The comic book “Action Comics #987” aims to answer one of the biggest mysteries in the current DC universe. For the past year, there has been a mysterious character stealing characters, such as Robin, from the world, locking them away, and monitoring Superman from the shadows. This character is Mr. Oz, a green cloaked figure with an affinity for Egyptian myths. This, coupled with the fact that Dr. Manhattan is confirmed to be interfering with the current DC universe, led many to firmly believe that Mr. Oz is in fact Ozymandias also from the “Watchmen” universe. After about a year of buildup,“Action Comics #987,” written by Dan Jurgens and penciled by Viktor Bogdanovic, promises to answer the question of Mr. Oz, and the answer will shake Superman to his core.

The comic opens with Mr. Oz killing one of Superman’s oldest villains, Metallo, by ripping out his Kryptonite heart. This does bring the reader to question how powerful Oz really is, because Metallo is being held in one of the most secure facilities in the world. From there the book cuts to Superman saving a truck full of vaccines in one of the most beautiful full-page illustrations in recent memory. Everything from the pencils to the lettering is pitch perfect. The people seem unusually ungrateful and hostile towards Superman and the police officers around him. The Man of Steel brushes this off and flies the medicine overseas to its destination in Africa. While in the air, Clark reflects on how great his life is; he loves being Superman, being a husband to his wife Lois Lane, and being a father to his son Jon.

Faster than a speeding bullet, things start to spiral downward quickly. Mr. Oz starts to bring out the worst in humanity, people are killing each other for almost no reason. A man goes to his factory to kill illegal immigrants, a father teaches his son to shoot a rhino, a guerrilla faction razes the village full of children to the ground, leaving no survivors. Can Superman save us from ourselves?

Dan Jurgens crafts a perfect superhero story. It’s a fun read that seems to be over in a few mins because of how fast everything flows together. It’s a rare feeling to read something and have a feeling that people are going to look back at this story as a classic, a vital part of the ongoing Superman mythos. Mr. Oz is a compelling villain with immense powers and clear motivation. His ability to bring out the worst impulses in people makes him a fascinating obstacle for Superman, he can’t just punch this problem away. There is some surface level social commentary with how the people are acting with how people in the real world are acting, but this comic doesn’t feel like it’s that deep. That’s fine though, because it’s comic perfection.

Viktor Bogdanovic does a stunning job with his pencils, able to convey the bright and hopeful in the first half of the book with the disturbing horrors of the end of it without changing artistic styles. The art is elevated by the colors. Colorist Mike Spicer makes every color leap off the page, the blue of Superman’s suit contrasting against the flames in the village being particularly memorable.

Overall “Action Comics #987” is a wonderful start to this new story for Superman. Jurgens know his way around this character and I’m excited to see what effect the reveal Mr. Oz will have on the overall universe. Even people with only a passing knowledge of Superman and DC will be surprised and intrigued by the identity of Oz. This is a great place for new readers to jump into “Action Comics” and Superman overall. This is a perfect comic book, one I would recommend the oldest fan and someone who doesn’t know what a comic is. It’s that good.