Action Comics (2011) #1
Champion of the oppressed…
The incomparable Grant Morrison reshapes the origins of the original superheroic icon by bringing him back to his roots.
Written by Grant Morrison
Artwork by Rags Morales and Brad Anderson
Published by DC Comics
Released on September 7, 2011
In June 1938, the world changed.
I’m not being hyperbolic when I say that. There are very few man-made fictional characters that can leave such an indelible imprint on our society, our nation, or our world as a whole. And whether you want to admit it or not, Action Comics #1 featuring the debut of Superman did all of these things and more. It introduced us to that Last Son of Krypton, “with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men.” But perhaps more importantly, Action #1 gave us the birth of the super-hero.
Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Captain America, and every single other super-hero you’ve ever seen or heard of owes a debt to Superman, because without him it’s quite possible that they would never exist.
Seventy-three years later, we’ve arrived in the year 2011. Amazingly, volume one of Action has actually concluded its run with issue #904, an unfortunately forgettable tale involving the Man of Steel once again conquering the behemoth that had killed him nearly 18 years ago. DC Comics announces the “New 52,” relaunching the entire DC Universe and it’s complete line of super-hero comics, including, unbelievably, the Man of Steel himself. The artist is Rags Morales, who with Brad Meltzer gave us one of the most memorable DC stories of the last decade with the soon-to-be-Absoluted Identity Crisis. The writer is Grant Morrison, a somewhat polarizing fan-favorite who, with Frank Quitely, gave us a Superman story that some are saying can be grouped with the best ever told in All Star Superman.
And here we are.
The new Action Comics #1 takes place before the beginning, meaning that these events predate those found in last week’s Justice League #1. Where DC Co-Publisher Dan DiDio called that book “DC Universe Year One,” he told us to think of the first story arc in Action as “Year Zero.” The Superman we meet here is bold, rash, and maybe a little irresponsible. Not traits normally associated with Superman. He also has a rather explicit disdain for men in powerful positions that use that power irresponsibly, and talks openly about holding rich people just as accountable to the law as their less financially fortunate counterparts.
A smile and a healthy distrust of authority with a populist edge, this new beginning for Superman should be familiar for those who know about the character’s roots in the Golden Age of Comics.
It’s here that Morrison calls back to the Superman of the Golden Age: the social crusader and champion of the oppressed. It’s not a giant robot or evil alien that Superman dashes after in this issue. It’s a corrupt businessman, guilty of numerous crimes and terrified of the otherworldly force that just goaded him into confessing his sins. He also feels like a man of the people simply in his attire: work jeans with reinforced knees, a worker’s boots, and a royal blue t-shirt with the familiar shield emblazoned across the front with a familiar (yet shorter) red cape extending from his back. This Superman has not yet embraced the super-heroism he will in the future: this is work that he feels he needs to do, and he’s the only one who can do this job.
Morrison does an excellent job in this issue of making literally the oldest idea in super-hero comics feel new. Never read a Superman story? Totally unfamiliar with the things that he’s capable of? Then feel free to jump right in. For someone who’s been reading these stories for as long as he can remember, the writer did a fantastic job of making these concepts, particularly those of a man with super strength and speed and gifted with extrasensory perception, awe the audience with the capability. Morales makes the violence, or traces of violence, seem visceral and surprising, which in turn surprised me because this is obviously a Superman that’s not as powerful as he will later become.
From there, Morrison gives us just the slightest hint of what’s in store for Superman’s greatest adversary, the brilliant Lex Luthor. How Luthor will continue to play in the rest of this opening arc should prove very interesting, and it will be enthralling to see if he maintains his position as one of the most intrinsically complex villains in comics.
Rags Morales and colorist Brad Anderson give us a strange evocation of Golden Age comics while still staying true to the dimensions of modern sensibility. Like Joe Shuster’s, Morales’ rendering of Superman’s smile has an air of confidence and playfulness to it. The colors of the environment, and even on Superman’s work jeans seem relatively muted compared to the bright hues of red, yellow, and blue present on the Man of Steel’s cape and shirt.
The city of Metropolis is a lot less exaggerated then you may be used to seeing. Morrison said that he preferred it be modeled after New York, before “they cleaned it up.” While in some instances you can see that Metropolis is trying to embrace technology (such as employing an advanced looking light-rail system), it’s not entirely the City of Tomorrow, and Morales and Anderson let us feel the grime present on the streets in this Metropolis which in turn makes the city feel very real.
I never thought in all my life that I would ever be reading a brand new Action Comics #1, but like he’s done so often before, Morrison has bewildered me with the beginning of what looks to be a refreshing new take on the character of the Man of Steel. There are some aspects here that make me nervous. I want to see that beacon of light that anyone can look up to in this Man of Steel, but there’s time for that to come later. This is a Superman before his prime: a man coming into his own and just discovering the true hero within. I’m fine with going on that journey with him and discovering a layer that I may not have been exposed to before.
I hope you will, too. Action Comics #1 is a very solid start that delivers on action (oh boy, does it) and an introduction to Krypton’s Last Son, done in a new way. Same as an old way? Maybe, that’s debatable. But either way, I can’t wait for the moment that I know awaits us at the end of this arc: the time when everyone in the city realizes that their salvation isn’t impossible. All they’ll have to do is look up in the sky, but the journey started here that will hopefully lead us to that moment has me excited about this book in a way I haven’t been in a very long time.
“Have you heard of this new guy ‘Superman?’” Hell yes, Metropolis. And I can’t wait for you to find out what he’s all about.