I'm faster than scans_daily. *chuckle*

Finallyyyy, Action Comics #858 is here and with it a Reeve-like Man of Steel, the new artist Gary Frank and a new storyarc about Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes, a superhero group first introduced in the late 50's. He used to be friends with them when he was Superboy, often traveling far into the future (where they come from) to spend time with them. The issue also includes a great flashback to a friendless, lonely young Clark (see scans).

SPOILERS BELOW!! I didn't put up the really big one, though. One of the greatest moments to me was a quick "homage" to a certain scene in a movie... But I'm pretty sure you'll be surprised which one it is! I hope it's not just me, I really think it's a homage and a lovely one. Check it out under the cut! OMG! *flail* I even put up a comparison pic.



( 'Clark Kent gives me the creeps.' )

*flails some more* Loved this issue!

The following 10 pictures of young Clark are the perfect doze of Clarkyness I need in order to forget about current JLA movie rumours and lack of Superman Returns sequel news.

See Tim Sale's art come to life in these wonderful "Kodak moment" photographs of a growing up Clark, his parents and friends Pete and Lana from Smallville. After a lovely wedding photo of Ma and Pa Kent, we begin with Martha feeding little baby Clark peas which he apparently doesn't like :), and end with teenage Clark escorting Lana Lang to the prom. I can't stress enough how amazing and gorgeous these are. Do take a look-see.



( Open the photo album... )

It's good to be a Clark Kent fan. I highly recommend Superman for All Seasons where these pictures come from. I'll be posting more scans from it for those unfamiliar with the comic book. The more people know about it, the better! :o)

My fave story in Action Comics Annual #10 from this year which was written by Geoff Johns and Richard Donner (yay!) and illustrated by Eric Wight, raises an intriguing question that catches one's attention: "Who is Clark Kent's big brother?"

When Clark was still a school boy in Smallville, Pa Kent told him to avoid playing sports with other kids because it could be dangerous and he could harm someone. Clark grew up without a friend who'd really understand him, someone he could show his superpowers to without fear of them completely freaking out. He had to come up with excuses why he's not joining in games. Even pretend he's of a weak disposition.
Still, Clark could not prevent the papers from printing stories about him (a mysterious "flying-boy") and his heroic deeds whenever they spotted him.



The tale begins with a newspaper photo of Ben Hubbard and an article reporting this very "flying-boy" stopped a fire on the man's farm. Clark begins: "Today the paper run some more stories about me... Today Mr Lang swerved his car so he wouldn't hit Pete's golden retriever... Today I got so close to Lana Lang I could smell her perfume..."

( 'I didn't want to be alone. And now I wasn't.' )

Is it just me or does Clark look a bit like Harry Potter in this art? :)

I also wanted to thank everyone who commented on my previous post about the JLA movie news/no MOS news. *hugs friendslist*

Sorry for not posting for a while, I haven't been feeling well and it's been a long week. *yawn* There have been some JLA movie rumours but fans agree they're from attention-seeking "fake scoopers" and I don't want to focus too much on JLA in my journal that's mostly been about Clark Kent so far. No worries. So on we go with more Clark goodness, this time my favourite Superman comic that is also an anniversary issue - Action Comics #800!

Surprisingly most of the artists in this issue aren't my favourites, it's the stories, the spirit of Superman and people's love for him again that drew me in. Just my kind of thing and a great read for anyone new to Superman comics. You don't want to pass this one up.

#800 is a touching look at Superman's positive influence in people's lives, be it through old and magnificent Fleischer Superman cartoons, the old Superman radio show, Superman: The Movie, Christopher Reeve, comics, etc. The people in #800 are like you and me who have followed his adventures in different mediums. They're not people of Metropolis/Superman's own universe but real-life individuals. I honestly had tears in my eyes by like page 3 already. The magic, the sincerity, the wonder and joy... It's all there. Now these are the accounts by people I can relate to.
Even if you don't usually like superhero comics, I'm pretty sure you'll like this. I'd give Action Comics #800 to someone I want to convert into a Superman fan or to at least show them why so many people love him.



Double-sized and packed with over a dozen artists, including Jim Lee, Tim Sale, Alex Ross and others, the issue delivers a good story after a good story that keeps you wanting for more. Lots of 1-page accounts but also a longer one about Clark's journey from a little farm kid from Kansas to the moment he decides to fly across Metropolis for the first time as Superman. Actually, the first time he flies he's still in CLARK KENT clothes minus the glasses and everyone sees him! He's at a major Metropolis event and flies over people's heads to save a crashing plane! There's also a hilarious moment with Clark trying on a "prototype costume" if you could even call it that. Check it out! :)

( 'Ask ten different people what Superman looks like, you'll get ten different descriptions, ten different stories like mine. They'll all have one thing in common, though... He's TOUCHED them, somehow. He's touched us all.' )

To quote the first story: "Thank you for being extraordinary, Superman. Thank you for being."

*sigh*

In the current Action Comics #855 (another issue with Richard Donner on the team!) we have a 2-page flashback to a moment in Clark's boyhood on the farm. Clark is watching other boys playing football from afar, using his "telescopic vision" to follow the game. Like many times before, it seems, Pa Kent tries to tell poor Clark why he can't play games with other children.



( 'I can see for MILES.' )

I'm bringing more icons, this time 11 veeeery old-skool Superman, Clark and Lois! These come from Action Comics #1 and #7 that appeared in 1938. Can't get cooler than that.

01. 02. 03.

( 9 more icons! )

Enjoy! :o) Please comment if you're taking any and thank you!

In a Smalllville flashback story in Adventures of Superman #573, one stormy night young Clark Kent almost kills himself when he tries to save a fellow farmer's feed-mill and grabs a lightning rod with bare hands. The moment the lightning strikes with enough volts to kill a person, it dawns on Clark:

"As far as I was concerned, this was the end. This was goodbye. This was where whatever cosmic mistake had brought me here was suddenly and violently rectified."

He gets hit by lightning and... he's fine.

"It was only then I realized how far I had to be from home."



( 'Coming to terms with the fact that I wasn't human was a difficult thing for a family to deal with... And for a while, we didn't even speak about it.' )

A lovely filler issue with an even lovelier flashback story about teenage Clark. The bit about Pa Kent disapproving of Clark using his powers reminded me of Superman: The Movie. In the comics he can be very strict about that and stubborn and difficult in general. It's nice to know he softens up a bit in later years.

Nice art by Epting and the dialogue by Mark Millar sparkles, especially his Luthor. On the very first page Luthor's got a meeting with the major of Metropolis and tells him: "There are more bricks in Metropolis bearing my name than you've got brain cells." He goes on how he put his heart and soul into development of the city and this is how people repay him? But when Superman's around, people "jostle to touch the hem of his cape".

Bitter, much? :)

Superman #656 from last year has a great flashback to Clark's post-high school years when he traveled the world and got on an archaeological dig in Western Australia. That and he looks like Tom Welling. :)

Clark's the kind of guy who'd sign up for an archaeology volunteer program or research, in this case he joined Professor Lang's (Lana's uncle) dig because he needed cash for his travels. He says he "joined up in Perth, using the family connection to get a job lifting and carrying for a few weeks".
He's part of an amazing discovery: a giant trilobite appears on the site and nearly crushes one of the archaeology students! Clark zooms her to safety at superspeed but disappears right away. The girl Callie never gets to see his face and later tells Clark she thinks it was "Super-boy". Clark's response is interesting... See scans.



( 'It was years ago. I was recently out of high school, traveling the world, trying to figure out my life - what I was going to do, to be.' )