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Action Comics (1938-2011) #601-641
Superman: The Power Within
When Superman saves an innocent man from murder, he discovers two disturbing That the man he saved is part of a cult that worships the Man of Steel, and that the would-be killer is part of another faction dedicated to wiping them out! Even worse, both groups are gaining super-powers due to a mysterious, spaceborn source that Superman traces back to the dread ruler of Darkseid.
Collects stories from ACTION COMICS WEEKLY #601-641, SUPERMAN #48 and ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #417.
Collects stories from ACTION COMICS WEEKLY #601-641, SUPERMAN #48 and ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #417.
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 13, 2015
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63 people want to read
About the author
Roger Stern
1,551 books111 followersRoger Stern is an American comic book author and novelist.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 25, 2021
I bought this because I'm a HUGE fan of Roger Stern, but SUPERMAN: THE POWER WITHIN is one of those "Why did they collect this...?" volumes. I suspect that this material was collected to pad out what is really the back-up material, "The Sinbad Contract", a three issue arc by William Messner-Loebs. Messner-Loebs was having well-publicized financial troubles a few years back, and DC quietly rushed some of his stories out in collected volumes to, I assume, get some money to him quickly. Messner-Loebs is one of the unjustly overlooked storytellers of the 80s/90s, and his work here is a gem.
The title story, by Stern and Curt Swan, is a little slow and choppy, being told in 2-page chapters that were originally the centerspreads of ACTION COMICS WEEKLY. Typical Superman fare, and it didn't really spark my interest until a last-minute reveal that took me by surprise.
Overall, a decent, if not especially exciting hodgepodge, worth buying for the still-relevant Messner-Loebs story.
The title story, by Stern and Curt Swan, is a little slow and choppy, being told in 2-page chapters that were originally the centerspreads of ACTION COMICS WEEKLY. Typical Superman fare, and it didn't really spark my interest until a last-minute reveal that took me by surprise.
Overall, a decent, if not especially exciting hodgepodge, worth buying for the still-relevant Messner-Loebs story.
on-hold
November 5, 2024Began this over a year ago and instead of doing the easier thing, which was to read these two-page per issue stories all together, I read as I read the stories within the entire issue.
Suffice it to say, I changed the way I read these and it took me a lot less time to get through the rest of the story.
I was actually able to get into the story and you know, it's a similar concept to what Batman v Superman did, just a little more 80's.
I didn't love the quick conclusion and the last few pages was a different story entirely. Though, the message in that story is an important one, significant even in the present.
Linked below are the pages I reviewed separate from this CE:
Action Comics #601│AC#602│AC#603│AC#604│AC#605│AC#606│AC#607│AC#608│AC#609│AC#610│AC#611│AC#612│AC#613│AC#614│AC#615│AC#616│AC#617│
AC#618│
AC#619│AC#620│AC#621│AC#622
Suffice it to say, I changed the way I read these and it took me a lot less time to get through the rest of the story.
I was actually able to get into the story and you know, it's a similar concept to what Batman v Superman did, just a little more 80's.
I didn't love the quick conclusion and the last few pages was a different story entirely. Though, the message in that story is an important one, significant even in the present.
Linked below are the pages I reviewed separate from this CE:
Action Comics #601│AC#602│AC#603│AC#604│AC#605│AC#606│AC#607│AC#608│AC#609│AC#610│AC#611│AC#612│AC#613│AC#614│AC#615│AC#616│AC#617│
AC#618│
AC#619│AC#620│AC#621│AC#622
January 1, 2025
This is one of the most outwardly political Superman stories I've ever read in the best way possible!
The first half of this book is Superman being treated as a religious figure of worship and damnation. There has been a lot of discourse over the decades on how Superman is a Jewish golem hero or messianic and there's some neat exploration of what the Man of Steel himself thinks of this and how he handles people's perspective of him.
The second half of this book furthers how Superman/Clark sees himself with international relations. We see him specifically in the hotseat for his treatment of Arabic people. This one felt more explored than the last story in a very caring way.
Both were really impressive with several really stand out memorable moments!
Highly recommend!
The first half of this book is Superman being treated as a religious figure of worship and damnation. There has been a lot of discourse over the decades on how Superman is a Jewish golem hero or messianic and there's some neat exploration of what the Man of Steel himself thinks of this and how he handles people's perspective of him.
The second half of this book furthers how Superman/Clark sees himself with international relations. We see him specifically in the hotseat for his treatment of Arabic people. This one felt more explored than the last story in a very caring way.
Both were really impressive with several really stand out memorable moments!
Highly recommend!
January 6, 2015
Superman is always at his best when he is dealing with emotional conundrums, and not just giant robots that he has to punch. Roger Stern does an excellent job highlighting this, and the artwork is wonderful.
August 11, 2021
Consisting of 2 stories "The Power Within" & "The Sinbad Contract". The Sinbad Contract touches on the subject of racism and a cautionary tale of the dangers of granting too much power to any one person even Superman.
The Power Within is an excellent story that finds Superman worshiped by a group who seem him as their God and at the same time another group who see him as the Anti-Christ. While it is true that the source of both groups beliefs are the manipulation of a super powered alien, the morals of the story do stand up.
Both stories are well written (circa 1960s) and include issues 601 - 641 The Power Within and issue #48 of The Sinbad Contract, Adventures of Superman #471 and Action Comics #658.
The Power Within is an excellent story that finds Superman worshiped by a group who seem him as their God and at the same time another group who see him as the Anti-Christ. While it is true that the source of both groups beliefs are the manipulation of a super powered alien, the morals of the story do stand up.
Both stories are well written (circa 1960s) and include issues 601 - 641 The Power Within and issue #48 of The Sinbad Contract, Adventures of Superman #471 and Action Comics #658.
August 16, 2015
Bought this strictly because Stern wrote the lion's share of it. In fact, I didn't realize there was another story (actually a third, as Stern actually wrote two) until the book arrived. Stern's stories are nice enough stories, but I feel like the format (two pages a week, for forty weeks) kinda hurts them. The third story, about a young Quaraci boy who develops powers following an alien invasion (some DC event I'm not familiar with?), by Messner-Loebs is utterly fantastic, and one of the better stories I've read this year. Terrific art throughout.
July 30, 2019
Roger Stern and William Messner-Loebs contribute to a strange collection that confuses me as to why it was collected. The first story had potential (a cult worshiping Superman as an actual God) but was so meandering and pointless that it went off the rails quickly. The second story hits strangely close to home in 2019 but was still very odd. Superman gets bested by children is...odd. Curt Swan's art is classic but this book was bizarre.
July 13, 2025
the first ~half of this collection, the 41 instalments of Roger Stern and Curt Swan's Superman serial from the short-lived Action Comics Weekly, would be a solid four stars on its own; the two-page Sunday newspaper strip format leaves Stern little space to explore in-depth the implications of his premise, but he handles the pace the format requires deftly and with deceptive ease, and while this constitutes only a footnote at the end of Swan's peerless four decades as the character's definitive artist, he remains here the versatile consumate storyteller he ever was, with a light touch and an eye for naturalistic detail, always just enough to enrich rather than weigh down or clutter his compositions. the rest of the collection is comprised of a separate three-issue story from around the same time by Bill Messner-Loebs, also drawn by Swan, a competent and readable but fairly rote white liberal antiracist parable of sorts, with all the laudable, heart-in-the-right-place sentiments and cliche-bound, frankly inadequate execution that implies, centred on a family of immigrants from a fictitious middle-eastern country (funny how free western writers so often feel to invent those, to casually distance themselves from the idea of that region as a real place where real people live) whose skin is coloured grey like they're they're from Venus or something; two-dimensional stereotypes, but sympathetically framed ones. you probably know the sort of thing. three stars for that at best, perhaps two. a mixed bag, you could say.
October 4, 2025
An interesting period in Supes' career
The main meat & potatoes of the book, the 41 weekly double page spreads of Action Comics, has some interesting ideas. About whether or not someone as powerful as Superman would or even should be considered a god, but I think it is hindered by the format in which it was presented; the ending is so abrupt and kind of an ass pull, it just feels like they were told "the book isn’t selling as well as we had hoped with this format so we’re going back to the monthly schedule release, so finish your story now" still, it’s an interesting enough story until it rushes that conclusion.
As for the Sinbad Contract storyline that makes up the second half of the book, I thoroughly enjoyed it! It’s a great little story that deals with the themes of prejudice, racism and the media’s control over the population's fears and opinions; and it’s all handled pretty well.
Overall kind of an interesting package that doesn’t quite meet the potential it could’ve had in its first half, but more than makes up for it in the second.
The main meat & potatoes of the book, the 41 weekly double page spreads of Action Comics, has some interesting ideas. About whether or not someone as powerful as Superman would or even should be considered a god, but I think it is hindered by the format in which it was presented; the ending is so abrupt and kind of an ass pull, it just feels like they were told "the book isn’t selling as well as we had hoped with this format so we’re going back to the monthly schedule release, so finish your story now" still, it’s an interesting enough story until it rushes that conclusion.
As for the Sinbad Contract storyline that makes up the second half of the book, I thoroughly enjoyed it! It’s a great little story that deals with the themes of prejudice, racism and the media’s control over the population's fears and opinions; and it’s all handled pretty well.
Overall kind of an interesting package that doesn’t quite meet the potential it could’ve had in its first half, but more than makes up for it in the second.
May 25, 2023
Superman: The Power Within
Clark Kent is worried when a man he rescues soon makes it clear that he is a member of a group who worship Superman like a god. When the man's life is threatened by a group who fear Superman is the Antichrist, the Man of Steel is caught in the middle.
Stern and Swann's interesting story examines the inner conflict between Clark Kent and his alter-ego. Perhaps the clearest example of "I am Clark Kent. Superman is what I can do." , which typifies this era of comic books post Crisis.
Clark Kent is worried when a man he rescues soon makes it clear that he is a member of a group who worship Superman like a god. When the man's life is threatened by a group who fear Superman is the Antichrist, the Man of Steel is caught in the middle.
Stern and Swann's interesting story examines the inner conflict between Clark Kent and his alter-ego. Perhaps the clearest example of "I am Clark Kent. Superman is what I can do." , which typifies this era of comic books post Crisis.
June 30, 2025
Reading from a trade with two stories, so talking about them separately.
The first has a GREAT premise, Superman caught between a new age religion that worships him and a fundamentalist church that thinks he's the Beast of the apocalypse. It unfolds as a great mystery and its intriguing.
...right up until the cop out ending which undermined EVERYTHING.
The second story was a lot better, the kind of story that sees Superman confronted by xenophobia and anti-immigrant stuff in a genuinely complex way.
The first has a GREAT premise, Superman caught between a new age religion that worships him and a fundamentalist church that thinks he's the Beast of the apocalypse. It unfolds as a great mystery and its intriguing.
...right up until the cop out ending which undermined EVERYTHING.
The second story was a lot better, the kind of story that sees Superman confronted by xenophobia and anti-immigrant stuff in a genuinely complex way.
October 25, 2017
Classic or vintage Superman from the 80's - this is a good collection gathered from Action Comics and several Superman titles to make the graphic novel. It's a pretty good story line and the graphics are well done, though I confess to a bit of nostalgic influence here - this appeals to me more than some of the newer stuff - it's a bit more old school Superman. If you're into the older versions of Superman this one is worth reading.
January 27, 2025
Superman at his finest
I chose this compendium for.content AND price..Superman defends in immigrant.family and group who are residing in a part of town that would like.to be forgotten by the majority of Metropolis. He gently convinces a group of worshippers that he.is no messiah or any form of deity.
Great art by the master, Curt Swann, rest his soul.
I chose this compendium for.content AND price..Superman defends in immigrant.family and group who are residing in a part of town that would like.to be forgotten by the majority of Metropolis. He gently convinces a group of worshippers that he.is no messiah or any form of deity.
Great art by the master, Curt Swann, rest his soul.
March 17, 2022
Recuperando dos de las historias que Ediciones Zinco dejó inéditas en su momento, la del culto a Superman publicado a doble página en los Action Comics Weekly y el Contrato Sinbad, con la presencia de lujo de Curt Swan a los lápices. El único problema de la primera es el ritmo que le marca el formato. En ambas, resulta un placer ver a Clark hacer de periodista, ¡por fin!
April 9, 2019
Stories from late 80's Action comics. Nothing special here. The stories seems geared toward a much younger audience. I probably would have liked it much better if I were 10 years old, as an adult it just seemed mostly silly.
May 27, 2020
The Action Comics Weekly Superman stories were told with two pagers that are like old Sunday funnies and they are great and the story is also excellent. The second story is also very good as it deals with Arab immigrants and it holds up.
October 13, 2024
Really enjoyed this book, two story, the 1st about a group that worships Superman as a God and a second about racism that is still sadly highly reverent today
July 12, 2016
This is a fun collection of stories from 1988-1990. The first half is comprised of a two-page story that ran for 40 issues of Action Comics Weekly, and feels more like a Sunday newspaper strip. It raises some interesting issues regarding hero worship, but gets pretty goofy as it goes on. The second half features a story that deals with prejudice against Arab Americans, but manages to be pretty darn entertaining. The art by Curt Swan is superb throughout, but I have an issue with the coloring. The Arab characters all have oddly grayish-brown skin, which just looks weird. Other than that, this is worth a look.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews