Action Comics #1000, by way too many creators to list (but rest assured, they are some of the best in the industry), is the 80th anniversary of the most important superhero comic of all time. That’s really all the introduction that’s needed.

It’s an 80 page giant, filled with multiple stories. Again, it would take way to much room to synopsize all of them. Each story is a celebration of the world’s first superhero, and all of the creators have brought their A-game. There’s no one story type; some of them are action packed, some are quiet, some are crazy concepts, yet they all succeed in being quintessential Superman stories, and that’s a big deal. As the reader completes each story, they’re left with the feeling that they just read a perfect Superman story. Then the next one comes along and they get the same feeling. And again. And again. It’s the kind of the thing that’s rare in comics like this. Most of the time with a comic this long, there’s an A-story, a B-story and so on. The A-story is usually the best one and the ones after are good, but kind of pale in comparison to the A-story. That never happens here. The hits just keep coming.

Now, time for the white elephant in the room, because there’s a certain creator doing his first work at DC here and he closes the book out. There’s been a lot said about Bendis and his coming to DC (right here), a lot of excitement and trepidation. There are some things that readers have come to expect from Bendis and sure, they’re here. However, the little Bendis-isms are at a minimum and are perfectly deployed. There’s some quipping, but it’s actually funny. At no point does it feel boring, though, which is a problem that Bendis sometimes has. In fact, far from it. It’s an action packed story that serves a lead in for his Man Of Steel, a teaser of what’s to come and it does exactly what it’s supposed to. It introduces the new villain, Rogol Zaar, that Bendis has created, and hits right away with the intrigue. Jim Lee’s art here is amazing and it definitely helps make the whole thing better. It’s detailed and kinetic and pretty much everything you could want from Jim Lee and his art. This story is the perfect way to introduce Bendis to the DC Multiverse and get readers on board with what he’s going to do.

There’s so much good art in this book it isn’t funny. Readers get classics like Curt Swan, Jerry Ordway, Jose Garcia Lopez and Dan Jurgens along with newer guys like Clay Mann, Olivier Coipel, John Cassaday, Patrick Gleason, and more. It’s an eclectic mix of artists, with a multitude of styles, and that’s probably what makes it so great. Superman has been drawn by so many creators over the years and all the different artists on this book give it that feel. Superman is a character that been portrayed so many different ways, and the multiple artists here illustrate that, giving readers multiple interpretations of the character. It’s little touches like this sell the importance of this comic.  This is Action Comics #1000, and the artists in this book realize what a huge honor it is to be a part of something so momentous and it shows in their art. The pencils, inks, and colors are flawless.

Action Comics #1000 is a love letter to Superman, pure and simple. It’s the kind of comic that a person could give to a some hypothetical person who has no idea who Superman is and by the end, they’d not only understand the character, but have fallen in love with him and gotten excited about the future of the character. It’s worth every penny of the $7.99 cover price and not just for Superman fans. It’s a must have for fans of superheroes in general. Superman is the world’s first and most important superhero. Without him, so much of the popular media of today wouldn’t exist. Action Comics #1000 does a perfect job of illustrating what is so great about the character and why he’s endured for so long, and as such, why the superhero has endured for so long. It takes readers on a journey throughout the character’s history, a history which is also the history of the comic medium. Simply put, this is a must own comic book.

Grade: A+