Action Comics#1000 Spoilers and Discussion

[jackolover]

Was ok. Both main features by Jurgens and Tomasi were great. Scott Snyder had my favorite short story.

Main story that interested me was the Bendis one, since he was the new writer. Some of the dialogue by Superman just seemed kinda off to me. Also, I'm guessing Clark and Kara probably already know about Zaar at this point he is saying all this, since we don't see either of their reactions. Also I wonder how Superman gets out of being stabbed by that spear.

Clark distinctly asked who that guy was, so it sound like Clark didn’t know Rogol Zaar at all, just another generic Doomsday character. When Clark wakes up, and finishes the fight, I anticipate Zaar will spill all about Clark’s race, and if Clark is convinced Zaar is honest, Clark’s dad has got some explaining to do.

[jackolover]

This was a decent collection of stories overall. A good conclusion for Jurgens' run, a creative take based on Hypertime from Tomasi, a interesting dynamic between Clark and Lex from Snyder mixed with a few underwhelming stories by Levitz, Simonson and Wolfman (the latter being only special because of Curt Swan's artwork).

And this marks the proper beginning of Bendis' run... which is not promising so far since he goes for his usual antics of trying to redefine a character's universe which is overdone at this point and quite frankly, Bendis' execution of that direction is underwhelming these days to say the least.

Eh, but let's see how this goes anyway.

On the Bendis comment, trying to redefine a characters universe? It does take you off guard, especially for someone like Superman. What do you do as a person (Superman) if your whole perception of honor is turned upside down because you come from a race of lying coniving conquerors? Do you try and rectify the wrongs done by your people? Do you start to doubt your own veracity, like The Sentry at Marvel? Maybe Clark triggers a personal fault he never knew he had, and has to fight his demons for the first time in his life?

Regarding Bendis, I was quite surprised. I've never read a Bendis book before, so this was literally my first experience with him. Someone mentioned in another thread that Superman gets punched so hard, heat vision leaks out...I actually kinda dig that...it's something I don't think I've ever seen in a Superman comic. Not even Doomsday has hit him that hard (at least, nobody ever thought to portray it that way!).

Another fun bit for me was seeing Superman kinda wake up to find himself flying towards the shop, just in the nick of time to stop his forward momentum before crashing through the glass. And it took enough effort he even found himself yelling "STOP!!" to himself as he tried. That was another thing I'm not sure I've seen before. I could have done without the girls talking about how "he doesn't look like Superman without the red underwear", but if Bendis litters his scripts with the two details mentioned above, I will absolutely live with it. I quite enjoyed the preview, myself.

As for the rest of the issue, it was just magnificent. I can't decide which story was my favorite, but it definitely comes down to King's or Tomasi/Gleason. One left me choked up while the other left me exhilerated at seeing his long history play out a bit. All in all, simply a fantastic milestone and certainly better than Action 900 was. Between this & Superman #45, I kind of wish those 2 specials weren't coming out next month; on the one hand, it's more pages from my favorite Superman creator, Dan Jurgens...and on the other hand, Jurgens & Tomasi went out on such damn fine notes in AC1K, AC 999, and Superman 45 that I kind of just want these to be their final words on the character.

When do the Action & Superman specials come out exactly?

On the Bendis story you mentioned, I did like the way Superman addressed Rogol Zaar - “And who might you be”? The girls’ conversation was pure Bendis, so being familiar with his writing, I was unconcerned; but like you say, it’s not what you have seen in Superman comic before, just like the Heat Vision out of his chest, and the sudden stop at the Window. Thanks for bringing those little things to my attention.

And that's even partially blocked.

I love the handoff we're seeing, there's a great amount of reverence in the transition to Bendis and the celebration of all these key creators. The comic starts with Jurgens celebrating Superman (rightly to his chagrin) as a cosmic Jack Dempsey, and by the end of it with Bendis we have someone showing up to take his belt. Impaling Superman BvS style to kick off a run has me interested in how many stops he can pull out. Also great was this on Twitter:



Sweet stuff.



I let it go since they don't get into it anywhere else in the book and it has to be gotten out of the way early.

The way this #1000 looks to me by its layout of showing Clark in all his positive light, is like a premonition of his fall when Bendis comes along. Superman has been this beacon of truth and justice, and this is shown deliberately as the prologue. Then along comes Bendis, and he wants to deconstruct Clark after that spectacular eulogy that was the first part. It’s like saying, “Man, let’s heep on the most schmaltzy nostalgia about Superman, because Bendis is going to show it up for what it is - too good to be true”.

[Miles To Go]

Let’s forget this Bendis story is a possible alternate universe story

If that were the case, then everything going forward in the DC landscape is an alternative universe story.

[Kuwagaton]

On the Bendis comment, trying to redefine a characters universe? It does take you off guard, especially for someone like Superman. What do you do as a person (Superman) if your whole perception of honor is turned upside down because you come from a race of lying coniving conquerors? Do you try and rectify the wrongs done by your people? Do you start to doubt your own veracity, like The Sentry at Marvel? Maybe Clark triggers a personal fault he never knew he had, and has to fight his demons for the first time in his life?



On the Bendis story you mentioned, I did like the way Superman addressed Rogol Zaar - “And who might you be”? The girls’ conversation was pure Bendis, so being familiar with his writing, I was unconcerned; but like you say, it’s not what you have seen in Superman comic before, just like the Heat Vision out of his chest, and the sudden stop at the Window. Thanks for bringing those little things to my attention.



The way this #1000 looks to me by its layout of showing Clark in all his positive light, is like a premonition of his fall when Bendis comes along. Superman has been this beacon of truth and justice, and this is shown deliberately as the prologue. Then along comes Bendis, and he wants to deconstruct Clark after that spectacular eulogy that was the first part. It’s like saying, “Man, let’s heep on the most schmaltzy nostalgia about Superman, because Bendis is going to show it up for what it is - too good to be true”.

I wouldn't say the idea is to deconstruct Clark, as for everything else that may be a lie his character and what he represents will stand the test. But yeah, those other stories got the deck all sudsy for Bendis to come through with the pressure washer.

[krazijoe]

I guess my expectations were high. I expected a lot more from the 1000 issue. It was very unremarkable and will not make me remember what happened in that issue in the future. I thought they were building to something only to build to nothing except some meh stories which take the character no where. Have they turned Superman into Invincible?
Should they even be starting with the whole "I Destroyed Krypton" after we just finished "I am your father and still alive" trope? Hell, we didn't even finish that whole thing and now this?

[adkal]

Brad Meltzer's story was devoted to Chirstopher Reeve and interestingly harkens back to when Supes was trying to save Pa Kent when he had his heart attack

Clark didn't use superspeed to try to save Pa in Superman: The Movie; he did during Johns' run when Brainiac attacked the farm.

[Miles To Go]

Clark didn't use superspeed to try to save Pa in Superman: The Movie; he did during Johns' run when Brainiac attacked the farm.

I think I was attempting to convey that.

[adkal]

I think I was attempting to convey that.

Sorry, the wording (to me) made it seem that you were referring to the heart attack in the movie.

Meltzer's Superman was super-analytical - something I quite enjoyed reading.

[titansupes]

Welp. Im happy to say I loved this issue. A couple of "just good" ones in there, and while I'm looking forward to Bendis's run, this little teaser was pretty plain. Such a damn shame we didn't get Morrison/Quietly or Waid involved. That would've just been... ugh. Such a shame.

My faves were the Tomasi/Gleason story, the Tom King one and the Johns/Donner one.

[ABH]

I think they should have led with the Tomasi/Gleason Hypertime story, or even the Johns/Donner/Coipel story about the car, rather than the Jurgens story. The Levitz/Adams story was just beyond bland and I think I actually liked the King/Mann story the best. The Bendis/Lee story, meh, but then I guess it will continue in Man of Steel, so whatever...

[Comic-Reader Lad]

I think they should have led with the Tomasi/Gleason Hypertime story, or even the Johns/Donner/Coipel story about the car, rather than the Jurgens story. The Levitz/Adams story was just beyond bland and I think I actually liked the King/Mann story the best. The Bendis/Lee story, meh, but then I guess it will continue in Man of Steel, so whatever...

I don't know what copy of Action 1000 you read, but mine did not contain the Levitz/Adams story with Luthor. That was only in the Action 80th Anniversary hardcover, right?

[Dispenser Of Truth]

I don't know what copy of Action 1000 you read, but mine did not contain the Levitz/Adams story with Luthor. That was only in the Action 80th Anniversary hardcover, right?

Apparently it was in the digital edition.

[adkal]

I don't know what copy of Action 1000 you read, but mine did not contain the Levitz/Adams story with Luthor. That was only in the Action 80th Anniversary hardcover, right?

Yours didn't have The Game?

[adkal]

Apparently it was in the digital edition.

Oooh

I only read the digital - picking hardcopies up over the weekend (work...). Interesting...

[manofsteel1979]

Heh. Didn't realize there was digital only content.

Guess I'll have to buy the digital version too after all.