Wednesday, April 18, 2018

U.S. News: Action Comics reaches issue 1000 today!

It's been 80 years since Superman first appeared and it's a double celebration as his original long running title Action Comics reaches issue 1000 today! On sale in comic shops across the USA and UK, Action Comics No.1000 is an 80 page giant and features a choice of variant covers designed in the style of each decade. The UK's own Dave Gibbons has drawn the cover representing the 1950s issues. I'm sure Dave's younger self back in the late '50s could never have imagined he'd one day be drawing the cover for the 1000th edition! 

Here's the info on this issue:

Celebrate 1000 issues of Action Comics with an all-star lineup of top talent as they pay tribute to the comic that started it all! From today's explosive action to a previously unpublished tale illustrated by the legendary Curt Swan to the Man of Tomorrow's future-this very special, oversized issue presents the best of the best in Superman stories! 

FEATURING ALL-NEW ART AND STORIES BY:

•  BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS 
•  JOHN CASSADAY
•  OLIVIER COIPEL 
•  PAUL DINI 
•  JOSE LUIS GARCIA-LOPEZ 
•  PATRICK GLEASON 
•  BUTCH GUICE 
•  GEOFF JOHNS 
•  DAN JURGENS 
•  TOM KING 
•  JIM LEE 
•  CLAY MANN 
•  BRAD MELTZER
•  JERRY ORDWAY 
•  TIM SALE 
•  LOUISE SIMONSON 
•  SCOTT SNYDER 
•  CURT SWAN 
•  PETER J. TOMASI
•  MARV WOLFMAN
...AND MORE! 

DECADES-SPANNING OPEN-TO-ORDER VARIANT COVERS BY:

•  STEVE RUDE (1930s) 
•  MICHAEL CHO (1940s) 
•  DAVE GIBBONS (1950s)
•  MICHAEL ALLRED (1960s) 
•  JIM STERANKO (1970s) 
•  JOSHUA MIDDLETON (1980s) 
•  DAN JURGENS (1990s)
•  LEE BERMEJO (2000s) 
...PLUS A BLANK VARIANT COVER!

In Shops: Apr 18, 2018
SRP: $7.99

You can see the rest of the variant covers here:





7 comments:

  1. What a fantastic achievement and that cover is just gorgeous, what a wonderful idea! Has Action Comics retained its lettering throughout then? Or has it had several #1s too but this is the 1000th in total?

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  2. It rebooted with a new first issue about seven years ago but then reverted to its original numbering two years ago (including the rebooted issues) so this is issue 1000 in total.

    The logo has always been fairly consistent, with variations on its style.

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  3. Makes me wonder why they still insist on stopping and starting their other comics, or resetting their numbers, when this proves they simply don't have to.

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  4. I agree what a great cover. As a kid Superman was my favourite character and I was regular reader of Action comics up until I was about 17 years old, partly as it was always available where I lived. I stopped buying Superman comics after the excellent run by John Byrne and Jerry Ordway and have only picked up the occasional issue in the last few years as I felt DC lost the true essence and magic of the character (for me at least – then again I’m an old git now so maybe todays kid love the new version) back in the early 90s, but I will pick this issue up.

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  5. I've really enjoyed the last few years of Superman and Action Comics. I wasn't sure about the domestic stuff at first (Clark and Lois have a Super-Son now) but it really works, and shows that characters can progress. It's about to have a new writer though, in the shape of Brian Michael-Bendis. I hope he doesn't ruin it.

    Phil, re-numbering has been proven to work. Comic shops order more comics, and new readers jump on board. The Superman title will be restarted with a new No.1 soon, (the current series ends today with No.45). I think the new series will be its third first issue. Action Comics continues with No.1001 though.

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  6. Actually Lew, Bendis's Superman #1 is the fifth. The previous four were in 1939, 1987, 2011, and 2016.

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  7. I'd forgotten about the 1987 relaunch (and also forgot to count the very first one! Doh!). Thanks, James.

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