Superman: Action Comics: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition, Book 1

Superman: Action Comics (DC Rebirth) #1-2

by Dan Jurgens, Patrick Zircher (Illustrator), Tyler Kirkham (Illustrator)

A lavish hardcover collects the first two volume of legendary SUPERMAN writer Dan Jurgens and superstar artists Patch Zircher & Tyler Kirkham’s bold reimagining of the greatest superhero of all time!

 After an extinction-level event that shattered the cosmos, Superman found himself in a world very much like his own, but populated by a new breed of younger, angrier heroes-including a whole new Superman. And when that Superman fell in the line of duty, the original Man of Steel stepped up to take his place.

 But at what cost?

 No sooner does the legendary hero take to the skies than his greatest enemies emerge to face him, from Metropolis’ self-styled protector Lex Luthor to the engine of death and destruction known as Doomsday. Meanwhile, a person-or being-claiming to be the real Clark Kent is dogging his every move. And back in the fields of Smallville, his wife, Lois, and son, Jonathan, face this strange new world as well.

 A new era has dawned. Is the Man of Tomorrow ready to face it?

 Find out in SUPERMAN: ACTION COMICS: THE REBIRTH DELUXE EDITION BOOK 1! Collects ACTION COMICS #957-966 and JUSTICE LEAGUE #52.

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Graphic Novels, Superman, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction

255 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 4, 2017

About the author

Dan Jurgens is an American comic book writer and artist. He is known for his work on the DC comic book storyline "The Death of Superman" and for creating characters such as Doomsday, Hank Henshaw, and Booster Gold. Jurgens had a lengthy run on the Superman comic books including The Adventures of Superman, Superman vol. 2 and Action Comics. At Marvel, Jurgens worked on series such as Captain America, The Sensational Spider-Man and was the writer on Thor for six years. He also had a brief run as writer and artist on Solar for Valiant Comics in 1995.

Reviews

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the main Superman comic by Peter Tomasi focuses on Superman's family life, Jurgens's Action Comics continues to focus on the supporting characters surrounding the hero, and the city of Metropolis. We see Superman return to a city in an uproar, not only with the return of Lex Luthor, who has arrived in the city with a power suit from the alien world of Apokolips and claims himself the city's protector, or with the arrival of Doomsday, who threatens to tear the city apart, but also with the arrival of a man who appears to be Clark Kent! How the hell is this possible? That's what Superman aims to find out.



While this book is insanely action-packed and focuses on some of our favorite supporting characters like Lois Lane and Perry White, it's still not as great as the accompanying Superman series. But that's not to take anything away from this, as it's a great companion to that story and perfect for people who crave more standard Superman action adventures.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you set aside any misgivings you may have about the convolutions of continuity that led this Superman to take over from dead Nü-52 Superman this is a rewarding, almost nostalgic read as Jurgens hits the reset button reeeeeeeal hard and gets us back to a place where A. Superman swoops in to save the day without being weirdly depowered or prone to exploding B. Clark and Lex are mutually suspicious and antagonistic and C. Lois Lane works at the Daily Planet alongside Jimmy Olsen and Perry White.

Sure, some things have changed: Supes and Lois have a half-Kryptonian son whose powers are just emerging, and Lana Lang shows up with some weird powers in the guise of "Superwoman". Most importantly, there's a Clark Kent doppelgänger who is showing up for work at the Planet- is he on the level? Guess we'll find out as we carry on inexorably toward Action Comics #1000!

[Relstuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good artwork and an interesting story as more than one person tries to step up and be the new Superman for earth.

Clearly some significant events came before this. Hopefully they are captured in the Darkseid War omnibus coming this fall so I won't be completely lost. :)

[Richard Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this is ostensibly a new beginning for the Man of Steel, it comes with the weight of a lot of history. More immediately, it comes off the back of DC's Convergence event, the subsequent Superman: Lois & Clark and the Darkseid War arc in Justice League. While one can still enjoy this Deluxe Edition without that prior knowledge, there's several points in these two collected arcs (the first two of Action Comics: Rebirth) where some of that knowledge will be helpful. (Complicating things, one really needs to be abreast of the concurrent events in Superman: Rebirth and Superwoman: Who Killed Superwoman? for full effect. Still, it's also a restoration of a 1990s style Superman, quite literally bringing pre-Flashpoint Clark Kent and Lois Lane back into the newer DCU. Indeed, seeing Dan Jurgens' name on the cover takes me right back to the early 1990s when I first started reading comics. The first arc is a bit like The Force Awakens: it restores our faith by rehashing a familiar story (in this case, Doomsday) while the second half is the investigation of a man claiming to be the real Clark Kent. It's lightweight but solid stuff. Ironically, the best parts are the exploration of Lex Luthor as the "new Superman," and the prelude from Justice League #52 is one of the strongest in the bunch. Zircher's art is solid mainstream stuff, working best when we see the heroes clashing on an epic scale.

[Alek Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt the Doomsday story arc was a little weak. It's plot was jumbled and over dramatic. It just didn't live up to its potential. The Clark Kent and Lois Lane stories were much better. They really set up a mystery as too how the new Superman and Lois are going to fit into the post New 52 world. Hope the next deluxe edition delivers satisfying answers.

[Swapnil Dubey · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Clark Kent, Superman, Doomsday, Superlex all in one shot? C'mon man! This is going to go viral.”

Dan Jurgens, first time I heard this name when I came to know about Death of Superman and I guess he became famous only after he killed a legend in his tale. Anyway, that was about killing a legend and this is about his Rebirth. Must say, Jurgens nailed it both the time. It's thrilling, exhilarating and full of earth shattering, building collapsing blows. I will suggest readers to clear your schedule before picking it up as putting it down before finishing is hard.

This Deluxe Edition includes Superman Action Comics #957-966 and Justice League #52. These are available in two separate TPBs also. Suggestion is to go with Deluxe Edition as longer than other TPBs pages makes action and art so similar to watching heavy CGI in IMAX. Plus it looks pretty cool in collection.

Superman V Superlex. Superman V Doomsday. Superman n Superlex V Doomsday. Spine Chilling Action.

First story Path of Doom (SAC #957-962), is full of kicks and punches. I read some readers complaining about the same that it's only about fight. Nothing more is there in the story. I don’t see it as a flaw as when a gleaming God.. Superman, meets the relentless monster.. Doomsday, that’s all we can expect. That’s my POV. Well, to add more to that, there are mysteries building there as how Pre 52 Doomsday, the actual Doomsday who killed Superman, suddenly appears to Metropolis again? And what are the forces behind this event? I think that all is somehow related to Mr Oz, the mystery man whose identity is still in shadows since long time.

The Colours Will Fly! as pre 52 Superman decides to go public but the city has her new champion now.. Lex Luther or Superlex or new Superman. That's the most interesting twist here for Lex is always known for his evil schemes against Superman and JLA. The spree of mysteries don't stop with appearance of Doomsday. It gets bigger when Clark Kent comes outta bag of secrets suddenly. Yep, Superman and Clark Kent ain't the same guy anymore. This is enough news to thrill everyone's world.

The other story (includes SAC #963-966, Justice League #52), is more focused on talks rather than action. Superman meet Clark Kent. A new origin story's been on the desk which is familiar to Superman's but indeed isn't his. Well, I believe Clark's mystery will be resolved in other comics. But I'd like him to be a part of stories as a separate personality. BTW, this isn't this. There are more secrets about powered Lois and Lana. This part will definitely compel you to pick next one. It feels right to see Superman playing both roles, Superman for the world and Clark as a father, with full dedication. His chemistry with Lois and Jon is just perfect.

Superman Rebirth is highly recommended.

[Ashe Catlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collecting the first 2 volumes of Action Comics, in an oversized format.

Superman: Action Comics, Volume 1: Path of Doom 5/5
I love this it incorporated everything that I love, so this might be a nostalgic view. Doomsday has come back once again to challenge the Man of Steel, it's not the cloud version this time it's the real deal. On top of that Lex is acting rather strange which Superman doesn't like, the cherry on top though is Clark Kent running around whilst Superman is saving the day.

Superman: Action Comics, Volume 2: Welcome to the Planet 3/5
Still good but a very tough act to follow, as the title suggest this focuses on the Daily Planet. We get some back and fourth between Clark and Superman which was interesting, then we get Lois coming back to the Planet. The main thing I didn't like about this is how predictable it was, it tries to shroud itself in mystery but from the get go you know what's going to happen. There is also a lot of mention that Superman and Lois look older but no one mentions it, if someone close to me was 5 suddenly looked 5 years older I would notice. Saying that Lois had black hair in the new 52 and in this she's brunette.

Overall it was still very good, even the 2 issues that focused on Lois. If it wasn't for Superman: Lois and Clark I wouldn't have any interest in reading her. Whilst on the topic, even though this is volume 1 I would suggest reading Lois and Clark first as it sets up a lot of things that happen in this.

[Glenn Crouch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whilst I did enjoy the Superman Rebirth Deluxe Edition, I was a bit more cautious with this Action Comics volume. The Former was concentrating more on the family, which I have enjoyed in early works - as it was a return to the Superman I preferred. However, this was going to have Lex Luthor, Metropolis, Doomsday - and whilst I hoped that these would be handled well, I have been disappointed before...

Anyway, I must say I really enjoyed the Doomsday arc - whilst I didn't expect it to rival the Death of Superman from the '90s - it was a well done tale. "Super" Lex has me curious - since I stopped reading New-52 some time ago, I am not up-to-date on this version of the character - but I am keen to learn more.

Perhaps the best item in this volume for me was Lois. To have her portrayed as a happily married women, a devoted mother and still be that investigative journalist we so enjoyed in the past. This was one of my biggest complaints about the New 52 - was so much "destruction" of families, marriages and relationships. In no way, do I expect (or want) all characters to be the same - but surely we can have one or two who show that you can be in a happy marriage, with a child, and still be competent at your work - and that this applies to both the husband and the wife.

[Bryen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book which collects Volumes 1 & 2. So many mysteries and questions that have been set up. I can tell this is probably going to be one of my favorite titles. The artwork was good, but this might be one of the first titles that I really enjoyed the storyline. It does come with a lot of history before Rebirth including Convergence, Superman: Lois and Clark, Superman: The Final Days of Superman, etc which all lead into Rebirth. I strongly suggest brushing up on your history. It even goes as far back as the 90's Death of Superman storyline. I did my homework and read it all so it was fairly easy to follow.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A largely enjoyable superhero comic - the Doomsday brawl is a little too long and the artwork a little too cluttered, but Jurgens does a nice job with the Lois/Clark/Diana dynamic and the Kent family. The second arc, dealing with the Clark Kent doppelganger and Lois's reintroduction to the Daily Planet, feels almost unnecessary given how quickly DC went about cleaning up the mess of Superman's continuity and (thankfully) disavowing the entire New 52. Still, Jurgens does a nice job with the mystery of "other Clark" and manages to make the sheer creepiness of "real Lois" just taking over the life of "New 52 Lois" almost work.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting new status quo for Supes with the start of a new continuity. Plenty of mystery and questions to be answered.

Multiple Supermen, a mysterious human Clark Kent, Lex Luthor parading as a Superman and buying out the Daily Planet.

There's plenty of obstacles for Clark and Lois to navigate to try and keep their lives a secret and things are a bit harder than they once were. With Clark having to hide his identity even more than usual and Lois taking the place of her alternate universe counterpart without anyone knowing she's not the Lois they know.

There's a lot going on and there's also things happening in the background so it will be interesting to see what comes next.

[Ben Muralles · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Superman comics of the New 52 evidently ended with a new paradigm. Apparently Superman is dead and it was revealed he was also Clark Kent.

It's a different Superman comic than the norm. The art was all quite strong, lots of good action, and more mysteries than expected. The Doomsday arc had some payoff, but for the most part it's felt like a lot of setup for future arcs.

Compared to Tomasi's work on Superman at the time, this first stretch is preferable. Largely due to featuring much less Jon Kent wasting time.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this kind of tough to enjoy because it felt like issue after issue of setup. The first half had some dumb action at least, but the second was just all about this frankly confusing mystery that never moves forward. I’m trying to stay optimistic and hope the next volume offers more action and some damn answers!

[Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite enjoyable. Average art but it was double shipped. Very set in it's time post the death of N52 Superman.
I dont think I'd go back to read it again but I did like it. SuperLex is interesting. The Doomsday fight is quite prolonged.

By the end, status quo has returned however there are a few mysteries about the old versions still to be revealed.

[Néstor Vargas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This run has a totally different vibe from the main one. It feels more mature and not as centered around Jon, which is totally cool since it’s the secondary story. The art is amazing! Starting off with a Doomsday arc is wild, very high stakes here. They really delve deeper into the other Clark story here, which I wish I knew about when I read the main story’s conclusion.

[Chris W · Rating 4 out of 5]

SuperLex is an interesting and great idea which leads to perfect conflict. Also this tells a better Doomsday story by springboarding off of Dan Jurgens overrated Death of Superman story. This volume was surprisingly better than I thought

[Mohamed Ahmed · Rating 4 out of 5]

i think that was great, and has a great premise and i am looking forward for book 2
the art athough the book has many artists but was very good overall and the covers by clay mann and ryan sook and gary frank was just fabulous

[John Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dan Jurgens just gets how to write Superman. He hits the ground running. He juggles all the characters artfully and skillfully And weaves a master page turning Plot that makes you want to keep reading Superman comics.

[Hugo Emanuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

While not nearly as well written and drawn as the concurrent Superman title by Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason, its still a very fun read, even if at times, too reliant on action sequences. A good companion to Superman Rebirth, Altough most of both runs are self-contained, reading both will fill a few gaps in the story.

[Samuel Osito · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

A lot of plot setup, good art, and plenty of mystery help propel this volume along. It’s not as action packed as some Action Comics collections, but it definitely feels like its building up to something interesting.

[Batusi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting and well-crafted story that reinvigorates the classic character of Superman.

The plot follows Superman as he battles old and new foes, grapples with his place in a new and changing world, and seeks to uncover mysteries about Lex’s motivation and the appearance of Clark Kent.

Even though some of the plot points feel a bit familiar, the dynamic artwork and engaging storylines make this a must-read, especially for fans of the late 80’s and early 90’s Superman stories.

[Art · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting premise. Clark, Lois, and their son move to an alternate Earth. Strange goings on there. Their Superman dead, but Clark Kent alive and human. Lois disappeared. Lex a hero? I will need to continue reading this series to see where it goes.

[Sean Goh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lex Luthor as Superman?? The plot thickens.

[Mario · Rating 3 out of 5]

A generous 3 stars. Really 2.5.

[Kurt Lorenz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Justice League 52, That Which You Manifest Is Before You, ☆☆☆☆
957-962, Path of Doom, ☆☆☆☆
963-964, Superman Meets Clark Kent, ☆☆
965-966, Lois Lane, Back At The Planet, ☆☆☆

[j]

3.5

[Ming · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay. I prefer Tomasi & Gleason's Superman better.

[ERI ES · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesante apropiamiento de identidad. ¡Con ganas del desenlace!.

Libro de libre acceso online o descarga durante periodo de cuarentena. #keepreading

[Will Cooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would say the first half of this is really fun and interesting and the second half becomes boring, even though there is a Clark Kent back in the mix.

[Joakim Ax · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reads very quickly. Sort of trying to clean up and set the stage for new readers that didn´t follow the title since the New 52-era.