Plenty of Reasons to Get On Board for Superman's 80th Anniversary

If there was ever a year to start (or get back into) reading Superman comic books, this is the year to do it. With Action Comics #1000 coming in May, I don't need to explain the importance of getting to your local comic book store and reserving a copy.

But I'm going to anyways.

Because of the New 52, which rebooted the DCU and interrupted the original numbering, spanning five years time, there is a significant gap. But when DC did a retconned of the New 52 with REBIRTH, they decided not to restart Action Comics again. Instead, they added all of the New 52 issues to figure out where it should be had there been no reboot.

What it boils down to is that Action Comics will be the very first comic book in history to reach the millennium mark.

Superman, recognized as the world's first superhero, first appeared in Action Comics #1 back in April of 1938. Which means we’re coming up on his 80th birthday. DC Comics has a lot planned for the Man of Steel that should bring back old readers and spark an interest in new ones. Action Comics #1000 will be a collaboration of some of the industry's greatest talents, both new and old.

DC also announced that superstar writer Brian Michael Bendis, would include a story in Action 1000 that will be the foundation for his future work. That’s right, Bendis will be writing Superman going forward. He will be writing a Man of Steel mini-series, as well as taking over on Action Comics. Bendis enjoys playing the long-game with his ideas and having him write both books will allow him the freedom from continuity restraints.

As an added bonus, he announced on his twitter, that he’ll be including Supergirl! I've always felt Superman’s extended family wasn’t represented enough in his stories. Batman's books, like Detective Comics, feel more like "family" books. You’re always getting Batgirl, Robin, Batwoman, Nightwing, and so many other characters that we wouldn’t have if not for Bruce Wayne. Now it looks like Superman will emulate that to some extent.

So what else is happening outside of comic books that makes 2018 such a big year for big blue?

Television.

Not only is Supergirl continuing to thrive on the CW, with it's LEGION and World Killers storyline, this month, the prequel series KRYPTON will launch on SyFy. The series plans to expand the history of the doomed planet, as well as it's prominent houses. Namely El and Zod. But we’re also getting a few more houses included into Kryptonian lore such as Vex and Em.

In KRYPTON, Adam Strange travels across time and space to inform Seg-El of a threat that is coming to Krypton, threatening the existence of his future grandson. Superman. Every trailer we've seen shows us images of Superman's cape. And more recently we've been given a huge reveal that Brainiac is the main antagonist.

Talk about diving right in! Geoff Johns and David Goyer have talked about all kinds of possibilities for this show and have even mentioned Doomsday. Krypton will be a history lesson for all Superman fans and it'll be an epic show full of special fx for sci-fi lovers.

Then the direct to digital platform for Warner Bros. and DC will be developing a METROPOLIS show that centers around Lois Lane and Lex Luthor. This will deal with the famed city of tomorrow BEFORE Superman's arrival. And while it's still early in development, the news will surely continue to roll out this year.

What else is going on in Superman's world this year? Well let's not forget the constant rumors on when we'll see Henry Cavill don the suit one more time. If anyone is familiar with Shazam, you'll know that Billy Batson looked up to Superman. With a SHAZAM movie on the horizon, how long before we get information about Henry Cavill hanging around the set to appear? Or maybe we'll finally get some information dropped about a potential sequel to MAN OF STEEL.

Many people consider BATMAN V SUPERMAN the sequel, and JUSTICE LEAGUE the third act of Superman's trilogy. Fans have been asking for a second, dedicated, solo movie. I'd love to see him go head-to-head with Mongul or Brainiac. This year could be the year we finally get an announcement. Don’t forget that Patty Jenkins is currently working on her sequel to WONDER WOMAN, so why not have Superman visit Themiscyra as he’s done in the comics? Superman and Wonder Woman have a long history of companionship, and while we probably won't get treated to any New 52 style romance, Cavill and Gadot have so much on-screen chemistry it's hard to imagine not giving them more opportunities to interact.

Over the years, so much of DC’s focus has been on marketing Batman. 2018 is the year Superman fans may feel like they've won the lottery; maybe not as big as the Euromillions next draw, but certainly as fulfilling for comics geeks! There is a lot to look forward to this year as Superman finally gets all the attention on him. Sure Batman has a wedding coming up, but that’s nothing compared to all of the projects we can expect to see for the Man of Steel.