Action Comics 701 – 703, 0, 704 – 709

What if each issue of Action Comics really was a month in the life of Superman? It would mean his life would be like this:

May: Stop Lex from using Kryptonian battle suit to ruin city

June: Fight Bloodsport on a bridge

July: Participate in semi-annual DC Universe cross-over event; meet an alternate-timeline version of parents; watch the universe get destroyed (again).

August: Fight old home-town friend now out to kill me

September: Track down Eradicator because I think he’s making me crazy

October: Continue to go insane; steal a body from S.T.A.R. Labs and fight the Special Crimes Unit.

November: Let Supergirl take the spotlight while I share a plane ride with Perry White

December: Fight hi-tech ninja but finish in time to spend New Years with Lois

January: Get caught in a trap with Mr. Miracle

February: Fight a possessed Guy Gardner

Whew. No wonder they needed skip weeks.

Action Comics 692 – 700

Now that I’ve read the next eight issues of Action, after being significantly bummed out from reading the “Reign of the Supermen” stories, I’m now feeling a little more confident in the decisions my 18-year-old self made. Granted, deciding to collect (or not to collect) a comicbook isn’t exactly on the same scale of decision-making as, say, what college to go to, or what career path to take. But if my run of Action Comics were to be an encapsulation of my collection in total, based off my reaction to the last batch of issues I reviewed, it would be disconcerting to think the majority of my collection would be something that doesn’t hold up to more adult scrutability. This isn’t to say these eight issues are shining examples of the best the medium has to offer, but much like A. Bizarro, I found them to be (mostly) enjoyable for what they are: fun, slightly breezy, entertainment.
 

Action Comics 662, 667, 674, 675

What is the difference between reading comics and collecting comics? Although, now that I’m asking, I realize that “difference” may be the wrong word to use.  I think the better question is: “what is the relation between reading comics and collecting comics?” I think it’s a Venn diagram, with collecting in one circle, reading in another, and me in the overlapping area. Such is the sort of things reading these next few issues of Action Comics have me thinking about.

As I’ve said before, I never began reading Superman stories because I liked Superman. I read them because I was hoping that particular issue would be worth money sometime down the road. But what soon started happening—and I see it happening in these four issues—is that while I first came for the collecting, I stayed for the reading.  Clark Kent revealing his secret identity to Lois—that’s a milestone that could be valuable down the line (it isn’t). All the double-sized issues celebrating the new Superman comics . . . well, that might be worth something for the Eradicator storyline (it isn’t). But buying all parts of “Panic in the Sky!”? Yeah, that one was definitely done just for the storyline.