904 Months of Action.

Action Comics 904 came out yesterday and I picked it up. What’s so special about it that I have blog it? Is it the fact that it proves that Superman is 904 months old (he first appeared in Action Comics 1 – 1938)? Is it the fact that it concludes the Reign of the Doomsdays storyline (Doomsday was the one who killed Superman in the now infamous “Death of Superman” story)? No, not even that. The reason this is note worthy is that it is the FINAL issue of Action Comics.


Sure Action will be rebooted in September (with Grant Morrison writing – writer of All Star Superman – one of the best Superman books out there), but I cant help but feel that a long tradition has ended, and ended sort of without reason.


I knew they would eventually reboot this series, but I was hoping they’d go to issue 1000. Remember too that Action wasn’t just a Superman title, it was an anthology of action stories, so what they could’ve done is renamed ALL the DC titles that will be rebooted (52 of them) to Action Comics Presents Batman, for example. Until they got to issue 1000 and that could’ve ended the modern age of comics.


Since Superman was so popular in Action comics, it didn’t take too long for it to become a solo Superman series and remained that way until the end. And I have to say for a final issue I think Action 904 was pretty good.


It concludes the Reign of the Doomsdays with Eradicator sacrificing himself to save Superman and the world. After the villains are defeated Lois and Clark meet and Superman says that Clark and Superman are different people and that Superman doesn’t want others to sacrifice themselves in his name. You see he was going to kill himself to save the world, but Eradicator pushed him out of the doomsday machine so that he wouldn’t die. This didn’t sit well with Superman, so he was discussing it with Lois.


He talks about how he is just a person and no better than anyone else, and Lois points out that his belief that he is no different, is the reason that people will lay down their lives to protect him. That he stands for truth, hope and justice. And that’s what people always need to look up to. Sure, he’s the boy scout, sometimes old fashioned, but he is the beacon of hope that mankind needs to better themselves. (Maybe DC should send those last few pages to Hollywood – they need help in making Superman movies).


It was a good way to end a 75 year run. Hope the new Action Comics will be as good as the last 904.


J-Man.