Action Comics: 80 Years of Superman

Action Comics is the longest-running continually published comic book in history, and it's the series that launched the superhero genre with the introduction of Superman in 1938. DC Entertainment is celebrating its 80th anniversary with Action Comics: 80 Years of Superman Deluxe Edition, which features cover art by artist and DC Publisher Jim Lee.

Join DC in a celebration of Action's amazing 80-year run, with reflections on Action Comics by Laura Siegel Larson (daughter of Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel) and celebrated writers Jules Feiffer, Tom DeHaven, David Hajdu, Larry Tye, Gene Luen Yang, Marv Wolfman and Paul Levitz. Featuring the very first Superman story, the debut of Supergirl, the first stories of arch-villains the Toyman and Brainiac, a never-before-published story from the original creative studio of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, dating back seven decades, and more!

Celebrate the hundreds of people who made Action Comics so impactful and culturally relevant for over eight decades with Action Comics: 80 Years of Superman Deluxe Edition.

"This is a good collection, as it shines a light on why this series has existed for so long, but also how it's changed. The essays by the multiple voices give different perspectives, from the daughter of Jerry Siegel to a professor of journalism. This work also offers two new stories, a long-lost Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster story, and another one from Paul Levitz and Neal Adams. I suspect this -- combined with the 1,000th issue -- would be a fine way to honor the character and gain a sense of what makes it so iconic. You're guaranteed to gain a better sense of comic history by reading this book." -- David Brooke

"Taking a walk through the evolution of the character is an incredible journey. I was struck by the varying art styles, plot lines, and character development, especially in dialogue. From Brainiac to Supergirl to Earth 2, the selections cover a great variety of Superman's mythos. It couldn't have been easy to pick the selections, but the editors really did right by Siegel and Shuster. The book really shines in the commentary and a few certainly stuck out. Laura Siegal Larson's homage to her father in the introduction was a touching and heartfelt dedication to the determination and focus of the artist. Marv Wolfman's story of visiting the DC office in Manhattan in the 60s touched on the passion of the fan and the joy of discovering a new story. And Larry Tye's piece 'Endurance' speaks of Superman's staying power in an ever-changing market. He so poignantly notes, 'Each generation got the Superman it needed and deserved.'" -- Paul, goodreads.com

"A tapestry of old material and new, [the book] reprints noteworthy stories fromSuperman's history, beginning with his introduction in 1938 all the wayto recent adventures in 2012. Key moments of Superman's history thatinclude the introduction of Supergirl and Superman's Fortress ofSolitude, as well as debuts of villains like Toyman and Brainiac, arerepresented. Scholars and historians present essays on that first issue of Action Comics, Clark Kent the reporter, and Superman's lasting impact on both pop culture and society, among other topics. The large format hardcover is a stylish addition to any collection of superhero comics." -- Amanda Sheriff

"It is easy to see how and why Superman has endured for four-fifths of a century, especially after reading this commemorative companion piece to the landmark issue. Whenever DC decides to honor the history and legacy of their characters, theyhave a way of doing it in the most loving way possible. This book is no exception ... it's a celebration of Superman and the comic series thatstarted it all. It is very clear that a tremendous amount of time andcare was put into assembling this book." -- Mario Bennese

"More than anything, this is a book where the real value is in how, between contextual text pieces by various contributors and the selections themselves, provide a sense of time and place regarding not only the creators behind the character and his supporting cast, but also in how comics storytelling was approached in each instance ... it's a nicely balanced work and clearly a labor of love in its curation with a strict focus on where everything we love about Superman got its start ... from the minds of two Depression-era kids from Cleveland ... a perfect celebration of the original (and best) superhero." -- Kyle Pinion, The Beat