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Action Comics #1000 Hardcover Changes Name to Action Comics: 80 Years of Superman

It was a little confusing from the beginning. In March, DC Comics was to publish an oversize anniversary issue of Action Comics #1000 for $8. Then, in May, they would publish Action Comics #1000: 80 Years of Superman, a hardcover featuring mostly reprint material celebrating the character over the decades, for $30. Then $50. Then $30 again but no longer having the accompanying poster featuring the cover of every issue of Action Comics — instead one would then be provided free to each store. Then Action Comics #1000 was delayed until April to come out at the same time as Action Comics #1000: 80 Years of Superman, on the 80th anniversary of the original Action Comics #1.

It was all a bit confusing. So DC Comics have attempted some clarity.

First, that Action Comics #1000: 80 Years of Superman will not contain any of Action Comics #1o00. Action Comics #1000 would contain all-new-to-publication material.

Oh, and Action Comics #1000: 80 Years of Superman would no longer be called Action Comics #1000: 80 Years of Superman but Action Comics: 80 Years of Superman. 

So that there will be one Action Comics #1000. And one Action Comics: 80 Years of Superman.

So to clarify: this is Action Comics #1000.

ACTION COMICS #1000
(W) Scott Snyder, Marv Wolfman, Grant Morrison, Geoff Johns, Richard Donner, Tom King, Paul Dini, Brad Meltzer, Brian Michael Bendis (A) Doug Mahnke, Curt Swan, Butch Guice, Frank Quitely, Olivier Coipel, Tim Sale, Clay Mann, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Jim Lee

Celebrate 1000 issues of ACTION COMICS with an all-star lineup of top talent as they pay tribute to the comic that started it all! From today's explosive action to a previously unpublished tale illustrated by the legendary Curt Swan to the Man of Tomorrow's future — this very special, oversized issue presents the best of the best in Superman stories!

Contributors to this once-in-a-lifetime issue include legendary Superman movie director Richard Donner and New York Times best-selling writer Geoff Johns, with art by Olivier Coipel. Other contributing creative teams will include Paul Dini with Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez; Tom King with Clay Mann and Jordie Bellaire; Brad Meltzer with John Cassaday and Laura Martin; Louise Simonson with Jerry Ordway; Scott Snyder with Tim Sale, and more to be announced.

FEATURING ALL-NEW ART AND STORIES BY:
•  BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
•  JOHN CASSADAY
•  OLIVIER COIPEL
•  PAUL DINI
•  JOSE LUIS GARCIA-LOPEZ
•  PATRICK GLEASON
•  BUTCH GUICE
•  GEOFF JOHNS
•  DAN JURGENS
•  TOM KING
•  JIM LEE
•  CLAY MANN
•  BRAD MELTZER
•  JERRY ORDWAY
•  TIM SALE
•  LOUISE SIMONSON
•  SCOTT SNYDER
•  CURT SWAN
•  PETER J. TOMASI
•  MARV WOLFMAN
…AND MORE!
DECADES-SPANNING OPEN-TO-ORDER VARIANT COVERS BY:
•  STEVE RUDE (1930s)
•  MICHAEL CHO (1940s)
•  DAVE GIBBONS (1950s)
•  MICHAEL ALLRED (1960s)
•  JIM STERANKO (1970s)
•  JOSHUA MIDDLETON (1980s)
•  DAN JURGENS (1990s)
•  LEE BERMEJO (2000s)
…PLUS A BLANK VARIANT COVER!

ACTION COMICS #1000 is an 80-page, Prestige Format comic with a cover price of $7.99 US. It solicits in the February Previews with an on-sale date of April 18.

And this for Action Comics: 80 Years Of Superman Hardcover

ACTION COMICS: 80 YEARS OF SUPERMAN is an extraordinary party as we revisit stories from across the decades, featuring key character debuts, essays and more in a collection curated by Paul Levitz!

Highlights of this collection include:

* A new cover by legendary artist and DC Publisher Jim Lee

* A never before unpublished twelve-page Golden Age Superman story believed to have been written by Jerry Siegel with art by the Joe Shuster Studio

* Text pieces including: an editor's note by Paul Levitz, a tribute to ACTION COMICS by Laura Siegel Larson (daughter of Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel), an introduction by Jules Feiffer, plus essays by Tom DeHaven ("It's Superman!"), David Hadju ("The Ten-Cent Plague"), Larry Tye ("Superman: The High-Flying History of America's Most Enduring Hero") and Gene Luen Yang (SUPERMAN, NEW SUPER-MAN and the National Book Award finalist "American Born Chinese")!

* The new five-page story "The Game," written by Paul Levitz with art by Neal Adams

The Superman stories from this collection include:

"The Coming of Superman," from ACTION COMICS #1, written by Jerry Siegel with art by Joe Shuster

"Revolution in San Monte," from from ACTION COMICS #2, written by Jerry Siegel with art by Joe Shuster

"The Terrible Toyman!" from ACTION COMICS #64, written by Don Cameron with art by Ed Dobrotka and George Roussos, featuring the debut of Toyman

"The Super-Key to Fort Superman," from ACTION COMICS #241, written by Jerry Coleman with art by Wayne Boring and Stan Kaye, featuring the first appearance of the Fortress of Solitude

"The Super-Duel in Space," from ACTION COMICS #242, written by Otto Binder with art by Al Plastino, featuring the debut of Brainiac

"The Supergirl from Krypton!" from ACTION COMICS #252, written by Otto Binder with art by Al Plastino, featuring the debut of Supergirl

"The World's Greatest Heroine!" from ACTION COMICS #262, written by Jerry Siegel with art by Jim Mooney

"The Superman Super-Spectacular!" from ACTION COMICS #309, written by Edmond Hamilton with art by Curt Swan and George Klein, featuring an appearance by President John F. Kennedy

"Superman Takes a Wife," from ACTION COMICS #484, written by Cary Bates with art by Curt Swan and Joe Giella

"If Superman Didn't Exist…" from ACTION COMICS #554, written by Marv Wolfman with art by Gil Kane

"Squatter," from ACTION COMICS #584, written by John Byrne with art by Byrne and Dick Giordano

"Ma Kent's Photo Album," from ACTION COMICS #655, written by Roger Stern with art by Kerry Gammill and Dennis Janke

"Secrets in the Night," from ACTION COMICS #662, written by Roger Stern with art by Bob McLeod

"A Hero's Journey," from ACTION COMICS #800, written by Joe Kelly with art by Pasqual Ferry, Duncan Rouleau, Lee Bermejo and others

"The Boy Who Stole Superman's Cape," from ACTION COMICS #0, written by Grant Morrison with art by Ben Oliver

Other key ACTION COMICS stories in this title include:

"The Mystery of the Freight Train Robberies," from ACTION COMICS #1, written by Fred Guardineer with art by Guardineer, featuring the debut of Zatara

"The Origin of the Vigilante," from ACTION COMICS #42, written by Mort Weisinger with art by Mort Meskin, featuring the debut of the Vigilante

"The Assassin-Express Contract!" from ACTION COMICS #419, written by Len Wein with art by Carmine Infantino and Dick Giordano, featuring the debut of the Human Target

ACTION COMICS: 80 YEARS OF SUPERMAN HC (DEC170241) is a 384-page title. It has a new Final Order Cutoff of February 5 and an on-sale date of April 11.

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