Action Comics

The series Action Comics ( now also Action Comics featuring Superman ) is the comic series, which published the first stories about the comic book hero Superman, who was introduced in issue # 1, which appeared with the inscription in June 1938, for the first time. In fact, the premiere edition was published on April 18.

Since 2011 through the second series with Action Comics ( Vol. 2).

History

Overview

With an unbroken publication history since June of 1938, Action Comics was ( Vol. 1) - with the exception of Detective Comics (vol. 1), which appeared since 1937 - the longest-lived American comic book series, published up to the present. That is, with the exception of Detective Comics no other American comic book series could rely on to appear in over 75 years with no breaks as a rotational basis publicized periodical. With over 900 reached expenses Action Comics was, even before Detective Comics, also that of American comic book series with the second highest copy number status after the series Four Colors by Dell Comics, which, however, only appeared from 1939 to 1962, but I lost the copy number was 1354. Among the 904 numbered Action Comics issues are special issues as the issues # 0 ( October 1994; between # 703 and # 704) and # 1,000,000 ( November 1998 between # 748 and # 749 ). In the fall of 2011, both Action Comics and Detective Comics were launched in a new series with # 1.

Start time

While the Superman series in the first issues of the series is one of several appearing in Action Comics features was "only", the stories advanced by the " Man of Steel " within a few months to the far the most popular of the series contained in the Action Comics ( others were about the stories about the magician Zatara or a speaking only in rhymes police ). This meant that the side portion to the Superman stories of the total circumference of a Action Comics issue budgeted increased continuously until Superman became the main feature of the series. Similarly, " monopolized " the Superman character within a few months the covers or cover of the series on which since 1940 always a motif Superman is seen during this " privilege" of the title heroes of other stories - with the exception of a short period of the year 1988 - since then has never been bestowed again.

In the late 1950s finally disappeared virtually all remaining features that had nothing to do with Superman ( such as Congo Bill and Tommy Tomorrow ) in favor of stories about the " Man of Steel " from Action Comics, which has since - apart from very rare backup stories - form the sole content of the series.

Action Comics Weekly

Between 1988 and 1989 appeared in Action Comics modeled after the British comic magazine 2000AD nearly a year as an anthology series titled Action Comics Weekly. This affects the issues # 601 to # 642 were

During this time the Superman character were only two pages per issue - the drawn by Curt Swan short stories contained - dedicated, while the rest of - peripherally significantly extended notebooks - with stories filled by other figures. Included Among the features the Action Comics Weekly included inter alia Green Lantern - the only appearing in each issue feature - and the only alternately, " rotating", appearing stories about Black Canary, Blackhawk, Catwoman, Deadman, Phantom Lady, Phantom Stranger, Secret Six, Speedy and Wild Dog.

In 1989, the anthology concept and the weekly frequency mode were abandoned and Action Comics returned to back to the old style to appear on a monthly basis and exclusively to print Superman stories.

End of the first and start of the second series

As all comic book series from DC Comics set for a reboot of the DC Universe in 2011, Action Comics was also affected. So in the fall was the # 904, the final issue of the original series, and after 73 years there was a new # 1 as one of 52 comic series.

Importance

With a collector's value of 1,380,000 dollars per copy - with an original retail price of ten cents - also has the first issue of Action Comics the highest value of a single comic issue at all. Estimated to exist worldwide today still about fifty copies of the booklet; originally were 200,000 issues were printed. A copy in almost new condition was auctioned in February 2010 for $ 1,000,000. In the first issue of this series Superman made ​​his first appearance in the form as we know it today, even if major changes were made to his forces in the course of time.

Famous also is the - adapted repeatedly parodied or hommagierte - Cover of the first issues of Action Comics, Superman, the shows, as he heaves up an automobile over his head and smashes in dynamic motion against a rock.