SDCC '18: Action Comics recognized as longest running superhero series by Guinness Book of World Records

Superman celebrates his 80th year of existence this year since he first appeared in the pages of "Action Comics #1" in 1938, and that iconic start presented by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster is recognized with a great honor presented to DC Comics co-publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee - who received from the Guinness World Records at the San Diego Comic Con the award for "longest running superhero series" of 80 years (As featured in the Superman Facebook page)

That is an impressive feat and a timely award for the Man Of Steel - who just got a new lease of comic life with a new "Superman" ongoing series by Brian Michael Bendis and Ivan Reis. Bendis is also writing "Action Comics" beginnining with issue #1001 coming next week.

Congratulations and Happy 80 years, Superman!

Action Comics #1000 will feature the return of Superman's classic look and red trunks

The month of April will be a MILESTONE for DC Comics and comic history in general, as not only will Action Comics - the series that introduced the heroic character of Superman - count to its thousandth issue, but also mark the return of the heroes iconic classic costume! Yes, the red trunks will be returning to the Big Blue Boy Scout's wardrobe, and here it is above as drawn by none other than DC co-publisher and artist extraordinaire Jim Lee! The red trunks and classic costume were removed back in 2011 when DC Entertainment launched "The New 52" and rebooted most of its history, but eventually started bringing back elements of established continuity with "DC Rebirth" in 2016. Now Superman is returning to the look that defines him best - and that's great news for fans of the Man of Steel.

Action Comics #1000 will also feature the DC Comics' debut of Brian Michael Bendis, who will write a 10-page back up story for the issue with art by Jim Lee! The issue goes on sale on April 10 both at retail and digital. For more information, check out Superherohype's feature on the landmark title!

Happy Birthday Superman! Action Comics #1 celebrates 75th Anniversary

As Superman prepares to grace theaters once more with a new interpretation of the character with "Man Of Steel", the comic world celebrates the character's birthday as April 18 marks the 75th anniversary of  his first appearance in Action Comics #1!

Published by DC Comics' predecessor National Allied Publications, the first issue of Action had a publication date of June, 1938 stamped on its iconic cover of Superman carrying a car and terrifying criminals, but was actually published on this same day back on April 18, 1938. Currently known as the most expensive comic book to date and selling for $2 Million just for an original copy, Action Comics #1 was a compilation of amazing stories that helped usher in not just Superman, but a collection of other powerful individuals that helped usher in the age of the Super-Hero.

2 DC Comics writers leave books... And DC planned to kill off a Major Green Lantern character?

The comic community around interwebz has been abuzz lately, with the news of certain writers and talents of DC Comics leaving some of their books on The New 52 over creative differences.

New Action Comics' scribe Andy Diggle has walked out of the Superman book way before his first issue came out, announcing it on his official Twitter Page and the announcement being officially confirmed by DC Comics themselves. Following that, new and upcoming Green Lantern Corps and Red Lanterns writer Joshua Hale Fialkov also announced (via his blog) that he's departing before his stint begins, also citing differences with editorial decisions about the direction of the book that led to his decision. Those stories ran through Newsarama and Bleeding Cool respectively, and they've been trending over comic book news related websites ever since.

Now, the kicker is the REASON why Fialkov walked out, which was reported by Bleeding Cool and contains possible SPOILERS, as the story MAY still run even with his departure.

DC The New 52: The Superman "GD" Controversy

Honestly, I don't see what the fuss is about either with this one, but it's definitely making the rounds, and it happened "faster than a speeding bullet" as soon as the issue hit stands this week.

In the newly relaunched Action Comics #1 penned by Grant Morrison and illustrated by Rags Morales, Superman utters the words "GD" when he takes a hit from a tank missile. That was enough to send a retailer over at North Carolina, The Comic Conspiracy, on a campaign to boycott the issue, pulling it from his store. The story and reason behind this were reported in site Bleeding Cool, and here's the accompanying pic from the article.

For those who want to know the score, "GD" is a spelling of "God"that some Jews use (actually spelled "G-d"). This is where the controversy stems from, and some mixed reactions as of the story have come to light because of it. The NC retailer later on issued a formal apology to Morrison for his angry reactions to the Scottish writer which ran in this story in BC, and the retailer finally got his answer from the writer himself, explaining the meaning behind the word. As how most people (myself included) know and have come to accept after reading the issue, the caption was supposed to emphasize a "grunt" like "UUMPH" or "DHH". DC's official blog The Source also published the story along with Morrison's answer to the supposed controversy. It looked like things could be put to rest from that point forward, but something new related to "GD" popped up just recently, courtesy of writer Mark Waid and his Twitter.

From an old Superman story in 1964. I guess the speculation and meaning behind the word will continue.

DC The New 52: More awesome teasers to show for the DCnU!

DC Comics has updated their blog The Source and posted some rather interesting teasers for more of the upcoming "New 52" books that will be released in the coming weeks ahead. I've reviewed some of the initial new books that are already in shelves (or sold out), primarily Justice League #1, Action Comics #1, and Detective Comics #1, and as of the moment I'm pretty satisfied with what I see. In the meantime, here's a couple of new things to look forward to come next week and beyond:

"You're not my partner. You're my son" - Bruce Wayne

Awww... Bruce Wayne having a "tender moment" with his son Damian Wayne while they're off in patrol as Batman and Robin. The new series kicks off next week with Batman and Robin #1, which goes on sale on the 14th.

"Hee... That's so cute. You think you're scary. But muster, I've seen scary. And you ain't got his smile" - Harley Quinn

An obvious reference to The Joker right there. Still, I'm not favoring this new, slutty like "Typhoid Mary" look Harley Quinn has got for her as a member of the new DCnU's iteration of the Suicide Sqaud. Evidently it also takes inspiration from her recent costume change in the Batman Arkham Asylum/ Arkham City video games, but I miss my Animated Series look too much. Whether or not you look forward to this adventure, Suicide Squad #1 comes out on September 14 as well.

There you have it. The variant cover to Action Comics #2, which goes on sale next month. It brings a whole new meaning to "strange visitor from another planet" when I look at this piece by Ethan Van Schiver. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore what I just read with Action Comics #1 by Grant Morrison and Rags Morales, but this isn't working for me as heroic posing at all.

For more info and updates, visit the source post at DC The Source!

Comic Book Review: Action Comics #1 and Detective Comics #1

Headlining the first official week of "New 52" releases this September, the newest volumes of Action Comics and Detective Comics, the two main books of DC Comics, have done more than just hype up the fact that the DC relaunch is at hand. They've been generating favorable reviews... And they're selling out fast in comic book stores everywhere as of this post! With the overwhelming buzz surrounding both issues and other new #1 DC books like Batgirl and last week's Justice League, it can be fair to assume that the publisher's gamble at relaunching all of their titles is quickly paying off by spears and numbers. While I'm still deliberating over what other books I'll be picking up in the next few weeks, there was no question in my mind that Action Comics #1 and Detective Comics #1 were definitely required in my pull list. Now, here are my thoughts on both of 'em, and if you're hoping to keep yourself from SPOILERS, best turn away now.

DC The New 52 Preview: Action Comics #1

It ships into shops next week, and sites like Yahoo! and Newsarama have already featured 6 gratuitous pages of the much anticipated DC Comics relaunch of Action Comics #1, a title that focuses on the early days of Superman that is penned and illustrated by the dynamic combo creative team of Grant Morrison and Rags Morales respectively! After checking the preview for myself, all I can say is... Wow. I'm definitely going to consider picking this title up after what I just saw in those six pages!

As a bonus, here's the variant cover to the issue... As drawn by DC artist extraordinaire and  co-publisher of the company, Jim Lee!

Go to Yahoo! or Newsarama now to check on the preview!

Comic Book Review: DC The New 52 #1

Technically this isn't a "comic book" per se, but with all the hype and buzz building up, plus the fact that it has a #1 numbering attached to it, I have every reason to believe that DC Comics may start producing a series of "preview books" each month that are similar to the competition (i.e Marvel Previews). So without further ado, let's begin the review proper.

Since the big announcement last month that they were going to revamp the universe and relaunch majority of their books, DC Comics has earned both the ire and admiration of its entire fanbase. After over 70 years of publishing comics and characters that have remained mostly true and unchanged in structure, the publisher (under the direction of co-publishers Dan Didio and Jim Lee) has decided to give a complete makeover to their titles and heroes, paving the way for a bold and new direction which they have dubbed "The New 52".

DC Reboot Update: Full look at "NEW" Superman in Action Comics #1

If there's anything to feel awkward about the forthcoming DC Reboot, this new reveal presented by DC Comics and the New York Post of the cover to Action Comics #1 probably takes the cake:

Ok, let's take a moment to ponder and analyze this entire cover pic.

It's the new look of Superman.

He's wearing a classic blue "S" symbol T-Shirt.

He has a short cape.

He's wearing a regular pair of jeans and shoes.

How the heck this got approved to usher in the DC Reboot is beyond me and most of the DC fanbase. While the focus in this book is being justified as a "Year One" concept for Supes, I'm not too sold on the "half-assed"Supes outfit. It looks too much like one of those T-Shirts you can buy off the department store, and all you need is a red towel and you're good to go... in an awkward sort of way.

Granted, the good news is that the book will be written by Grant Morrison and illustrated by Rags Morales, but this "new look" of Superman does the opposite of making me excited about reading this book based on DC's iconic superhero. I know this version of Clark Kent is actually his "past self", when he was still learning to control his powers and didn't have the ability to fly yet, but why couldn't they take a different approach at tailoring his costume, let alone NOT give him a costume at all? I know they're taking a page out of Tom Welling and his portrayal of a younger Supes from Smallville, but this is just a downright silly look for the Man of Steel. Heck, it reminds me so much of a Super Friends episode where Superman regressed to a child again (due to Red Kryptonite) and Firestorm used his powers to make his costume fit his age at the time. When he finally turned back, you can just imagine how tight fitting and small his costume was, and that's the feeling I get from this new costume. Well, one can only hope there's a good reason why Kal-El looks like this and why his marriage to Lois Lane had to go down south like Spider-Man's did a few years ago, but that's the repercussions of the DC Reboot for you. For more on the story, visit the source posts at the New York Post and Newsarama.

The Man of Steel turns 73!

The month of May yields a lot of pleasant surprises, for May 3 happens to be the day 73 years ago when Action Comics #1 was released and introduced to the world one of the most beloved and iconic heroes the world has ever known - Superman! Co-created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster and published by DC Comics, the Kryptonian born Kal-El would be the last survivor of his planet sent to Earth by his parents; Adopted by a loving earth couple and given the name Clark Kent, who would be raised up with a strong moral conscience and go on to champion the cause of "Truth, Justice, and the American Way", serving as a symbol of hope and justice against all evildoers!

Several publications in DC Comics and other forms of media have featured Supes fighting the good fight, but his milestone issue of Action Comics #900 just hit comic shops last week (with him renouncing his American Citizenship in a back up feature by famed screenwriter David Koepp). With a new movie reboot directed by Zack Snyder and starring Henry Cavill in the titular role slated for release on fall next year, it just proves that this "Man of Steel" is still popular as ever. 73 years and counting, he continues to be an inspiration to fans and peeps the world over! With that in mind, there's only one thing left to be said:

Happy 73 Years Superman!

Death Comes Back... In Action Comics?

Surprise, surprise! Looks like one of the favorites from Neil Gaiman's Sandman series is making an appearance at mainstream DC Continuity!

Death, sister to Dream and one of the Endless, will be making an appearance in Action Comics #894, now home to the on-going adventures of Superman's archrival, Lex Luthor. Now this may seem very exciting news and all, but these two come from two very different comic worlds! For those not in the loop, the current storyline of Action, written by Paul Cornell and illustrated by Pete Woods, sees Luthor on a quest for power - ring power that is, after his stint as an Orange Lantern in the pages of Blackest Night gave him a taste of "cosmic augmentation". This October, as Lex continues his journey, he'll be bumping into the cute and sexy manifestation of Death. How will things work out? Only time will tell for sure.

For more info, check out DC's website and The Source!