Action Comics #900 [Direct Sales]
(June 2011)

DC, 1938 Series
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Price
5.99 USD
Pages
100
Indicia Frequency
monthly
On-sale Date
2011-04-27
Publisher's Age Guidelines
Rated T Teen
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
DC Comics
Brand
DC [swirl]
Barcode
761941200019 90011
Editing
Matt Idelson (editor); Wil Moss (assistant editor)

Issue Notes

"Printed by Quad/Graphics, Montreal, QC, Canada. 04/15/11."

The indicia for this issue has an incorrect date of May 2011, the cover has the correct month (June).
This issue has variants:

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents)

Superman / cover / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
David Finch (painter)
Inks
David Finch (painter)
Colors
David Finch (painter)
Letters
typeset

Genre
superhero
Characters
Superman; Lex Luthor
Reprints

The Black Ring Finale Reign of Doomsday (Table of Contents: 1)

Lex Luthor; Superman / comic story / 51 pages (report information)

Script
Paul Cornell
Pencils
Pete Woods (pages 1-3, 8-14, bottom of 22-24, 28-39, 41-46); Jesús Merino (pages 4-7, 25-27, 40, 47-51); Dan Jurgens (page 15); Rags Morales (signed, page 16); Ardian Syaf (page 17); Jamal Igle (pages 18, top of 19); Gary Frank (bottom of page 19 through top of 22)
Inks
Pete Woods (pages 1-3, 8-14, bottom of 22-24, 28-39, 41-46); Jesús Merino (pages 4-7, 25-27, 40, 47-51); Norm Rapmund (page 15); Rags Morales (signed, page 16); Ardian Syaf (page 17); Jon Sibal (pages 18 and top of 19); Gary Frank (bottom of page 19 through top of 22)
Colors
Blond (pages 4-7, 25-27, 40, 47-51); Brad Anderson (pages 1-3, 8-24, 28-39, 41-46)
Letters
Rob Leigh

Genre
superhero
Characters
Superman; Lois Lane; Doomsday; Steel [John Henry Irons]; Superboy [Kon-El]; Supergirl [Kara Zor-El]; Cyborg Superman [Hank Henshaw]; Eradicator; Lex Luthor; General Zod (flashback, cameo); Ursa (flashback, cameo); Non (flashback, cameo); Jor-El (flashback, cameo); Lara (flashback, cameo); Chris Kent [Lor-Zod] (flashback, cameo); Jonathan Kent (flashback, cameo, death); Martha Kent (flashback, cameo); Robot Lois Lane [RoboLois]; Death of the Endless (cameo); Vandal Savage (cameo); Red Lanterns (cameo); Batman [Bruce Wayne] (cameo); Perry White (cameo); Jimmy Olsen (cameo); Steve Lombard (cameo); Larfleeze (cameo); Deathstroke (cameo); Gorilla Grodd (cameo); Brainiac (cameo); Joker (cameo); Phantom Zone Creature (flashback)
Synopsis
Having combined with the Phantom Zone creature, Luthor has achieved enormous power, and draws Superman to him to break him, but can't. The creature reasserts itself, causing Luthor to grant absolute happiness to all, but he gives that up by continuing to try to destroy Superman. Meantime Doomsday has kidnapped several heroes. Superman joins them, but together they find that Doomsday himself is held captive and they've been fighting three Doomsday clones, each with different powers.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Story continued from the previous issue and from Superboy (DC, 2010 series) #6, and continues in the next issue. "Very special thanks to Neil Gaiman."

The credits for the specific pages weren't indicated in the book itself, but Pete Woods and Jamal Igle have both confirmed the pages that they did with this indexer.

A Celebration of 900 Issues of Action Comics (Table of Contents: 2)

table of contents / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Adam Hughes
Inks
Adam Hughes
Colors
Adam Hughes ?
Letters
typeset

Characters
Superman

Indexer Notes

This is a table of contents (with credits) for the remaining stories in this issue. The background is from the Adam Hughes variant cover for this issue.

Life Support (Table of Contents: 3)

Jor-El / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Script
Damon Lindelof
Pencils
Ryan Sook
Inks
Ryan Sook
Colors
Ryan Sook ?
Letters
John J. Hill

Genre
superhero
Characters
Jor-El; brilliant scientist; Kal-El (cameo)
Synopsis
Jor-El asks a brilliant scientist to design a life support system for a small rocket in three days. The scientist realizes the ramifications for his own family, and asks for one night before he starts.
Reprints

Autobiography (Table of Contents: 4)

Superman / comic story / 3 pages (report information)

Script
Paul Dini
Pencils
R. B. Silva
Inks
Rob Lean
Colors
Java Tartaglia
Letters
John J. Hill

Genre
superhero
Characters
Superman; Sarva; I'iawa (flashback); Krypto (cameo)
Synopsis
Superman helps out a powerful space-faring creature, and records his history.
Reprints

Friday Night in the 21st Century (Table of Contents: 5)

Clark Kent / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script
Geoff Johns
Pencils
Gary Frank
Inks
Gary Frank
Colors
Brad Anderson
Letters
John J. Hill

Genre
superhero
Characters
Clark Kent [Superman]; Lois Lane; Legion of Super-Heroes [Dawnstar; Wildfire; Blok; Ultra Boy; Lightning Lad; Shadow Lass; Cosmic Boy; Phantom Girl; Brainiac 5; Polar Boy; Night Girl; Saturn Girl; Colossal Boy; Lightning Lass; Timber Wolf]
Synopsis
Lois thinks Clark needs some time with his friends, and invites the Legion of Super-Heroes over for dinner.
Reprints

The Incident (Table of Contents: 6)

Superman / comic story / 9 pages (report information)

Script
David Goyer
Pencils
Miguel Angel Sepulveda (credited as Miguel Sepulveda)
Inks
Miguel Angel Sepulveda (credited as Miguel Sepulveda)
Colors
Paul Mounts
Letters
Rob Leigh

Genre
superhero
Characters
Superman [Clark Kent]; Gabriel Wright; Darkseid (cameo); Royal Flush Gang (cameo)
Synopsis
Superman meets with the President's National Security Advisor, and describes why he took the actions he did in Iran, and that he's planning on renouncing his U.S. citizenship.
Reprints
Keywords
Camp David; citizenship; Tehran -- Iran

Indexer Notes

This story generated a lot of controversy, as Superman had earlier (and following this issue) stood for "Truth, Justice, and the American Way," but here Superman says that '"Truth, Justice and the American Way"-- it's not enough anymore.' The day after the issue went on sale, DC Comics co-publishers Jim Lee and Dan Didio issued a statement printed in the New York Post that said "Superman is a visitor from a distant planet who has long embraced American values. As a character and an icon, he embodies the best of the American Way." And the author chimed in on July 19th in an interview with Entertainment Weekly and said "It was also interesting to me that people thought it was a slight against America. It wasn’t meant to be that at all. He was actually trying to protect America from what he intended to do." And then in editor Matt Idelson's semi-regular question and answer session at SupermanHomePage.com in August, he was asked for his personal feelings on the story, and responded among other things that "Had I done a better job of making clear to the readers that the stories in the back may or may not fit into continuity, and are simply a celebration of the character from a diverse set of writers and artists, perhaps things wouldn't have been so loud." The notoriety probably was the cause of the issue selling out two days after it was put on sale.

Camp David is captioned as being in Frederick, Maryland, when the closest town to it is really Thurmont, Maryland.

Only Human (Table of Contents: 7)

Superman / comic story / 15 pages (report information)

Script
Richard Donner; Derek Hoffman
Pencils
Matt Camp
Inks
Matt Camp
Letters
typeset

Genre
superhero
Characters
Superman [Clark Kent]; Lois Lane; Cliff Carter; Jimmy Olsen (cameo)
Synopsis
Former football star Cliff Carter is now a spokesman for SuperTech, and demonstrates his company's new SuperSuit. He challenges Superman to a race. That night they meet and start the race, but the SuperSuit siphons too much energy from around it, and Superman has to shut it down.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

This story is told in a movie storyboard format, with black and white art on the left side, and text as if from a screenplay on the right, with alternating red and blue background colors to denote which text goes with which picture.

The Evolution of the Man of Tomorrow (Table of Contents: 8)

Superman / illustration / 2 pages (report information)

Pencils
Brian Stelfreeze (signed)
Inks
Brian Stelfreeze (signed)
Colors
Brian Stelfreeze ?
Letters
typeset

Genre
superhero
Characters
Superman [Clark Kent]
Reprints

Indexer Notes

This is an illustration that has six figures of Clark Kent changing to Superman. Each of the figures is done in a style from past artists of Superman: Joe Shuster, Curt Swan, John Byrne, Jerry Ordway, Jim Lee, and Gary Frank. The buildings in the static background also change time periods from left to right.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 9)

Action Comics / letters page / 1 page (report information)

Script
Matt Idelson; Wil Moss
Letters
typeset

Indexer Notes

Letters from Oliver Ortiz and Christopher Kaufman. This includes a farewell to artist Pete Woods, and a promo for the next issue including the cover.

[Ads] (Table of Contents: 10) (Expand) /

advertisement / 3 pages (report information)

Editing
Related Scans
Series Information
Table of Contents
  1. 0. [no title indexed]
    Superman
  2. 1. The Black Ring Finale Reign of Doomsday
    Lex Luthor; Superman
  3. 2. A Celebration of 900 Issues of Action Comics
  4. 3. Life Support
    Jor-El
  5. 4. Autobiography
    Superman
  6. 5. Friday Night in the 21st Century
    Clark Kent
  7. 6. The Incident
    Superman
  8. 7. Only Human
    Superman
  9. 8. The Evolution of the Man of Tomorrow
    Superman
  10. 9. [no title indexed]
    Action Comics
  11. 10. [Ads]
This issue was modified by
  • Katie
  • Peter Croome
  • Gregory Fischer
  • Bob Hughes
  • Tony R. Rose
  • Allen Ross
  • Karsten S.
  • Jim Van Dore