Superman guides us through the New 52 - Action Comics

I've often wondered what it must have been like to pick up a copy of Action Comics #1 off the newsstand and read it back in the day.

After today, I have just the slightest glimmer of that experience.

Grant Morrison and Rags Morales' reboot of Superman was everything that I hoped it would be. It was wonderfully golden age in its themes and visuals, yet decidedly modern age in its storytelling and execution.

This was a Superman unencumbered by years of pre-existing stories, freeing him up to do what Superman was originally intended to do...fight for the people who couldn't fight for themselves, or were powerless before the rich and corrupt. That's not to say that the planet and universe didn't need saving many times over in the intervening decades, but by taking Superman back to the roots of his roots, we're getting our freshest take since All-Star Superman.

And while Morrison is sure to receive the lion's share of credit for this issue, you'd be foolish to overlook the contribution of Rags Morales, Rick Bryant, and Brad Anderson. Together, the three of them have put together one of the most fluid comic books I've read in some time. Each page flowed into the next one, never leaving me with any question about what was going on. Damn, if this wasn't one fine looking book.

Both of the central creators have had the occasion where the "confusing" Morrison or "rushed" Morales has shown up, thankfully this was not one of those times. If the New 52 had done nothing other than give us this Superman, you'd be hard pressed to call it anything other than a smashing success.

And my favorite part?


That right there is a Superman I want to read for the next few decades.

Script by Jerry Siegel
Artwork by Joe Shuster

Action Comics #1
Superman, Champion Of The Oppressed!
June 1938
Copyright (c) DC Comics

and

Script by Grant Morrison
Pencils by Rags Morales
Inks by Rick Bryant
Colors by Brad Anderson
Letters by Patrick Brosseau

Action Comics (Volume 2) #1
Superman Versus The City Of Tomorrow
November 2011
Copyright (c) DC Comics

The Many Lives of Superman #13

The Many Lives of Superman



The Flash!

Script by Cary Bates

Pencils by Curt Swan

Inks by Bob Oksner



Action Comics #441

Weather War Over Metropolis!

November 1974

Copyright (c) DC Comics

The Many Lives of Superman #12

The Many Lives of Superman



Magician!

a.k.a. The Great Kento

Script by Leo Dorfman

Pencils by Curt Swan

Inks by George Roussos



Action Comics #382

Clark Kent, Magician

November 1969

Copyright (c) DC Comics

Carnival rides were so much cooler back in the day

So if you delve a little further into Action Comics #282, you can see exactly what Superman was up to with the frozen dinosaur from yesterday's post.





What better way to teach kids about their natural history, than to have them memorize the names of dinosaurs while riding those actual dinosaurs! Just like the cavemen used to!



Although, let's keep this panel between you and me. We don't need the Discovery Institute getting wind of this one, and adding another "scientific fact" to their young earth creationist agenda.

Script by Bill Finger

Artwork by Al Plastino



Action Comics #282

Superman's Toughest Day!

November 1961

Copyright (c) DC Comics

Sunday versus #23

Superman vs. Frozen Brontosaurus

Hmmm...I wonder why Superman would be messing with frozen dinosaurs?

Script by Bill Finger

Artwork by Al Plastino



Action Comics #282

Superman's Toughest Day!

November 1961

Copyright (c) DC Comics

Creepy Watch

It's creepy enough that Vandal Savage is peeping through the curtains at Superman and Lois' intimate moment...but then to have Luthor and Jimmy spying on Vandal and commenting on his emotional needs just amps up the creepiness.

Script by Marv Wolfman
Pencils by Curt Swan
Inks by Frank Chiaramonte
Colors by Gene D'Angelo
Letters by Ben Oda

Action Comics #516
Time And Time Again!
February 1981
Copyright (c) DC Comics

Carefree Justice of the Golden Age

Script by Jerry Siegel

Pencils by Joe Shuster



Action Comics #12

May 1939

Copyright (c) DC Comics

The Many Lives of Superman #10

The Many Lives of Superman





Early American Colonist!

Script by Cary Bates

Pencils by Curt Swan

Inks by Tex Blaisdell



Action Comics #463

Die Now, Live Later!

September 1976

Copyright (c) DC Comics

Sunday versus #20

Superman vs. Space Dinosaur

Dinosaurs...from...spaceeeeeeeeeeee...

Script by Gerry Conway
Pencils by Curt Swan
Inks by Frank Chiaramonte
Colors by Gene D'Angelo
Letters by Ben Oda

Action Comics #519
Where The Space-Winds Blow!
May 1981
Copyright (c) DC Comics

Superhero fashion faux-pas

What could it possibly be?

And why are you wearing the Trickster's clothes?

Script by Cary Bates
Pencils by Curt Swan
Inks by Murphy Anderson

Action Comics #410
The Satanic Son Of Superman
March 1972
Copyright (c) DC Comics

Greatest face mask ever!

Hmmmm...let's see...

You've escaped imprisonment in a Soviet Socialist Republic prison camp after giving yourself super powers by using a blend of three ancient Kryptonian hyper-explosives that crash landed on Earth after being banned and sent into the vastness of space.

So did the Kryptonian's fire off any rockets that didn't eventually crash on Earth?

Anyways, you're now set up with a new life in America and it's time to make Superman pay for never having rescued you from your slave labor, only there is one problem...you have a killer Iron Curtain mustache that you're unwilling to shave off and will no doubt give away your identity.

What to do?

Design the world's greatest face mask, that's what!

Script by Leo Dorfman
Pencils by Wayne Boring
Inks by Wayne Boring

Action Comics #357
The Kryptonite Rumble!
December 1967
Copyright (c) DC Comics

Superman Island

I'm not going to read it, so I can't say for sure, but there's no way the Spider-Island story starting today over in Amazing Spider-Man #666 can beat this!

Script by Marv Wolfman
Pencils by Curt Swan
Inks by Frank Chiaramonte
Colors by Gene D'Angelo
Letters by John Costanza

Action Comics #513
The Return Of Superman Island
November 1980
Copyright (c) DC Comics

The Silver Age Flaming C!

So last weekend, the world's greatest comic book store was having one of their semi-regular auctions, this one dealing with a whole lot of Silver Age books. I was able to pick up about 40 books for a little over 3 bucks a piece, filling in a bunch of holes in my collection.

While looking through my new found treasures, I came a across a character I was unfamiliar with.

One thought immediately sprung to mind...is this the first Silver Age appearance of The Flaming C?


He's obviously had some lasik surgery since his debut, and learned about the finer art of Jai Alai, but no...it's just another crime fighting robot from the 27th century, who goes by the name of Captain Incredible, wreaking havoc in our time period.

Script by Cary Bates
Pencils by Al Plastino
Inks by Al Plastino

Action Comics #354
Captain Incredible!
September 1967
Copyright (c) DC Comics

When did I miss this reboot?

So I'm getting psyched for Grant Morrison's upcoming reboot of Superman. So excited, that I've been going back and rereading some of the other endings and reboots that have occurred over Superman's career.

Somehow though, this particular revision of his origin came as news to me.


What...was this when the Three Stooges were given the creative reins of the Superman titles?

Script by Leo Dorfman
Pencils by Ross Andru
Inks by Mike Esposito

Action Comics #365
Superman's Funeral!
July 1968
Copyright (c) DC Comics

Delegating Justice of the Golden Age

There's a fine line between knowing when to do something yourself and knowing when to delegate.

Script by Jerry Siegel
Artwork by Joe Shuster

Action Comics #13
Superman vs. The Cab Protective League
June 1939
Copyright (c) DC Comics

Overly optimistic visions of the future

So let's see, if I do my math right, that puts this panel square in 1984!

It's actually been 42 years, and I'm still waiting for NASA to open up a greasy spoon on the Sea Of Tranquility.

Script by Cary Bates
Pencils by Curt Swan
Inks by Murphy Anderson

Action Comics #410
The Satanic Son Of Superman
March 1972
Copyright (c) DC Comics

Adventures in super-dating

The things us guys will do to make time with the ladies...


I wonder how many times Clark went Jitterbugging in his zoot suit after they became a couple. I'm willing to bet it's somewhere close to zero. Unless it was a cover for them to write an expose on Intergang's iron-clad grip on the underworld jitterbug criminal scene, because that obviously wouldn't count.

Script by Cary Bates
Pencils by Curt Swan
Inks by Murphy Anderson

Action Comics #419
The Most Dangerous Man On Earth!
December 1972
Copyright (c) DC Comics

Sunday versus #16

Superman vs. Rampaging Dinosaur Horde

Sixteen Sunday battles versus dinosaurs in, and I don't think Superman is taking this seriously anymore. Skipping into a raging pack of dinosaurs?

It's like you're not even trying anymore.

Script by Marv Wolfman
Pencils by Curt Swan
Inks by Frank Chiaramonte
Colors by Gene D'Angelo
Letters by Ben Oda

Action Comics #516
Time And Time Again!
February 1981
Copyright (c) DC Comics

The Many Lives of Superman #7

The Many Lives of Superman


Editor In Chief!

Script by ?
Pencils by Al Plastino
Inks by Al Plastino

Action Comics #302
The Amazing Confession of Super-Perry White!
July 1963
Copyright (c) DC Comics

The Russian Nesting Doll Theory Of Secret Identities

For those times when you need to be extra careful about your secret identity, nothing beats wearing a rubber mask of your secret identity, over your super hero costume, over your actual face.

Script by Cary Bates
Pencils by Curt Swan
Inks by Murphy Anderson

Action Comics #408
The Shocking Secret Of Super-X!
January 1972
Copyright (c) DC Comics