DC Comics just earned a Guinness World Record for the longest-running superhero comic book series ever with Action Comics. After 80 years of issues, Action Comics has officially reached the milestone by setting the world record.
Action Comics debuted in 1938, written by Jerry Siegel with art by Joe Schuster. At the time, DC Comics had not even taken on its name and was known, instead, as National Allied Publications. In 2011, Action Comics became one of the longest-running comic books with consecutively numbered issues. Although a second volume with renumbering began after that, DC returned to its original numbering in 2016, picking up with issue #957. More importantly, though, Action Comics introduced one of the world's most iconic superheroes to the world: Superman.
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Action Comics received the Guinness Book of World Records award for longest-running superhero comics at a San Diego Comic-Con press breakfast. DC's Dan DiDio and Jim Lee accepted the award. DiDio said:
"The release of Action Comics #1000 was a watershed moment for fans of comic books, entertainment and popular culture at large. It’s both exciting and humbling to be recognized by Guinness World Records for this achievement and we’re grateful for the legions of fans that have supported Superman and Action Comics for the last 80 years.”
This isn't surprising to fans, who picked up issue #1000 last month in droves, an issue that featured several stories and artwork from some of the best Superman comic book writers and artists of all time. That issue was the most-ordered comic book of the month, with retailers ordering half a million copies.
Action Comics #1000 also saw the return of Superman's classic suit, something that made a lot of fans happy. The red trunks returned, and fans said goodbye to the previous costume that he had from DC's New 52 redesign. Although DC adopted something similar to the New 52 style on both TV and in the movies, the comic books decided to bring back the classic look that fans seem to love most.
Action Comics #1001 releases on July 25. That issue will also excite fans, thanks to DC bringing over writer Brian Michael Bendis to take on writing duties for Action Comics and Superman. That issue will pick up where Man of Steel, also written by Bendis, left off as Superman tries to save Earth from the Phantom Zone.
It is an exciting time for comic book fans. Action Comics is consistently one of the best titles available, and with Bendis coming on as its writer, it will certainly only get even better. Although Superman is a character that could easily feel dated, throughout the years, his writers and artists have kept him relevant and superhero-worthy. Action Comics continues to remain strong and will end up holding on to its record for many years to come.
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