Chris Kent, aka Nightwing, shares a tender moment with his adopted mom Lois, shortly after which Dr. Hoshi, aka Dr. Light, is summoned to treat Thara, aka Flamebird, who was seriously wounded last issue during the battle with Ursa at the Fortress of Solitude.  Chris, realizing he left his “sleeper” prisoner at The Fortress alone with a recovering Ursa rushes back to find him murdered at her hands as she “could not risk him talking.”  All the while General Lane continues his machinations against any and all Kryptonians, while bringing a new player into the game, and a “Bonnie and Clyde” type of a Kryptonian couple make themselves known.

This issue, shield # 25 of the saga currently running through the Superman Family books, is packed with developments, perhaps the most interesting of which is some back story on Lor-Zod/Chris Kent/Nightwing’s rapid ageing and maturation, all of which while quite unnatural, has done nothing to harm the natural morality instilled in him during his time in the care of Lois and Clark shortly after Superman defeated Zod’s attempt at taking over Earth, just after he, Non and Ursa were freed from the Phantom Zone some time back.

While Thara remains unconscious for the entire issue, she is revealed to have played a role in helping Chris escape his captivity under his father Zod thus explaining the bond between the two.  Their adopting of the legendary identities of Nightwing and Flamebird, ancient heroes of Krypton, occurred shortly after leading to their current role as headliners in Action Comics while Superman is away.

Sidney Teles’ pencils deliver more of what we’ve come to expect of his stint in Action Comics. Highly detailed uniforms and dress coupled with a good deal of graphic (but not gory) detail where battle wounds and blood are concerned although this issue is a little less bloody than last, mostly due to the fact that there is a good deal less action in this issue.

Overall, the unfolding of Chris’ story and the further developments of General Lane’s machinations along with Ursa and Zod’s “sleeper” Kryptonians scheme keep us eager for more, as it is obvious that these developments are going to come to a head at some point with massive confrontations and battles to ensue.  Action Comics remains a strong read even without the big guy around. 

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