To say that 2018 will be a big year for Superman is a massive understatement. Not only will Action Comics #1000 be hitting stands in a couple of months and a special hardcover will see release in order to celebrate his 80th anniversary in publication, but we also have the matter of Brian Michael Bendis becoming the guiding hand behind Big Blue for the foreseeable future.
To quickly recap, Bendis will pen a Man of Steel, a six-issue weekly miniseries set to launch in late May, before taking over the flagship books in July with a freshly relaunched Superman #1 and Action Comics #1001. Having taken that in, you probably couldn’t help but notice a three-month gap separating Action Comics #1000 from #1001.
As it turns out, DC actually does have a plan for that, for they’ll allow the current creative teams to conclude their runs with special oversized 48-page one-shots in May. Personally, I’m glad that both will receive a proper sendoff due to Superman having so much domestic charm and Action Comics being one of my favorite books since the Rebirth era began.
First, on May 2, Action Comics Special #1 will feature “The Last Will and Testament of Lex Luthor,” written by Jurgens with art by Will Conrad. As you may know, Luthor and Kal-El have enjoyed a shaky alliance for the past two years, and it all comes to a head here as the former will stand on the edge of a moral precipice that’ll determine the future of their dynamic. Expect stories by writer Max Landis and artist Francis Manapul, as well as writer Mark Russell and artist Jill Thompson, to also be included.
Then, on May 16, writer Peter J. Tomasi and artist Patrick Gleason wrap things up on their end with Superman Special #1. Tying up some loose ends from the “Escape from Dinosaur Island” arc, Clark heads back there to reunite with the Losers’ Captain Storm to “take one final trip together into the abyss of tomorrow, which brings the military man out of time into the world of today.”
Likewise, this book will include additional stories like its sibling. One will be written by Mark Russell with art by Bryan Hitch, and the other will be penned by Ian Flynn with art by Kaare Andrews.
Tell us, will you be picking up either of these Superman books when they ship, or will you start fresh with the Bendis era? Sound off in the usual place below!