Superman: Action Comics: Phantoms

by Mark Waid, Clayton Henry (Artist), Michael Shelfler (Artist)

The grim dimensional prison known as the Phantom Zone holds the worst criminalsknown to the universe, each one as powerful as Kal-El. Now Krypton’s Last Son mustenter the Phantom Zone to investigate a deadly jailbreak…but is trouble on thehorizon? As the Aethyr sets his devious plan into motion, Superman must unravelthe true nature of the Phantom Zone before it claims its final inmate!From superstars Mark Waid (Batman/ World’s Finest) and Clayton Henry(Batman/Superman) comes the untold tale of one of Superman’s most storieddimensions. What is the history of the Phantom Zone, and how can the Man of Steelever escape it again?

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Superman, Graphic Novels, Graphic Novels Comics

272 pages, Paperback

First published July 15, 2025

About the author

Mark Waid (born March 21, 1962 in Hueytown, Alabama) is an American comic book writer. He is best known for his eight-year run as writer of the DC Comics' title The Flash, as well as his scripting of the limited series Kingdom Come and Superman: Birthright, and his work on Marvel Comics' Captain America.

Reviews

[Molly™☺ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Waid has provided a lot of hit or miss stories in recent years, and Superman: Action Comics: Phantoms is more the latter than the former. The build-up is slow, and whilst the gratuitous and over-the-top action provides some good panels and fun moments, it is too little too late by that point. It goes on for far too long, and Waid has nothing to offer in most of the issues, resulting in poor pacing, narrative direction, and a general sense of a lack of quality.

NOTE: Tamaki’s Supergirl story will warrant a re-read before being properly reviewed.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4 stars

I really enjoyed the main Superman A-story but I wish the B-story featuring Superboy and Super-Man (‘You can’t pronounce a hyphen!’ made me laugh) had been a backup strip rather than folded rather clumsily into the main tale.

The Supergirl backup was quite good but it dragged on too long; it would have made for a better story at about half the length.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the Phantom Zone starts spitting out random prisoners, Superman heads inside to try and work out what the problem is, bringing him into contact with old friends like Mon-El, old foes like the Phantom King, and even older acquaintances like his father back on Krypton.

For a twelve issue story, this managed to keep me entertained and engrossed all the way through. The stakes change and the setting shifts a few times as it goes on, keeping things fresh rather than just rehashing the same fight over and over, and while there are a few random detours (the stuff with Kenan and Conner is amusing, but ultimately not important) along the way, it's still got enough story to keep it going for a full twelve issues.

The artwork is surprisingly almost all by Clayton Henry, an artist I thought was notoriously slow, and yet he pencils at least most of 11 of the 12 issues. He shares with Michael Shelfer, who's less polished, but does a decent job. He mostly gets 3 or 4 pages per issue focusing on the aforementioned Kenan & Conner stuff, then starts to share the main story near the end once everything comes back together.

Solid, dense, and with a big Superman sized heart.

[Khurram · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay Superman family book. I would have given this book 3.5 stars, it just did not grip me enough to give it a round-up. Apparently, these comics were released weekly for this adventure. I am glad to have all 12 issues in one book.

Superman/Kal/Clark has always been uneasy about the Phantom Zone. Especially with his father's connection to its discovery and use as a prison. Now there has been an escape three Kryptonians have been merged. Tripling their power, agony and madness. This forces Superman to investigate the Phantom Zone from the inside. However, this could put the whole universe in danger. Are the Super Family up to the task against the worst of their kind?

The book takes place on Earth, the Phantom Zone, and across space and time. I think partly I am overlooking the de-powered Superman all the time. I think something might come out of this book later. The book finishes with a few character design sketches.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story dragged on way to long, and I don't think the concept was strong enough to support it. I liked the Supergirl story, too. But that also dragged on. And a crappy Superboy story sandwiched in between.

[Alex A · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay TPB overall; not the strongest of Waid's recent DC comics.

The main storyline is pretty good. Clever writing/dialogue and Clayton Henry's art is fantastic. I almost wish it was the only story.

Not so much the Superboy/Super-Man B plot. Although it doesn't affect the main story, it's inserted into it and disrupts the narrative flow. Michael Shelfer's art is inconsistent and looks especially bad when juxtaposed with Henry's art. It probably would've been better as a separated backup.

For some reason the Tamaki / Partridge Supergirl story wasn't included. (Tamaki's recent DC stuff has been good IMO, but it was published in the same Action Comics issues.) My rating may change once I read it.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this as the individual issues of Action Comics. A very solid story by Waid that only suffers a bit from pacing at the end.

[Roman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Недавно Марк Вейд зазирнув у тривалку "Action Comics" для сюжету "Фантоми", який він вперше затизерив на сторінках своєї серії "World's Finest". Сам сюжет відбувається у проміжок після "Абсолютної Влади", але до ван-шоту "All In".

Звичайний день Супермена перериває атака загадкового створіння, яке виглядає так немов декілька різних тіл ліпили в одне. Зупинивши його, Кларк усвідомлюю, що воно втекло з Фантомної Зони й вирішує провести розслідування. Прибувши на місце Супс дізнається, що в'язницю було повністю тераформовану, а всі ув'язнені тепер не є привидами, а мають форму й жадають відплатити Супермеру за те, що його батько ув'язнив їх тут. І тепер Супсу потрібно не тільки дізнатися як це сталося, але й пережити усі небезпеки, які приховує нова Фантомна Зона.

На превеликий жаль сюжет вийшов максимально нудним, нехай і потенційно цікаві ідеї у ньому були. Так, наприклад ми досить швидко дізнаємося, що за всі стоїть богоподібна істота Аетир, яка намагалася зробити Зону кращим місцем для її мешканців не знаючи про те, що це все зеки, які при першій нагоді почали творити звірства. За що він і перетворив ФЗ у небезпечне місце, яким воно є зараз для того, щоб знущатися та карати місцевих. І це цікава мотивація, однак все інше навколо нього банально нудне і він навіть не доживає до останнього акту. Також з потенційно цікавого Вейд тут повернув Мон-Ела, історія якого мені завжди подобалася, але який у цій історії не приводить ні до чого цікавого. Навіть потенційний конфлікт, який Вейд тут намагається зробити лиш змушує мене закотити очі.

Також місцеву історію заносить взагалі не туди.  Що я маю на увазі то в один момент Супса закидує в минуле на Криптон де він зустрічає своїх батьків та зіштовхується з тим, що один з представників Наукової Ради відбирає прилади у його батька, а також браслети, які дають Кларку силу у Зоні. Мені ще подобається як синопсиси цих номерів нагло пиздять про те, що у Кал-Ела буде конфлікт з батьком, бо йому потрібно буде дізнатися таємницю Фантомної Зони. Ага, нічого з цього в самому коміксі немає. Тут ще є момент з тим, як Супс розкриває ким він і натякає, що занепокоєння Джор-Ела правдиві лихому представнику ради, але це ні до чого не приводить.

Фінальний же акт зосереджується на втечі в'язнів зі зруйнованої Зони й тому як наші герої намагаються знову їх у в'язнити. Однак хронометражу на щось цікаве банально не залишилося, в результаті потенційно цікава ідея тут вкотре зливається.

"Phantoms" є великим розчаруванням, сюжет неймовірно розтягнутий, тут є цікаві ідеї, які Вейду на жаль не вдалося реалізувати вдало. Плюс для перепочинку від Фантомної Зони ми час від часу відволікаємося на лінію Супербоя та Супермена Китаю, які намагаються повернути речі, які вкрали з Фортеці Самотності, але воно взагалі тут не потрібно і тільки жре місце на сторінках. Не можу порадити цей сюжет, сподіваюся сюжет Вейда про молодого Кларка у цій тривалці буде набагато кращим.

[Subham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually such a fun series to read and love tat its 12 issues and Mark waid finally getting the chance to write the title he has always wanted and you see he writes it so well with the whole premise being that Phantom zone prisoner monstrosities escape one day and how does he handle it and its awesome plus the whole mystery of whose behind it and him going to PZ and discovering how its changed and finally teaming with MON-EL and their emotional reunion is awesome and I love seeing that aspect of the story!

Then you obviously have the big thing with them discovering AETHYR, the villain of the story and love the tie-ins with Batman/Superman: WF that Waid is also doing and how he ties it with that and his motivations and all and how its changed and Superman being exiled somewhat and his trip to the past of Krypton and meeting his mom and dad there and well the things he sees there and learns what his Dad's real motivations and plans with the PZ were and love that and the troubles with the SCIENCE council!

And basically Aethyr's whole plan and all and how it has endangered earth and he becomes a victim of his own plans and yeah he could have had a larger role and better ending but oh well and then the thing with how Superman and all the heroes of the earth have to team-up and basically protect the planet and I love how its escaped PZ'ers vs them and the stakes are high and you learn about Krypton mutants and all and that was nice to see and it becomes inter-planetary also and so cool to see that and it sort of becomes like a prequel to Waid's Justice League Unlimited!!

Awesome ending and emotional goodbye again with MON-EL but a cool twist and meta-commentary with Prisoners and parol and what not but it could have been better like Mon-el finally being free and back to the world of living but well that would make yet another Kryptonian around!

GREAT story end of day and I had fun reading it weekly and re-reading it for this and I honestly think its one of the better Superman story lately following PKJ's run on Action comics! DEFINITELY READ IT!

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

When it comes to Superman, In Mark Waid We Trust. This book wasn't hyped or promoted, so I was really surprised with how epic in scope it ended up being. Waid unapologetically loves all the Silver Age elements of the Man of Steel that were jettisoned in his 1980s relaunch, and this book goes a long way in really bringing them back, including the Phantom Zone, the Kryptonian criminals, Mon-El, the bottled city of Kandor, a time travel side quest back to Krypton, a hint at Clark's Superboy past, and more. Full embrace of all the wildest conceits of Superman lore, but tempered with the fast-paced modern storytelling of the Modern Age.

The book had actual stakes, sometimes that can hard to do with a character who can essentially do anything; it's a real achievement when Superman is the underdog in the story.

An interesting subplot in this book interested me as a Superman nerd, where Waid takes the opportunity to retcon the Phantom Zone's discovery. Traditionally, Superman's father Jor-El discovered the extra-dimensional plane, and subsequently used it as a form of imprisonment (as anyone who's seen the Donner Superman movies would know!). In today's political climate of prison reform and skepticism about traditional "law and order" forms of punishment, this element of the character seemed to undercut the unerring benevolence of Superman's father in the modern context. How Waid finesses elements of the story to keep the broad strokes of the lore intact while also exonerating Jor-El of being a "lock'em up" conservative is interesting.

This celebrates the rich world of Superman, and anyone coming out of the movie wanting something that has that same "anything goes" vibe, this would be a great book to try.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

When mutated Kryptonians start popping out of the Phantom Zone, Superman goes in to investigate. There's a lot of retconning going on with this. Some because Mon-El returns and who knows what's been retconned currently with the Legion of Super-Heroes. It's only been completely changed 4 or 5 times now and Bendis completely fubared it last I saw. (They had this all completely straightened out in the 90s when Mon-El got his own comic. Of course, DC screwed that up multiple times since then.) Krypton gets some retconning as well during this which seems to happen every time it's history comes up. New Super-man has also apparently taken some language classes between the recent backup stories in Action and now because now he speaks better English than Superboy when he could barely speak English before.

Still its not a bad story, just one with more inconsistencies than I typically expect from Waid. Clayton Henry's art is great and he does 80% of the 12 issues with Michael Shelfer filling in. Their art styles do not mix well.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Waid sometimes goes way too retro for my tastes, making think he is stuck in the past. However, here he uses his inner fanboy (IMO), and knowledge of the past to write a Superman story that is a bit retro, but brings some of 2024 in too.

Superman has to travel to the Phantom Zone because it has become unstable. There are some minor (emphasis minor) science fiction trappings to this tale, but the good parts are:

A) Mon-El is brought back into play as a character. A more serious version than usual outside a brief (but good run) in the 5 Year Gap Legion of Super Heroes run. Here being stuck in the zone is affecting his personality.

B) Superman questions his father's creation of the Zone as a prison, and as punishment that is so severe it makes people worse coming out than when they went in. Incarceration and rehabilitation are touched on.

C) Not a great Superman story, no. But, honestly more enjoyable than I expected.

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mark Waid spends some time with Superman as DC goes 'All In...'

The Phantom Zone has been an ongoing problem for the Superman family. It started out as a dimension that Kryptonians beamed criminals into, leaving them intangible and ageless. Now, it's this tangible, violent wasteland. We get reintroduction of Mon-El (which version of the character IS this? Seriously). O course, the Phantom Zone has a complicated history and there's a 'big bad' behind all the recent turmoil. Can Superman save the Phantom Zone OR save Earth?

Better choose wisely...
=================
This thing was published weekly, and it's probably a bit longer than it should be. Parts of it are juuuuuuuust slooooooow.
-----
Bonus: Kryptonopolis (say that 5x fast) was the largest city on Krypton?
Bonus Bonus: Why does EVERY Supergirl side story suck so hard?
Bonus *the 3rd*: Superboy / Super-Man teamups are the palate cleanser you need...

[Emile Rudoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

No me terminó de convencer. Jamás entendí el viaje al pasado, no se como se dio. No se explica. No se si tendrá repercusiones en el futuro (cosa que a estas alturas ya entiendo que las historias hay que tomarlas como autocontenidas). Me agrada cada vez mas ver Legionarios, pero no me gustó la caracterización que se hizo de Mon-El. Te estás muriendo por el plomo en el ambiente. No seas pendejo, entiende que no puedes salir fácilmente de la Zona Fantasma. También siento que no era necesario que tuviera DOCE PARTES. En fin, una historia olvidable. No se si Mark Waid perdió el toque. No se para que tanto quería escribir a Superman para esto.

[Pietro Rossi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 12 part epic is a must. We get to explore the Phantom Zone, the last days of Krypton and a battle to save the Earth.

The main drivers are bringing solidity into the Zone to stop it being like a wraith like soundless chamber, takes matter from Earth's sun. Thus endangering the solar system. 

Aethyr enters the Zone to make life better for the inmates, or Zoners as they are referred to,  but as there's no gratitude, he ends up punishing the Zoners.

We see the Superman Family at work, and also witness reactions from the Bottle City of Kandor as the Zoners escape and cause havoc. 

These strands weave together naturally. 8/10

[Néstor Vargas · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can feel that it had a weekly pace. The exploration of the Phantom Zone is nothing new, but Waid adds an interesting layer to it. The problem is that a lot of it revolves around Mon-El, and I’m not that invested in this character. The best things were the small trip to the past and the creative way to solve the final conflict. The Kenan and Connor side story is a comedic relief that serves its purpose. Good art by Henry, too.

[Dean · Rating 2 out of 5]

Clayton Henry is a really good artist. The colouring was also nice.
The story went on far too long and I lost interest.
It also added in a third storyline for Kenan and Connor, which i didn't like at all.

The Supergirl story I wasn't interested in either but the art on the first and last issue was superb. A Bilquis Eveley ish style.

[Adam Witt · Rating 3 out of 5]

(read in singles)

This one runs a little slow, but once it gets into a full stride, you can see Waid's love for all these characters come out. it's probably the weakest of his current DC efforts, still impressive enough that I didn't feel any of my time was wasted.

extra love to Mariko Tamaki's Supergirl backup. experimental and groovy, a fun read.

[Steven desJardins · Rating 3 out of 5]

High 3 stars. A substandard villain whose motive for wreaking havoc on two dimensions is, basically, that he's petulant, narcissistic, and philosophically incoherent. Waid has talent with characterization and plot but I wish every threat his heroes face wasn't on the scale of planetary (or universal) destruction.

[Donavon · Rating 3 out of 5]

At times, uneven pacing with abrupt ending.

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5.

Waid knows his DC canon and does greats things like work in Mon-El.

[alejandro galvez · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good

One of the better titles at DC has produced in the past 2 years. This was a really good and fun comic. Give it a go. Its very good!

[Trevor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprised to see so many so-so reviews for this. For me, it was easily my favorite Superman story of this recent, post-Warworld era.

[Raj Aich · Rating 5 out of 5]

A full blown superman adventure. A fun read till the end. Phantom zone was never portrayed as menacing as this one and loved the cameo of Mon-El.