The mystery of Mr. Oz has finally been revealed in The Oz Effect part 2!
Since the beginning of Geoff Johns /John Romita Jr’s New 52 Superman run, Mr. Oz was a mysterious figure who orchestrated things behind the scenes for the Last Son of Krypton. And since the Rebirth era which had begun last year, Mr. Oz became a more prominent figure throughout all of DC Rebirth and its various titles. Fan theories began to circulate, some claiming that Mr. Oz was possibly Ozymandias from Watchmen, others predicted that it may be pre 52 Lex Luthor, or the first Incarnation of Superman (who looked like Lex Luthor ). But now, the rumors and speculation will finally be put to rest as Mr. Oz’s identity has been revealed within the prior issue, that Mr. Oz is none other than Jor-El father of Kal-El otherwise known as Clark Kent and to the universe, known as Superman.
Now realizing who Mr. Oz is, how does this change Superman’s outlook on humanity? What will become of Superman in the long run? Is Mr. Oz truly what he says he is? And will Superman manage to overcome this reveal, or will he abandon all that he once knew?
Dan Jurgens seems to never lose touch with the very character that he has written since the 90s. Dan Jurgens has managed to display growth within his writing and understanding of Superman in ways that possibly overshadow his prior work in the 90s. Which is fantastic because of other than Peter J Tomasi and Patrick Gleason, not many writers really know or understand Superman best other than those mentioned. In regards to the writing of this issue, it’s pretty solid in regards to how Jor-El ended up surviving the entire Destruction of Krypton. Since DC Rebirth hinges on its tether to Watchmen, it’s an acceptable reveal as to how Jor-El AKA Me Oz survived. As for his interaction with Superman, it’s really interesting seeing how Jurgens begins to make Superman question his whole entire purpose due to his Kryptonian father surviving. It’s interesting taking a very confident character and shattering everything he ever knew in a believable way making readers wonder whether Superman will end up giving in and becoming another Zod or worse. Although despite that the reason behind Jor-El’s revival sounds solid (for now), I only wonder how long it will last, or when it will be retconned at some point.
Ryan Sook’s artwork is fantastic and that first page opening of Superman in denial is good to set up for what the entire issue is about. There are some good panel layouts and page choices, especially in the pages where Jor-El provides exposition about his journey into how he survived the destruction of Krypton. The rest of the team does a solid job in the coloring, inking and lettering department.
This is a very impressive arc so far, and new stepping stone in the pages of Action Comics and Superman. One might get the feeling that this will be a must read when this arc is over, and most likely will become an essential Superman read. Definitely, add this to your pull list as the mysteries of Rebirth are finally being answered.
Newsdesk