Action Comics #1

True to my promise, I’m reviewing each and every one of the DC New 52 releases, so today we’re looking at the first issue of Action Comics.

Action comics was the title which launched Superman’s career back in 1938, and we all know that Superman is the hero who launched the entire superhero genre in modern literary art. In short, we’re looking at one of the most important titles of DC Comics, or ever the whole comic book industry.

In this new release, DC is redefining the man of steel into more of a modern day working class hero, Clark Kent is no longer the typical goody good 60s journalist he used to be, I like the whole new badass attitude and the different approach to Superman’s character, it’s still quite faithful to all the previous writers and millions of fans worldwide. It’s definitely a new Superman story more suitable for our time.
Lex Luthor also made an appearance in this first issue, his personality was a little calmer and more relaxed than usual, but I’m hoping that would change as the character develops over the next few issues.

DC couldn’t have chosen a better writer for this title, in my opinion, Grant Morrison is definitely one of the greatest writers of super-heroics of our time! He transformed Superman’s character into this young guy struggling to build a solid base on early days in Metropolis, and at the same time, keep the story as engaging and compelling as it can be. I think Morrison is trying to reshape the whole concept of the indestructible god-like superhero, into someone the new readers can identify with, somewhere in between reality and fiction, without compromising his position as the greatest superhero of all time.

When it comes to the artwork, Rags Morales penciled all of those thoughts into paper. It took me a bit to get used to Superman’s new attire, jeans and a tshirt is not what you’d expect the man of steel to wear, or Clark Kent for that mater. This was also another side of the transformation I was referring to, and I think Morales did a pretty good job on the first issue. Superman has definitely come a long way from his blue tights and red briefs.

I’m not going to giveaway anything about the storyline, I think you need to read it to understand for yourself how brilliant the writing is and how the story is going to develop.

Bottom line, again, buy it! it’s a great comic book, DC might have put Justice League centre stage, but this definitely has a great writer that will always keep it exciting and new. And the way the whole concept of the story changes in the new Action Comics is what the DC reboot is all about.

I’ll leave you with this clip I found of Grant Morisson, taken from the documentary made about him, Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods.