Generation X-Lapsed, Episode 12 - Generation X #87 (2018)

Generation X-Lapsed, Episode Twelve

Generation X #87 (April, 2018)

Writer - Christina Strain

Art - Amilcar Pinna

Colors - Felipe Sobreiro

Letters - VC's Clayton Cowles

Edits - Robinson, Shan, Paniccia, Cebulski

Cover Price: $3.99

On-Sale: February 21, 2018

It's the final episode of Generation X-Lapsed!

Will the Loser Squad be able to defeat M-Plate?

Will Jubilee be able to adequately use her newly returned PAFF powers?

Will we ever see these characters again?

Those answers... well, might be in this issue.

--

Help me pick the next Sunday Special Series!

• Mr. & Mrs. X-Lapsed
  • 18 Episodes
    • Rogue & Gambit 1-5
    • X-Men Gold Wedding Issue
    • Mr. & Mrs. X 1-12
• JEANeration X-Lapsed
  • 12 Episodes
    • Jean Grey 1-11
    • Generations: Jean Grey

--

The ALL-NEW ALL-DIFFERENT X-Lapsed Voicemail!

623-396-5375 (or, 623-396-JERK)... as in "Professor Xavier is a..." and not anything off-color!  Shame on you for thinking it was!

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Generation X-Lapsed, Episode 11 - Generation X #86 (2018)

Generation X-Lapsed, Episode Eleven

Generation X #86 (March, 2018)

"Survival of the Fittest, Part 2"

Writer - Christina Strain

Art - Amilcar Pinna

Colors - Felipe Sobreiro

Letters - VC's Clayton Cowles

Edits - Robinson, Shan, Paniccia, Alonso

Cover Price: $3.99

On-Sale: January 17, 2018

In our penultimate outing with the lovable Loser Squad, we finally get to the scene that caused us to look at this book in the first place - the de-vamping and re-mutifying of Jubilation Lee!

We've got questions...

--

Introducing the ALL-NEW ALL-DIFFERENT X-Lapsed Voicemail!

623-396-5375 (or, 623-396-JERK)... as in "Professor Xavier is a..." and not anything off-color!  Shame on you for thinking it was!

--

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Generation X-Lapsed, Episode 10 - Generation X #85 (2018)

Generation X-Lapsed, Episode Ten

Generation X #85 (February, 2018)

"Survival of the Fittest, Part 1"

Writer - Christina Strain

Art - Amilcar Pinna

Colors - Felipe Sobreiro

Letters - VC's Clayton Cowles

Edits - Robinson, Shan, Paniccia, Alonso

Cover Price: $3.99

On-Sale: December 20, 2017

Welcome to Marvel Legacy, Gang!  We're back to our Legacy Numbering and everything... and by "everything", I mean... well, that's basically it.  Nothing else about this screams "legacy", but... we can't have everything, now can we?

Here, as Generation X barrels toward its conclusion, we're seeing all of our main story threads converge in a most convenient way.  We've got two issue-sodes left after this!

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Generation X-Lapsed, Episode 09 - Generation X (vol.2) #9 (2018)

Generation X-Lapsed, Episode Nine

Generation X (vol.2) #9 (February, 2018)

Writer - Christina Strain

Art - Amilcar Pinna

Colors - Felipe Sobreiro

Letters - VC's Clayton Cowles

Edits - Robinson, Shan, Paniccia, Alonso

Cover Price: $3.99

On-Sale: November 22, 2017

In the FINAL issue of Generation X (vol.2), we deal with the fallout of Kid Krakoa's accidental rampage through the streets of New York City... where, evidently, the Police and Emergency Services are too disinterested in taking a look at themselves... because it's all being left to our lovable loser squad (and Quentin Quire)!

Also: Jubilee gives Jono one heck of an arm hickey...

Next Time Out - It's Marvel Legacy!

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Generation X-Lapsed, Episode 08 - Generation X (vol.2) #8 (2018)

Generation X-Lapsed, Episode Eight

Generation X (vol.2) #8 (January, 2018)

Writer - Christina Strain

Art - Amilcar Pinna

Colors - Felipe Sobreiro

Letters - VC's Clayton Cowles

Edits - Robinson, Shan, Paniccia, Alonso

Cover Price: $3.99

On-Sale: November 8, 2017

Well, slap my face and call me HoXPoX... we've got us a Krakoa sighting in this here issue!  Well, the Grandson of Krakoa anyway... the mid-2010's were a weird time.

Also, Bling! has a therapy session with PhD in training and Generation X alumni, Paige Guthrie.  How does THAT make us feel?

--

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Phoenix ResurreX-Lapsed, Episode 6 - X-Men: Red Annual #1 (2018)

Phoenix ResurreX-Lapsed, Episode Six

X-Men: Red Annual #1 (July, 2018)

Writer - Tom Taylor

Art - Pascal Alixe

Colors - Chris Sotomayor

Letters - VC's Cory Petit

Edits - Bissa, White, Paniccia, Harrington, Cebulski

Cover Price: $4.99

On-Sale: May 30, 2018

To all things... an Epilogue?

Hello friends, today is the surprise return of Phoenix ResurreX-Lapsed, where we're going to be taking a look at the book that bridges us from Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey #5 and X-Men: Red #1 - the X-Men: Red Annual!

I hope you all have your hate-filled hot dogs at the ready... cuz we're gonna need 'em!

--

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eXLapsedination, Episode 5 - Extermination #4 (2018)

eXLapsedination, Episode Five

Extermination #4 (December, 2018)

"Extermination, Part Four of Five"

Writer - Ed Brisson

Layouts - Pepe Larraz

Pencils - Ario Anindito

Inks - Dexter Vines

Colors - Erick Arciniega

Letters - VC's Joe Sabino

Edits - Shan, White, Cebulski

Cover Price: $3.99

On-Sale: October 31, 2018

In our penultimate chapter of Extermination, Kid Cable finally reveals why he's here... and why he's doin' what he's doin'!  We've got a mostly united front against Ahab... and one slim teen-ager's life hangs in the balance.

Business is picking up!

--

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eXLapsedination, Episode 4 - Extermination #3 (2018)

eXLapsedination, Episode 4

Extermination #3 (November, 2018)

"Extermination, Part Three of Five"

Writer - Ed Brisson

Art - Pepe Larraz

Colors - Marte Gracia

Letters - VC's Joe Sabino

Edits - Robinson, Shan, White, Cebulski

Cover Price: $3.99

On-Sale: September 26, 2018

Marking FIVE YEARS of daily discussions, reviews, blogs and/or pods at Chris is on Infinite Earths dot com!

Today's episode is another short one... but, it's action-packed.  Your humble host starts to get a feel for where this is headed - and is still having a lot of fun x-periencing and getting answers out of this event miniseries.

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eXLapsedination, Episode 3 - Extermination #2 (2018)

eXLapsedination, Episode Three

Extermination #2 (October, 2018)

"Extermination, Part Two of Five"

Writer - Ed Brisson

Art - Pepe Larraz

Colors - Marte Gracia

Letters - VC's Joe Sabino

Edits - Robinson, Shan, White, Cebulski

Cover Price: $3.99

On-Sale: August 29, 2018

Extermination rolls on, and we're down another time-displaced original X-Man!  What'll happen when our Amalgamated X-Men Color-Guard and Adjacents realize that Ahab isn't the only threat on their radar?  And what might happen if our heroes have a Hound Sleeper Agent among them?  Give a listen and find out (some of the answers)!

--

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eXLapsedination, Episode 2 - Extermination #1 (2018)

eXLapsedination, Episode Two

Extermination #1 (October, 2018)

"Extermination, Part One of Five"

Writer - Ed Brisson

Art - Pepe Larraz

Colors - Marte Gracia

Letters - VC's Joe Sabino

Edits - Robinson, Shan, White, Cebulski

Cover Price: $4.99

On-Sale: August 15, 2018

After pressing through the "Countdown to", we're into the event miniseries proper!  It's an issue with a couple of casualties (one notable... one, less so)... as well as an introduction of a character who looms large in our current Dawn of X landscape!

We'll talk a lot (ie. project) about potential original plans for the original five... and what that might've meant for X-Men lore.  If the time-displaced crew were a) from the 616, and b) sent back to the past with the knowledge of everything that was yet to come... what might that have meant for our current-day continuity?

Could they have originally been intended as an in-story reboot mechanism for our mutant heroes?  Probably not... but, we're going to have fun playing "What if...?" anyway!

I'd love to hear (and share) your hot-takes on this issue as well.  If you've got any, please don't hesitate to send 'em in!  

--

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eXLapsedination, Episode 1 - Countdown to Extermination (2018)

eXLapsedination, Episode One

Countdown to Extermination (July-September, 2018)

Featuring "post-credits scenes" from:

• X-Men Gold #27
• X-Men Blue #27
• X-Men Red #5
• Astonishing X-Men (vol.4) #13
• Cable #159

Writer - Ed Brisson

Art - Oscar Bazaldua

Colors - Erick Arciniega

Letters - VC's Joe Caramagna, Travis Lanham, Cory Petit, & Clayton Cowles

Edits - Robinson, Shan, White

Cover Price: $3.99 each

On-Sale: May 2-July 18, 2018

Welcome to the new X-Lapsed Sunday Special Series... 

It's another one that I've been really looking forward to: Extermination - wherein we're going to find out where Kid Cable came from... and where the time-displaced Original Five went!  Well, that's the plan anyway... anything could happen!

But before all that, we're going to have to get to Extermination... you might say, we're going to have to Countdown to Extermination.  Today we're going to chat about the post AvX landscape which brought us to this point... and then the five "post credits sequences" that lead us into the event miniseries proper.  It's bound to be a good time - I hope you decide to come along!

--

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Phoenix ResurreX-Lapsed, Episode 05 - Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey #5 (2018)

Phoenix ResurreX-Lapsed, Episode Five

Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey #5 (March, 2018)

"Chapter Five: Be Thou Those Ends"

Writer - Matthew Rosenberg

Pencils - Leinil Francis Yu & Joe Bennett

Inks - Gerry Alanguilan & Belardino Brabo

Colors - Rachelle Rosenberg

Letters - VC's Travis Lanham

Edits - Harrington, Robinson, Shan, Paniccia, Cebulski

Special Thanks - Axel Alonso

Cover Price: $4.99

On-Sale: January 31, 2018

Today we wrap up Phoenix Resurrection, and finally find out how Jean got her groove back.  Turns out, all she had to do was tell a bird to take a hike!

Also: Old Man Logan slices her friend's throat AND has the gall to insult her coffee.

--

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Phoenix ResurreX-Lapsed, Episode 04 - Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey #4 (2018)

Phoenix ResurreX-Lapsed, Episode Four

Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey #4 (March, 2018)

"Chapter Four: That A Great Princess Falls, but Doth Not Die."

Writer - Matthew Rosenberg

Art - Ramon Rosanas

Colors - Rachelle Rosenberg

Letters - VC's Travis Lanham

Edits - Harrington, Robinson, Shan, Paniccia, Cebulski

Cover Price: $3.99

On-Sale: January 24, 2018

In our penultimate episode, the veneer starts to crack... in more ways than one.  The X-Men spend half the issue fighting... and the other half explaining.  How and why is Jean Grey back?  Well, there are some theories floated in this story... and we'll talk all about it!

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Phoenix ResurreX-Lapsed, Episode 03 - Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey #3 (2018)

Phoenix ResurreX-Lapsed, Episode Three

Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey #3 (March, 2018)

"Book Three: A Constellation of Them All"

Writer - Matthew Rosenberg

Pencils - Joe Bennett

Inks - Lorenzo Ruggiero

Colors - Rachelle Rosenberg

Letters - VC's Travis Lanham

Edits - Robinson, Harrington, Shan, Paniccia, Cebulski

Cover Price: $3.99

On-Sale: January 10, 2018

Welcome back to the Sunday Special - we're officially at the halfway point of Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey... and while it continues its (perhaps too) slow burn - it also continues to keep me on the edge of my seat, x-cited to see how this all shakes out!

Our titular heroine is beginning to lose control over things in the Elsewhere... does she just need a stiff drink (or a stiff man?) - if that's left up to a certain Mr. Patch, I've got a pretty good idea!

--

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Phoenix ResurreX-Lapsed, Episode 02 - Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey #2 (2018)

Phoenix ResurreX-Lapsed, Episode Two

Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey #2 (March, 2018)

"Book Two: All Lesser Birds"

Writer - Matthew Rosenberg

Pencils - Carlos Pacheco

Inks - Rafael Fonteriz

Colors - Rachelle Rosenberg

Letters - VC's Travis Lanham

Edits - Harrington, Robinson, Shan, Paniccia, Alonso

Cover Price: $3.99

On-Sale: January 3, 2018

Mutant psychics have gone missing... there's fire in the skies... and the X-Men have a pretty good idea what might be responsible - and so, they break into a bunch of teams to MacGuffin-hunt!

Also: The Elsewhere Diner gets itself a patron with the ability to bend spoons...

Still having a lot of fun with this "Sunday Special Series"... and I hope you are as well!

--

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Phoenix ResurreX-Lapsed, Episode 01 - Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey #1 (2018)

Phoenix ResurreX-Lapsed, Episode One

Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey #1 (February, 2018)

"Chapter One: Frustrate the Sun"

Writer - Matthew Rosenberg

Pencils - Leinil Francis Yu

Inks - Gerry Alanguilan

Colors - Rachelle Rosenberg

Letters - VC's Travis Lanham

Edits - Harrington, Robertson, Shan, Paniccia, Alonso

Cover Price: $4.99

On-Sale: December 27, 2017

Welcome friends, to the new X-Lapsed "Sunday Special Series", wherein we're going to spend the next five weeks looking at Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey by Matthew Rosenberg and Friends.

This is a series I've been long curious about, and so I figured it was high time we get to the bottom of just how Jean Grey made her return.  So far, so good - this was an issue so strong that... I'm even tempted to go back revisit the 2016-2018 Blue and Gold era!

If you too are ResurreX-Lapsed, please consider joining me in this little reading endeavor!

--

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Action Comics #1000 (2018)

Action Comics #1000 (June, 2018)
"From the City that Has Everything"
"Never-Ending Battle"
"An Enemy Within"
"The Car"
"The Fifth Season"
"Of Tomorrow"
"Five Minutes"
"Actionland!"
"Faster Than a Speeding Bullet"
"The Truth"
Writers - Dan Jurgens, Peter J. Tomasi, Marv Wolfman, Geoff Johns, Richard Donner, Scott Snyder, Tom King, Louise Simonson, Paul Dini, Brad Meltzer & Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils - Dan Jurgens, Patrick Gleason, Curt Swan, Olivier Coipel, Rafael Albuquerque, Clay Mann, Jerry Ordway, Jose Luis Garcia Lopez, John Cassaday & Jim Lee
Inks - Norm Rapmund, Butch Guice, Kurt Schaffenberger, Kevin Nowlan & Scott Williams
Colors - Hi-Fi, Alejandro Sanchez, Dave McCaig, Jordie Bellaire, Laura Martin & Alex Sinclair
Letters - Rob Leigh, Tom Napolitano, Nick Napolitano, John Workman, Carlos M. Mangual, Josh Reed, Chris Eliopoulo and Cory Petit
Assistant Editor - Andrea Shea
Associate Editor - Jessica Chen
Editors - Paul Kaminski & Mike Cotton
Group Editor - Brian Cunningham
Cover Price: $7.99

Hey everybody... welcome to the, ahem, ONE-THOUSANDTH DAILY DISCUSSION here at Chris is on Infinite Earths.  Can you believe we've been talking about comics here every-single-day since January 30, 2016?!

I sure can't!

I'll save the personal beats for the "down below", but we've got a long issue to discuss today, so... just in case my normally dazzling writing doesn't hold your interest the whole way through, I'll drop a THANK YOU up here in the pre-ramble.  It's been a heckuva ride to this point, I couldn't have stuck with this without kind folks popping in from time to time and giving a wink, thumbs-up, and pat on the back.

Today we're going to be talking about... well, really the only comic book we can discuss when it comes to discussing "one-thousandths", and that is the semi-recent Action Comics #1000.  Full disclosure... knowing that this blog milestone was on the horizon, I purposely did not read this issue cover-to-cover until quite recently.  I wanted to come into this one "fresh"... and seeing as though it's an anthology, I figured (outside of the Bendis story) nothing was going to be all that "time sensitive".

Though, since this issue is new-ish, it's not going to be quite as in-depth as a normal post here.  I don't want to risk ruining the entire thing for folks who might decide to pick it up.

Anyhoo, let's get right to it.

--

Our first story opens with Superman sending some Khunds packing out in deep space.  This happens to be going down on Metropolis' Superman Day, where, one would assume he would be the guest of honor.  Down on Earth, Jon is a bit nervous that his father won't show up in time... Lois, however, has no doubt.  Sure enough, Clark arrives just as the festivities are about to kick off.

Metropolis Mayor Barnes addresses the crowd, telling them what today is all about.  While she speaks, Clark is distracted... he keeps using his telescopic vision to see if the Khunds have followed him home.  While this is going on, Lois is on the phone with Perry.

One by one, folks take the stage and share their experience being saved or aided in some way by Superman.  It's really this scene that that makes the entire story.  It's something we might not think about much, and honestly, I don't think we're supposed to... but, for Superman, saving a person is just "anther day at work", for that person however, it's a life-changing experience!

A man named Benning takes the stage... a reformed criminal.  Jon balks at the idea of a "bad guy" celebrating Superman Day.  Clark tells him to calm down, as the fella shares his story about how Superman's patience and kindness led him down a much better road in life.  Worth noting, this Benning mentions how low-level criminals were often used by the big names as a distraction... another neat little detail, that we might not think about all that often!

Then, Perry White takes the stage... but, waitasec, isn't Lois on the phone with "Perry"?  At this point, Superman knows something's up.  He "supes up" and heads out... thrilling the crowd when they notice that he actually showed up.  In the skies above Metropolis, he runs into Wonder Woman, who informs him that the Khundian threat has been neutralized.  Ya see, Lois was really on the phone with Clark's associates in the League, asking them for a hand so he could enjoy his day.

And we learn that it wasn't only the League that came to help... it was damn near the entire superhero community... including, Deathstroke the Terminator?  Well, that can't be right...

Our next chapter features Superman telling a story about having battled Vandal Savage... during the fight, he is sent back in time... to the 1930's.  This whole tale provides a really neat opportunity to viably depict Superman in each of his eras/ages.  These are all (beautiful) full-page spreads which we spend the first few of in the Golden-Age.

From there, into the more sci-fi and fantastical Silver-Age.

Straight through the Bronze-Age, and into the Grim and Gritty Dark Knight Returns era.

Into the post-Crisis, and the Death and Return.

Skipping past today, and jumping right into Kingdom Come!

At this point in the story, Lois and Jon are becoming rather bored... and insist that Superman stop yammering and just blow out his candles.  Happy Birthday, Superman!  And yeah, there are eighty candles on the cake!

Our third chapter is a shorter piece, which opens with Maggie Sawyer trying to convince a man to release a hostage.  This fella, Mr. Davis, claims that there are voices in his head telling him to do bad things.

Even Mrs. Davis shows up to try and talk her husband down.  In a weird bit, he shouts back that it's too late for him... the voices won't let him fight back.  At the same time, however, he actually does release the hostage.  I dunno, maybe I missed something.  Davis is then shot with a rubber bullet.

Turns out Davis was being controlled... by Brainiac.  Superman narrates, claiming that Davis was able to fight off the suggestion... and we can see that this will be a constant struggle.  It's really all about the power of humanity... and it kinda just ends.  Really anticlimactic.

Chapter Four features a man having his car repaired.  Upon checking out the damage, the mechanic wonders if he'd hit an elephant.  The man corrects him, he actually hit a man... wearing red underwear (c'mon, you're better than that, Geoff) who later hung him up on a telephone pole.

The mechanic continues to survey the wrecked rig, and more or less tells the goof that it's totaled.  As he walks home, he runs into the same "elephant" he hit the night before.  They talk... and basically, Superman tells him to stop being a jerk.  The story ends with the fella deciding to "fix" his life... by soaking some children with a fire hydrant.  I think you can get fined for that... possibly added to a watch list too.

Our next chapter takes place at the Smallville Planetarium.  Superman has found Lex Luthor, who himself, has found a few odd bits... the Eye of Xotar and the Time Scissors of Chronos.  These things have the power to excise an entire genealogical line out of existence.  Lex kinda shrugs off Superman's accusations that he might use these to finally take him out.

Instead, he talks about Smallville's propensity for having a "fifth season" every year, coming between Winter and Spring.  He says that's when his father would be most ruthless... and as such, when he himself would spend most of his time at the Planetarium as sort of a sanctuary.

During one of these times, he tried sending an S.O.S. into space using the Planetarium's telescope.  He nearly perished in the attempt... having forgotten to heat up the nitrogen he used.  Lucky for him, young Clark Kent was there to give the assist.

Lex then comes clean... he did fetch the artifacts in order to kill Superman.  And get this, he does just that!  What's more, the story ends with both of them vanishing.  I guess without young Clark there to heat the Nitro... Lex wouldn't make it to adulthood himself.

Next story features Superman in the far-flung future... and I mean faaaar-flung future.  He is visiting... well, I'll bury the lead here because it's pretty obvious from the get-go, he's visiting the graves of his parents for the five billionth time (his words).

It's also the last time... because everything is about to end.  We learn that by drinking something called "eternity formula" Lois has been able to remain at his side for all these years... and Jon's still kickin' around as well.  The short story ends with everything being engulfed.  Not sure if these panels are the "end" for Superman, though, if it is... I'm not sure why he's at his parents' grave instead of with his wife and son.

Next up, Perry White gives Clark five minutes to write up a story about House Corruption.  While he's ranting and raving, Clark is distracted, his super-hearing has picked up some nearby distress.  A train looks to be going too fast to take a curve.

After "suping up", the day is saved.  Then, our old friend Bibbo is almost mugged by some geeks as he nonchalantly carries a bag of cash down a Hob's Bay street.  Superman saves him as well.

Then, some space junk threatens to hit the Earth.  Superman takes to (further up in) the skies, and busts it into more fun-sized debris.

He rushes back to the Daily Planet to type up his story... only to have Perry put it on the back-burner, so Clark can write about the story of Superman saving that train from derailment.  Wonk wonk.

Next, we're off to Action Land... which gives me a similar vibe to that Superman Pavilion we talked about... yeesh, FIVE-HUNDRED DAYS AGO.  That's half this site's life ago!  Anyhoo, we're being given a tour by a woman named Gspie... or, Ms. Gsptlsnz, if you prefer.

She takes some park-patrons on a tour of Superman's life history, including his arrival on the Kent farm!  From there, we get his association with other heroes of the DC Universe (not including the Legion of Super-Heroes, by the way), and even meet some of his rogues gallery (with an homage to the cover of a Bronze Age issue for good measure).

She then goes into spinning a yarn about Superman's final battle... with his greatest foe, Mr. Mxyzptlk... whiiiiich, kinda peters out.  Ya see, Mxy can't commit to an ending for this story... there are just too many options.

Our next story opens in a subway... where a man has a woman held at gunpoint.  Basically, over the next six pages, we learn that Superman is... in fact... faster than a speeding bullet.  It may seem like a cop-out, but there's really not much more to say about it.  We'll expound a bit more about this kinda thing in the "below".

Our final story, is kind of the "main event" of the issue.  It's Brian Michael Bendis' long-awaited debut... and it opens with a bang.  Superman is sent careening through the LexCorp building before slamming into the street below.

He then bounces into what looks like a seafood restaurant.  A couple of women try and drag him away to safety, but find he's wayyy too heavy.  At this point, the new beast on the block shows up!  Also, we get the first cute remark about the "red shorts".

Before the monster can lay into Superman, Supergirl shows up!  She proceeds to pound away on the beastie, but it's rather ineffective.

Inside, Superman pulls himself to his feet... amid more cute remarks about the "red shorts".  He is attacked once more by the monster, who finally introduces himself as Rogol Zaar... what's more, he claims to be responsible for the destruction of Krypton!

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Okay, I'm going to break one of my own rules here.  I usually hate it when people start a sentence with "Am I the only one...?" or it's cousin, "Is it just me...?", but... am I the only one kinda done with the "Anniversary Anthology"?!  I mean, I understand why they do it... but, I just can't get excited for it.  There are only so many times I can read a "love letter" to a character before I just wanna get on with a story.

Perhaps that's unfair of me to say... I have read probably more than my fair share of milestone/anniversary issues, so maybe my "fatigue" isn't indicative of everyone else's.  I'll concede that that very well might be the case.

That said... whatta we got here?

Well, it's... definitely a lot of "love letters".  And again, I get why they do this.  I'd imagine creators were lining up for the opportunity to take part in this landmark issue... and, "anthological" love-letter stories is probably the best way to make them all fit.

If it were me though, and "love letter" was the route we were going, I'd have simply expanded upon the Tomasi/Gleason "Superman through the Ages" story, and shoved as many creators as possible in there.  I feel like that story was the strongest part of this package... and really made it feel like something special.  Everything else... and I hate to say it, kinda felt like back-ups that would've been stuffed in an Annual to eat up pages or something.

That's not to say any of them were bad, because they weren't... they just didn't say "Action Comics One-Thousand" to me.  I mean, let's look at the "Faster than a Speeding Bullet" piece... was that really necessary?  Six pages to prove that Superman is... faster than a speeding bullet?  Do we still find that sort of thing clever?  Again, it wasn't bad (and the Cassaday art was wonderful), but... Why?!  It ate up pages, that.. I'd have spent fleshing out that Tomasi/Gleason story, popping Superman into six more eras/ages.

And again... I know why they did it this way.  I just wish they hadn't.  Then again, I'm a bit of an odd duck, so it's quite possible you're all rolling your eyes at me right now.  The issue is worth checking out if for no other reason than the novelty of owning a (legitimate-ish) one-thousandth issue.  Despite my crowing, it's clear that the creators involved do have an affection and respect for the character, which is something I definitely can't balk at.  I wish we had some more nods to folks like Cary Bates, Elliot S! Maggin, Roger Stern and John Byrne in here... but, whattayagonnado?  For your convenience, this issue is available digitally... and even has a "Deluxe Edition".

And there ya have it.  One-Thousand Consecutive Days... Tens of Thousands of Images... over a Million words.  Not a bad little "body of work" for a fella who was just trying to overcome some academic writer's block back in January, 2016.  Worth mentioning, I recently discussed the "genesis" of this site on the podcast feed.  If you're interested, please feel free to check it out here:



It's been an unexpected pleasure to be able to share so much of what I'm passionate about... this blog has afforded me the opportunity to broaden my horizons, overcome some fears, and meet some really great people.

I'm going to level with you though... it isn't always easy.  I think I have it in my head where "milestones" actually mean something.  That might actually be because of comics... growing up in the 80's/90's... milestones were usually covered in sparkly-stuff, portraying them with a measure of ceremony and novelty.

I've approached every milestone here similarly.  I try and pick out something "special"... and, when I finish typing, it's almost like I expect trumpets to play and confetti to rain from the ceiling.  But, it's never really that way, is it?  It's just me, leaning back from my kitchen island and exhaling... for about a minute, before beginning to plan what's next.

Which, hey, is a pretty good segue to... What's next?

Ya see, that's a difficult question... because, honestly... I don't know.  I'll come right out and say it... if it isn't eye-meltingly obvious, I have an addictive personality.  The idea of breaking the streak... kinda gives me hives.  I've actually lost a great deal of sleep in the past couple of weeks trying to figure out what comes after today.  And here I sit... still, without an answer!

I guess we'll just play it by ear.

I want to thank everybody who has popped in from time to time... reached out, said "hi", "liked" and/or shared these posts on social media.  That's another thing that has been challenging, especially with these last hundred or so posts.  Folks have reached out to me of late to let me know they hadn't seen any of my tweets in weeks (that almost rhymes).

So, with Twitter "burying" my tweets, as well as the sheer amount of content that comes from our little corner of the internet, the sad reality is... if I'm out of sight, I'm out of mind.  I can't expect folks to keep up this site when there are so many others out there, if they don't see my spam... er, "heads up" tweets.

I think I've probably said everything I want to say for this one.  Once again, thank you to everybody... as cliche as it may sound, there's no way I'd have stuck with this for 1000 days if not for the support and friendship of the community.  It means the world to me.

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C'mon, couldn't even edit it to say "Bendis is Here"?!

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