Overview
Action Comics, published by DC, holds a special place in comic book history, not just for being one of the longest-running series but also for introducing the world to the superhero archetype: Superman. Issue #1, released in 1938, is considered a cultural phenomenon and one of the most valuable comic books ever printed.
Action Comics #1 was an instant success, selling out quickly and sparking a superhero craze that continues to this day. Superman’s blend of relatable human elements and extraordinary powers resonated with readers, paving the way for countless characters and stories that followed.
While the significance of that first issue is undeniable, Action Comics continued to be a foundational platform for Superman’s adventures for decades, introducing villains like Lex Luthor and Bizarro, expanding his mythology and shaping the DC Universe as we know it.
Today, Action Comics remains a cornerstone of DC’s publications, serving as a reminder of the lasting impact of that fateful day in 1938 when an alien visitor took flight and changed the landscape of storytelling forever.
Publisher: DC Comics
Year of first publication: 1938
Wiki site: Visit
E-Book: Read
Notable writers
Jerry Siegel, Jerry Coleman, Bill Finger, Otto Binder, Edmond Hamilton, Robert Bernstein, Leo Dorfman, E. Nelson Bridwell, Jim Shooter, Cary Bates
Notable artists
Joe Shuster, Wayne Boring, Al Plastino, Curt Swan, Stan Kaye, George Klein, Jim Mooney, Kurt Schaffenberger, Murphy Anderson, Neal Adams, Win Mortimer, Ross Andru, Mike Esposito
Main characters
Superman, Supergirl, Legion of Super-Heroes
Did you know?
The first issue of Action Comics (#1) launched the modern era of comic books, introducing Superman to the world. Although he was not the first super-hero in comics, something about him caught the reading public’s attention and the comic book became a sensation and took off like a rocket.
The creation of the Superman story in Action Comics happened almost by accident and is one of the minor miracles of comic-book history. For many years, Superman’s creators, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster had tried in vain to find a publisher for their super-hero character, conceived initially as a newspaper strip. In early 1938, DC editor Jack Liebowitz urgently needed a lead feature for the debut issue of a new comic book and fortuitously discovered the Superman comic strips that had been rejected years earlier. Siegel and Shuster were told that if they could cut and paste the panels into 13 comic book pages, Liebowitz would buy them and publish the story in Action Comics #1. He also decided to put Superman on the cover in an eye-catching scene. The rest is history.
The story goes that after seeing the published first issue, DC publisher Harry Donenfeld found the featured strip to be ridiculous. He ordered it never to be on the cover of the series. However, Donenfeld changed his mind in a hurry when he saw the tremendous sales of the first issue and it became clear that Superman was the reason. Thus, Superman returned to the cover of the comic book, becoming a permanent presence in issue #19 and beyond. Although Action Comics started out as an anthology title featuring several other stories in addition to the Superman story, it quickly became an all-Superman comic book.
Action Comics introduced many characters and themes that would become longstanding elements of the Superman mythos. Lois Lane made her debut in the very first issue. An unnamed “office boy” with a bow tie makes a brief appearance in issue #6 later became Jimmy Olsen. New superpowers depicted for the first time in Action Comics included X-ray vision and super-hearing in issue #11, and telescopic vision and super-breath in issue #20. Luthor, a villain who would later become Superman’s archenemy, was introduced in issue #23. Bizarro (the adult version) was introduced in issue #254. Thus, almost every major character in the Superman family first appeared in Action Comics.
Action Comics #1 holds the record for the most expensive comic book ever sold, as detailed here.
Additional Information
Although the original issues of Action Comics #1 sell for a small fortune, this groundbreaking issue has been reprinted many times, as described here.
The debut issue of Action Comics in 1938 marked the beginning of Superman’s Golden Age. Interestingly, another seminal Action Comics issue (#241) marked the start of Superman’s Silver Age, spearheaded by editor Mort Wesinger. Many lasting elements of the Superman mythology were established during the Silver Age (1958-1970), which in my opinion was the most brilliant and creative period of comic-book creation in history.
