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

Carefree Justice of the Golden Age

Script by Jerry Siegel

Pencils by Joe Shuster



Action Comics #12

May 1939

Copyright (c) DC Comics

Sunday versus #22

Clark Kent and Lois Lane vs. Pterodactyl

So that's two weeks in a row with a shot of Clark and Lois being torn from a plane by a Pterodactyl.



I'm sensing a sub-theme within a theme. The challenge is on for next week to find a third.

Script by Jerry Siegel

Pencils by Joe Shuster

Inks by Paul Cassidy



Superman #4

Luthor's Undersea City

Spring 1940

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

Ultimate Spidey R.I.P.

So if you believe everything that the polybags tell you, today's the day that Peter Parker, a.k.a. The Ultimate Spider-Man, dies.


I'm of two minds on this one, as Ultimate Spider-Man is pretty much the end-all, be-all of comic book perfection for the first decade of this millennium. But then again, the four dollar price point killed my reading of this book two years ago, so I've long since made my peace with his demise.

Still, it'll definitely put a nice cap on Peter's story and provide me with a finite number of books I need to go back and find on ebay (for hopefully less than $4 a book).

Script by Jerry Siegel
Artwork by Joe Shuster

Superman Sunday Newspaper Strip #81
May 18, 1941
Copyright (c) DC Comics

Awesome Shuster Pin-Up

With all the recent talk and attention devoted to new beginnings, let's use the opportunity today to divert our attention back towards the original.

Today's pin-up features work by none other than the co-creator of Superman, Joe Shuster!

Artwork by Joe Shuster

Action Comics #544
June 1983
Copyright (c) DC Comics

Short Tempered Justice Of The Golden Age

I guess even Superman is allowed to wake up on the wrong side of the Fortress of Solitude every now and again.

Script by Jerry Siegel
Artwork by Joe Shuster

Superman #4
Luthor's Undersea City
Spring 1940
Copyright (c) DC Comics

Sunday versus #1

It's time for the debut of another regular feature here at the 101. This one coming into existence for no other reason than it's an excuse for me to post some awesome visuals (not to mention getting to use a killer pun in the title), it's...

Superman vs. Dinosaurs

Come back every Sunday and we'll have a new pic of Superman fighting dinosaurs until I run out of stories. I'm thinking I'm probably set until the end of the year, but we shall see.

Script by Jerry Siegel
Artwork by Joe Shuster

Superman #4
Luthor's Undersea City
Spring 1940
Copyright (c) DC Comics