“He doesn’t look like Superman without the shorts!”

April 18, 2018 1:24 PM

'Action Comics' #1000 Is a Historic Superman Comic That Will Make You Cry [Inverse] “At 80 years young, Superman has never looked better. In the landmark 1,000th issue of DC’s Action Comics, available now, a murderer’s row of comic book writers have gathered for an anthology that celebrates the Man of Steel’s place in popular culture. And if you have a beating heart, it will also make you cry over a fictional character famous for wearing red underwear.”

• Action Comics #1000, explained [Polygon]

“Action Comics #1000 is a collection of some of the greatest writers and artists of the past half-century (Dan Jurgens, Neal Adams, Louise Simonson, Paul Dini, Jim Lee, Geoff Johns and Tom King, to name just a few) all doing their own quick and definitive take on what makes Superman special. Some are meditations on the concept of heroism, or on how a good heroic figure doesn’t just prevent and protect, but inspire. Others use the expansive history of Superman as a stand in for the history of the genre, for the value of escapist hero stories in general. Others drill down a little smaller, on how Clark Kent’s job as a journalist informs his actions as Superman, or how Superman himself finds his own inspiration in the people around him. Tom King and Clay Mann craft a short and sweet story about Superman memorializing the natural death of our sun in a way that brings a fantastic event to a human reality — and genuinely put a lump in my throat.”

• Action Comics: The Greatest Covers From the First 1000 Issues [CBR]

“History was made this week with the release of the 1000th issue of Action Comics, the first non-weekly comic book series to reach that magical number. Naturally, when you have that many issues released over the years, you are bound to have a number of amazing comic book covers, as well. Interestingly, though, when it came to Superman covers, DC Comics (then called National) tended to put more of their cover efforts into Superman’s solo title, Superman, then Action Comics. So most of what you think of in terms of the most iconic Superman covers appeared on that series. However, that left plenty of amazing covers for Action Comics, as well. Due to there being an inordinate amount of great covers from certain eras, we felt that the fairest way to handle this list, to give you an accurate view of Superman’s history, would be to limit each decade to five covers. Therefore, there might be certain eras (like the 1960s, in particular) who otherwise would have had more books on the list. Note that in terms of “greatness,” we’re taking into account not just how well-drawn the covers are, but how iconic and historic they were, as well. Essentially, which covers would show up if you were writing a history of Superman.”

• Man Of Steel, Belted: 'Action Comics #1000' And The Return Of A Super-Accessory [NPR]

“No, here's why the return of the yellow belt is so important. Here's its true, vital, abiding purpose: It pops. Comics are a visual medium, in which images and words combine to produce an instantaneous, visceral effect in the brain. And when it comes to superhero comics, their appeal is visual first, textual second. Superheroes are bold, simple, iconic creations of color and line; they are, in a very real sense, fashion personified. Superman most of all: He is a character of primary — and primary colored — appeal. Batman, a creature of shadow, is about his silhouette — those ears, that billowing cape. Superman is about his color scheme — bright, friendly, familiar. Purely as a artisanal blend of design elements, he hits our retinas from three discrete but cohesive points on the color wheel: The blue of his suit. The red of his cape (and his boots, and his trunks). And the yellow of his belt.”

posted by Fizz (44 comments total)

Glen Weldon (who wrote the "belt" story) has been tweeting out some of his old Superman stories (journalistickal stories, not funny-book stories), and "I Gotta Cut Krypto" is just beautiful.
posted by Etrigan at 1:42 PM on April 18, 2018 [3 favorites]

Man, that death of the sun story. Guess I haven't cleaned my house too recently, cuz it's awfully dusty in here......
posted by triage_lazarus at 2:04 PM on April 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

Etrigan, that Krypto article is fantastic. Immediately shared with my dad, who is so obsessed with the Dog of Steel, he has a KRYPTO license plate.

I'll definitely have to make an exception to my "no buying floppies" rule for this issue. But Superman's already made me cry, in the seminal Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? tale by Alan Moore and Curt Swan.
posted by saturngirl at 2:06 PM on April 18, 2018 [7 favorites]

Finally sanity is restored.
posted by Artw at 2:11 PM on April 18, 2018 [3 favorites]

That is an absolutely awful cover by Jim Lee. Supes looks like a half-melted wax-man.
posted by turbid dahlia at 2:13 PM on April 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

Uhh but I don't mean to shit on the event or the book. Supes is an important pop icon and there are some good writers in there.
posted by turbid dahlia at 2:16 PM on April 18, 2018

There is a variant old-fashioned cover which is much better!
posted by triage_lazarus at 2:17 PM on April 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

Seconding the overall betterness of the variant.
posted by Artw at 2:20 PM on April 18, 2018

The Lee cover has (rightfully) been getting a ton of criticism, which is sad because it’s Jim Lee and this is such a milestone issue. It really feels like he half-assed it, or maybe he just doesn’t have it in him anymore.
posted by Sangermaine at 2:32 PM on April 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

For anyone who wants to view those variants: Action Comics #1000 Variants From Allred, Gibbons & More
posted by Fizz at 2:35 PM on April 18, 2018 [4 favorites]

I read the book this afternoon - and, yeah, I did find myself filling up a bit. When it's done right, Superman's never-waivering faith in humanity can do that for you.
posted by Paul Slade at 2:57 PM on April 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

From the "Greatest Covers from the First 1000" link:

However, the cover that we’re going to spotlight is one of Superman’s most popular villains of the 1940s, Mister Mxyztplk (the spelling of the time).

Oh, erm, yes, that spelling. I remember it well. Takes me back.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 3:00 PM on April 18, 2018 [2 favorites]

I've never understood the rationale for people opposed to the red trunks. You think you can sell an alien that looks like a human in a skintight outfit who can fly and rip a car in half with his bare hands, but you can't sell red shorts on the outside? Honestly the red shorts are the most straightforward aspect of Superman. If I was a jacked muscle man and could shrug off an airstrike you better believe I'm wearing whatever the hell I feel like wearing.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 3:00 PM on April 18, 2018 [4 favorites]

Interesting that only one of the variant covers chooses to engage with the “truth, justice, and the American Way” aspect of Superman’s history. Steranko wraps him up in the flag, and by doing so, is groping towards saying something about the ideals the character represented.
posted by egypturnash at 3:01 PM on April 18, 2018

I fancy that Superman's real weakness is being wrapped and bound too tightly in American flags, and being suffocated by them.
posted by turbid dahlia at 3:16 PM on April 18, 2018 [4 favorites]

The best single page of Superman ever. You've probably already guessed what it is.
posted by Halloween Jack at 3:20 PM on April 18, 2018 [16 favorites]

I'm rather partial to his rooftop meeting with Tommy Monaghan.
posted by Artw at 3:24 PM on April 18, 2018 [3 favorites]

And now I’m thinking about those ideals. How Supes is explicitly an illegal immigrant who has wholly adopted the ideals of American democracy. How he was created by two immigrants who were screwed out of the later profit by the corporation they created him for. How corporations have expanded their reach in the decades since he was created; how he’s a character owned by one of the half dozen vertically integrated media titans that own so much of the public discourse of America. How so much of America’s ideals have been corrupted by the shift to radical unfettered capitalism and the huge amounts of money poured into politics by corporations. Including the one that owns him. Hell, his earliest adventures and maybe the character himself should belong to the public domain by now. We mostly associate endless copyright extension with the Mouse but I would be surprised if Warner’s hasn’t made hefty campaign donations for that, too.

And I imagine a story for this book that is basically Superman sitting there, breaking the fourth wall, and talking about this to the readers. Talking about the ideals he’s represented, talking about the way this modern incarnation of the Spirit of Columbia fits into a profit-seeking landscape. I think it could be a pretty good story.

I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t make it past editorial.
posted by egypturnash at 3:25 PM on April 18, 2018 [21 favorites]

Anyway, Re: covers, the Michael Allred one is the only one with a Super-Mer-Man and is therefore clearly the best.
posted by Artw at 3:25 PM on April 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

egypturnash, have you read Superman: Red Son?
posted by Fizz at 4:15 PM on April 18, 2018 [2 favorites]

i mean i don’t think he was exactly the nice kind of leftist in that one. he fought for “Stalin, socialism, and the international expansion of the Warsaw Pact”.
posted by vogon_poet at 4:18 PM on April 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

The yellow belt distracts from either the (a) smooth groin or (b) lumpy groin (depending on artist).
posted by benzenedream at 4:25 PM on April 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

The Lee cover has (rightfully) been getting a ton of criticism, which is sad because it’s Jim Lee and this is such a milestone issue. It really feels like he half-assed it, or maybe he just doesn’t have it in him anymore.

Well, given that this cover represents DC officially tossing out the modernized redesign Lee did for Superman a while back, I can see how this might not be one of his most enthusiastic drawings. All that remains of his redesign is that little gauntlet-style double seam at the end of the sleeves, and it's unlikely very many artists will even keep those.

Ten years from now, Lee's extra long sleeves and high v-notch collars will seem as dated as the all the superfluous jackets, straps, and pouches from the 90's.
posted by straight at 4:29 PM on April 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

i mean i don’t think he was exactly the nice kind of leftist in that one. he fought for “Stalin, socialism, and the international expansion of the Warsaw Pact”.

You're correct. I just find it's an interesting political and social commentary on sort of upending the American values that are so often associated with Superman. It forces you to reconsider that character entirely.
posted by Fizz at 4:32 PM on April 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

I'm not up to date on my Superman or comics in general, they haven't turned him into a Nazi/Fascist in the way they have Captain America, have they?
posted by Fizz at 4:34 PM on April 18, 2018

From Allred, Gibbons & More

One of those & More is Jim Steranko. And here I thought he wasn't working anymore.
posted by Ashwagandha at 4:38 PM on April 18, 2018 [2 favorites]

omg i just read it. there’s a story about the very stressed dude at the bottom left of Action Comics #1. always wondered about him!
posted by vogon_poet at 4:38 PM on April 18, 2018 [8 favorites]

I went to a comic shop to pick this up, I wasn't planning on getting it but I was nearby and it seemed like a shame not to, they had all of the different covers and I ended up getting the Mike Allred one because the others were pretty meh to me. I'd pull a copy down to get a better look at the cover and see who did it and I was more than a bit surprised by the Jim Lee one because it was so bad. I guess he was trying to go for a classic look but it really didn't work.

I'm not sure why they didn't have Frank Quitely do one of the covers as I've yet to see a better drawn Superman storyline than All Star Superman.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 4:49 PM on April 18, 2018 [3 favorites]

The yellow belt is just excellent.
posted by chimpsonfilm at 5:53 PM on April 18, 2018

Slight derail but still in the wheelhouse: Superhero Color Theory, Part I: The Primary Heroes [Comics Alliance]

Superman, Wonder Woman, Thor, Spider-Man, and Captain America are some of the biggest names in comics. They are primarily red and blue. The red means they are bold, passionate, and determined, but grounded with blue's depth, wisdom and confidence. You might say Spider-Man is too angsty to be confident, but he does seem confident enough to crack jokes while cracking skulls.

If you add the yellow accent of the first three heroes, you see they are attentive, provide safety, joy, and are a little bit ostentatious. Yet, ostentatiousness is something that probably doesn't apply to the other two. The white of Spider-Man's eyes and Captain America's midriff shows that they are more pure and innocent, rather than flashy.

Other examples of red and blue include the Atom, Giant Man, Ant Man, Power Girl, Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, and Doctor Strange.

posted by Fizz at 5:58 PM on April 18, 2018

Take it with a grain of salt, but fun to read and consider.
posted by Fizz at 5:58 PM on April 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

since reading it i've been contemplating what i would shout if Superman showed up to save the day. i'm thinking either "hooray! it's Superman!" or else "three cheers for Superman!".
posted by vogon_poet at 6:03 PM on April 18, 2018 [4 favorites]

Pretty sure I remember articles about Lee and Kirby saying they purposefully used secondary colors of Green, Purple, and Orange for villains (Doom, Skrulls, Mole Man, Galactus, Annhililus, Thinker, Molecule Man, Kang, Diablo, Loki, Hela, Ulik, Enchantress, Hydra, Green Goblin, Scorpion, Lizard, Vulture, Mysterio, Electro, Doc Ock, Magneto, Sentinels, even the Hulk) and saving primary colors for heroes.

But DC did it too: Brainiac, Luthor, Joker, Riddler, Mxyzptlk, Amazo, Circe, Mirror Master, even Kryptonite are all Green/Purple/Orange.
posted by straight at 6:24 PM on April 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

Anyway, Re: covers, the Michael Allred one is the only one with a Super-Mer-Man and is therefore clearly the best.

That Allred cover has so many good things on it. Streaky, Comet, and Beppo! Brainiac! Supergirl punching Superman out! All done in the style of Curt Swan!
posted by saturngirl at 6:31 PM on April 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

And now I’m thinking about those ideals. How Supes is explicitly an illegal immigrant who has wholly adopted the ideals of American democracy. How he was created by two immigrants who were screwed out of the later profit by the corporation they created him for.

And don't forget how he started out as even more of a Social Justice Warrior than Steve "FDR & the New Deal" Rodgers. In his very first issue, Superman

-Breaks into the governor's mansion to get him to prevent an unjust execution
-Rescues a victim of domestic abuse
-Wrecks the car of a guy who got violent with Lois because she wouldn't dance with him
-Thwarts a lobbyist trying to bribe a senator to drag the USA into a war.

Action Comics #2 features Superman kidnapping an arms merchant and carrying him to the front to see battle first hand. It ends with Superman grabbing the two opposing generals and telling them they have to settle the war with a one-to-one fight. They generals decide they have no actual quarrel after all and declare peace.

In Action Comics #3, Superman investigates a mine where conditions are unsafe for the workers. He tricks the owner of the mine and his rich party guests into taking their party down into the mine, causes the entrance to collapse, and only digs them out after the owner breaks down in repentance when he finds all the emergency equipment to be useless.
posted by straight at 6:51 PM on April 18, 2018 [16 favorites]

all those early stories are now collected in Superman Chronicles. they hold up surprisingly well, which is actually kind of depressing when you think about it.
posted by vogon_poet at 6:53 PM on April 18, 2018 [2 favorites]

What does it say about me that I read that last blurb and instantly, without looking at a credit, byline or anything else, fell into Glen Weldon's cadence? I cannot describe accurately how close his thoughts and patterns agree with what I would say if I were more polished and didn't sound like a rabid squirrel on his third espresso.
posted by drewbage1847 at 9:22 PM on April 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

What does it say about me that I read that last blurb and instantly, without looking at a credit, byline or anything else, fell into Glen Weldon's cadence?

If you don't hear "Here's its true, vital, abiding purpose: It pops." in Glen Weldon's voice, then you have never heard Glen Weldon's voice.
posted by Etrigan at 5:55 AM on April 19, 2018

egypturnash, the animated movie, Justice League: Gods and Monsters comes the closest to this that I've seen. In it, Superman is General Zod's son (Kal-El was replaced in the escape craft right before takeoff) and is found and raised by Mexican immigrants. It doesn't get too deeply into the fights that he has outside of the main conflict, but it is implied that he puts up with a lot less of the standard bullshit that the US spews in terms of equity and justice.
posted by Hactar at 8:50 AM on April 19, 2018

I'm looking forward to reading this. The current era of Superman/Action Comics and even Super Sons, Supergirl, and other related super-titles is a golden age, as far as I'm concerned.

In contrast to how grim and joyless the current film iteration of Superman is, the comic universe's return to/update of the more archetypal Superman is a sheer delight. My kid and I really enjoy the father/son dynamic between him and Jonathan Kent/Superboy, which feels like both a fresh take on and logical progression from the superpowered boy scout middle-aged folk like me grew up loving.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:01 AM on April 19, 2018 [1 favorite]

all those early stories are now collected in Superman Chronicles. they hold up surprisingly well, which is actually kind of depressing when you think about it.

Well, it has been described as a "never-ending battle" for a really long time.
posted by kimota at 11:44 AM on April 19, 2018 [1 favorite]

Tom King covers

(if you are not reading Mister Miracle at the moment it is amazing, though pretty much the opposite of hopeful joyful comics. Darkseid is.)
posted by Artw at 12:54 PM on April 19, 2018

I think John Major probably single-handedly destroyed the superhero trend of wearing your undies on the outside. Thanks to Steve Bell, natch.
posted by chavenet at 1:13 PM on April 19, 2018

In contrast to how grim and joyless the current film iteration of Superman is, the comic universe's return to/update of the more archetypal Superman is a sheer delight.

Could you recommend a recent story arc or collection that demonstrates that approach, DirtyOldTown? I'm just in the mood for some Superman-style optimism and joy right now, but I don't know which TPB or current writer to look for.
posted by Paul Slade at 7:35 AM on April 21, 2018