie wynudziło.
Mimo tego to nadal dobrze rozrysowana bijatyka, tylko że bez polotu. I kończy się mało efektownie, nie oferując nam żadnych emocji. Jurgens jest przy tej serii rzemieślnikiem. Można liczyć, że da nam sporo akcji, ale kilka chwil po lekturze w zasadzie nie pamiętam co się działo na przestrzeni całej dotychczasowej serii. Na plus za to kreska, z wyszczególnieniem Viktora Bogdanovica. Jego interpretacja Supka wygląda świetnie. Reszta już tak sobie.
June 18, 2018
Fast paced and incredible story-telling, The Oz Effect does one thing: reveal who Mr. Oz really is, and it's a little shocking!
SPOILERS...
Mr. Oz has been manipulating events in the DCU ever since the Rebirth event. Turns out, he is actually Jor-El, returned to life, having been pulled away from the destruction of Krypton during the explosion. (Comic rumor followers can assume the the force controlling Oz is, in fact, Doctor Mahattan) Put through torture and a very painful recovery, Oz has been watching Clark and his family for sometime, and has one goal:
Convince Superman to abandon humanity, which will never get any better due to their reliance on violence and hatred, and take him to a utopia world.
Something huge is coming....universe destroying...
Clark is very skeptical, which continues when he finds out that Oz is responsible for caused worldwide chaos, but comes to accept him as father, right as he is getting taken away by "an unknown force". In his curiousity, he goes to the Watchtower and uses Flash's cosmic treadmill to travel back in time to the end of Krypton. Right after he leaves, Booster Gold shows up, trying to stop him, as he will strongly affect the future.
Will Clark get his answers? Was that really Jor-El? What problem is he causing? Who is coming? What else will happen as we speed towards issue #1000?
Recommend. Superman's stuff has been good for a few years now.
SPOILERS...
Mr. Oz has been manipulating events in the DCU ever since the Rebirth event. Turns out, he is actually Jor-El, returned to life, having been pulled away from the destruction of Krypton during the explosion. (Comic rumor followers can assume the the force controlling Oz is, in fact, Doctor Mahattan) Put through torture and a very painful recovery, Oz has been watching Clark and his family for sometime, and has one goal:
Convince Superman to abandon humanity, which will never get any better due to their reliance on violence and hatred, and take him to a utopia world.
Something huge is coming....universe destroying...
Clark is very skeptical, which continues when he finds out that Oz is responsible for caused worldwide chaos, but comes to accept him as father, right as he is getting taken away by "an unknown force". In his curiousity, he goes to the Watchtower and uses Flash's cosmic treadmill to travel back in time to the end of Krypton. Right after he leaves, Booster Gold shows up, trying to stop him, as he will strongly affect the future.
Will Clark get his answers? Was that really Jor-El? What problem is he causing? Who is coming? What else will happen as we speed towards issue #1000?
Recommend. Superman's stuff has been good for a few years now.
August 3, 2018
Doesn't stand up as well after the excellent fourth volume. The first collected arc--a Clark/Lex fight/team-up arc--has nothing to do with everything the book advertises itself as with its title and cover. It was okay. Underwhelming if you ask me. But the whole Lex thing is just a bit....I don't know.
The reveal of Mr. Oz's identity had no impact for me as I ended up reading Batman: Detective Comics: A Lonely Place of Living first so I already knew who Oz is. That said, it feels like the only way it could work without being gimmicky is if its a part of the whole mystery Watchman messing with time thing that has been alluded to throughout Rebirth. Like it has to be a product of Rebirth itself and the DC/Watchmen crossover/clash they've been building to. I would be disappointed with it otherwise. That said if it is a product of the whole Rebirth Universe was changed messed with thing, what a wonderful way for the big bad behind it all to get at Superman. If Mr. Oz is a weapon someone else created and pointed at Clark it's absolutely brilliant. So it's a bit hard to judge from the middle-point we're at now.
The reveal of Mr. Oz's identity had no impact for me as I ended up reading Batman: Detective Comics: A Lonely Place of Living first so I already knew who Oz is. That said, it feels like the only way it could work without being gimmicky is if its a part of the whole mystery Watchman messing with time thing that has been alluded to throughout Rebirth. Like it has to be a product of Rebirth itself and the DC/Watchmen crossover/clash they've been building to. I would be disappointed with it otherwise. That said if it is a product of the whole Rebirth Universe was changed messed with thing, what a wonderful way for the big bad behind it all to get at Superman. If Mr. Oz is a weapon someone else created and pointed at Clark it's absolutely brilliant. So it's a bit hard to judge from the middle-point we're at now.
June 14, 2018
Wow! I've been reading a fast-track order for Doomsday Clock, and while Rebirth, the Button, and Reborn had bits that were confusing (but still fun reads overall) since I"m not really caught up on DC, The Oz Effect works as not only an incredible standalone, but as a great way to set up Doomsday clock and what it's doing. Essentially, the story is a fairly self-contained morality play. The best Villians are always the ones that think they're doing the right thing, and I think the best evil plans are the ones that really confront the hero's ideology and their sense of self. Mr. Oz is a fantastic villain that makes Superman really question what he's doing (and the reveal of who he was was very surprising, I was expecting someone else). In addition, there's some very interesting moments between Superman and a seemingly reformed Lex Luthor (I'm not sure the context for this, but I'm interested in reading about it) that brings out what's so great about each character. The Oz Effect has piqued my interest for not only Doomsday Clock, but getting into modern DC in general. I really want to read the rest of Rebirth Superman and make sense of it all now. A great standalone book and a great entryway for new fans.
March 16, 2018
Two things stand out in The Oz Effect. Firstly, DC certainly know how to build a story. This secret began way back in the New 52 era. It has festered in the background for years and it is tied in so beautifully the pay-off is incredible.
Secondly, the social commentary that accompanies the main revelation is on point. The book takes a not-so subtle look at the world today. Political instability, immigration worries and abuse scandals. It’s all in there like a slap to the face. Comics have always been about taking real world problems and encouraging people to make a change.
With today’s climate being so volatile, it’s important to remember that we’re all trying to survive on a tiny rock hurtling through space. By showing us humanities dark side, we can work towards the light.
This is more powerful than finding out who the man behind the hood is. I’ve never been much of a Superman fan, but this collection of Action Comics has changed my mind. It doesn’t matter if you’ve read the build up to the Oz Effect or not. This book is for anyone.
Full review can be found - https://wp.me/p9941G-2E
Secondly, the social commentary that accompanies the main revelation is on point. The book takes a not-so subtle look at the world today. Political instability, immigration worries and abuse scandals. It’s all in there like a slap to the face. Comics have always been about taking real world problems and encouraging people to make a change.
With today’s climate being so volatile, it’s important to remember that we’re all trying to survive on a tiny rock hurtling through space. By showing us humanities dark side, we can work towards the light.
This is more powerful than finding out who the man behind the hood is. I’ve never been much of a Superman fan, but this collection of Action Comics has changed my mind. It doesn’t matter if you’ve read the build up to the Oz Effect or not. This book is for anyone.
Full review can be found - https://wp.me/p9941G-2E
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