Dammit, Barry, stop messing with the timeline again! It’s too early to tell if he’s to blame for the events in Superman #14, but it’s normally his fault. Titled “Multiplicity,” this new arc from the writing team of Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason features the return of the Multiverse. The big question is, how does it tie-in with Rebirth?

As Clark drives along a Hamilton County road, he nearly crashes into a battered Red Son Superman, who asks for his help. Red Son Superman tells Clark about his attackers, the Prophecy and his Gatherers, and how they’re after him and Kenan Kong, aka China’s Super-Man. Allowing only a brief moment for expositional dialogue, the Gatherers attack again, making it clear Clark isn’t on their mysterious “lyst.” Proving he’s the ol’ Superman of pre-New 52, Clark declares, “around here the only one making lists is Santa Claus.” Then, him and his bro from Earth 30 put their powers to good use and take down their alien foes.

Cementing the Justice League as the worst latecomers on any Earth, the Justice League Incarnate – the super-guardians of the Multiverse – arrive…after the battle has ended. They introduce themselves, describing how they’re meant to respond to cosmic-level threats and require Clark’s help in finding Super-Man. Despite Clark’s assistance, they’re too late, and the Gatherers cover Super-Man in a black goo – à la Venom from Spider-Man – and take him away.

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In the final pages of the issue, we see the Supermen from various Earths locked in glass cells. A mechanical arm snatches Earth 26’s Captain Carrot from his cell and places him in a menacing-looking glass chamber. There, he’s subjected to what appears to be some painful radiation or energy blast. When the procedure concludes, a mysterious figure (Prophecy?) holds a docile Captain Carrot in his/her hands. A gut feeling says this mystery menace might be known to us, but let’s hope the big bad turns out to be an actual new villain.

Overall, Tomasi and Gleason deliver another compelling installment of Superman. Their writing is on point, showing they truly grasp the main character and his motivations. However, they’ve also made it interesting by throwing a spanner into the works. Including the Justice League Incarnate in the plot will invariably lead to an epic, multi-Earth team-up, but there’s also the possibility of monumental flare-up, too. To date, Tomasi and Gleason haven’t put a foot wrong. So don’t bet against “Multiplicity” becoming another memorable Superman tale; it certainly has all the right elements to do so.

If there’s one thing that could’ve made the issue better, it would be to bring back the earlier art team of Gleason and Mick Gray. While this isn’t a slight on Ivan Reis and Joe Prado’s tremendous talent, Gray and Gleason possessed an X factor. Their backgrounds were breathtaking and their character illustrations reminiscent of classic Superman artists of yesteryear. When a synergy such as this is achieved, creators and publishers need to ride the wave and create history.

Regardless of what you think of Zack Snyder’s big screen endeavors, you can thank him for one thing: Rebirth’s Superman. Thanks to all the criticism, DC’s waved goodbye to the grimdark Kryptonian and resurrected the Big Blue Boy Scout. With hope and optimism now at the heart of every story, it’s a throwback to the time when heroes inspired. What a time to be a Superman fan.