It was on April 18, 1938 that the world first discovered the exploits of Superman – the iconic creation of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster first hitting the public eye on the cover of ACTION COMICS #1 (cover dated June). Some four decades later, the “last son of Krypton” would come to life on the big screen with the release of 1978’s Superman: The Movie, fueling kicking off another generation of heroics that caught the eye of many – myself among them. While my childhood was filled with superheroes, it was Superman that really grabbed me and pulled me into the medium where it all began – comics. Specifically, it was John Byrne’s 1986 mini-series, The Man of Steel that did it (a series I’ve since shared with my daughters), and for the Christmas of 1987 I asked for one thing: the collected trade paperback edition, which I received and still have. Byrne’s run on Superman introduced me to the countless spinoffs and made me a regular reader of Action Comics during an era where you had to buy three books (Superman, Action Comics, Adventures of Superman) to follow a complete story arc. From there I discovered the back issue bins, eventually delving into the five decades of storytelling that came before. Fast-forward another three decades and Superman is turning 80 – and as part of that celebration, Action Comics becomes the first superhero title to reach an incredible milestone – the publication of its 1000th issue.
ACTION COMICS #1000 hits comic shops on April 18, 2018 – exactly 80 years after Superman first hit newsstands, and my friends at DC Comics recently sent me a package that the kid version of me would’ve never believed. The giant-sized edition of Action Comics #1000, complete with reflective cover and stories from a host of talent past and present; ACTION COMICS: 80 YEARS OF SUPERMAN (Deluxe Edition) – a 384-page hardcover that looks back on eight decades of Superman with reprinted stories, essays, tributes and stories from a ton of literary talent plus a never-before-published story by Jerry Siegel with art from the Joe Shuster Studio; an ACTION COMICS #1000 T-Shirt featuring the art of DC Publisher Jim Lee; and… a pair of COMMEMORATIVE SUPERMAN RED TRUNKS. Indeed, after a long absence, #TheTrunksAreBack, and DC tossed a pair in the box!
The books are a fantastic tribute to a character that can inspire hope, yet be completely badass – one that through numerous cycles of reinvention is still an unmistakable symbol of “truth, justice and the American way.” Whether you’re a longtime reader, an old-school fan looking to dive back in, or someone who’s never actually read the comics, ACTION COMICS #1000 is the perfect spot to get involved as Superman begins a journey into the next 80 years.
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