Writer Gail Simone is busy making headlines as the writer behind one of the three lynchpin X-Men titles launching this July from Marvel. But she hasn’t forgotten about her old stomping grounds at DC Comics yet, as the publisher has announced she’ll be returning to Action Comics for a three-part arc also launching in July.
“I love the classic Superman cast, and this story is deliberately meant to echo my all-time favorite Superman time period,” said Simone in a press release provided to Comic Book Club. “We didn’t want to tell a quiet story of Superman in a diner; we wanted to have a massive threat, a war taking place all over the world, and only Superman could possibly protect his adopted planet. It is unapologetically huge in scope and fun as hell, with one of the best art teams I’ve ever worked with…Eddy Barrows, Danny Miki, and Rex Lokus on colors!”
As Simone mentions, Eddy Barrow is joining Simone on art for the latest iteration of the “Superman Superstars” initiative. They’ll be picking up from Jason Aaron and John Timms’ three-issue run that pitted the Man of Steel against Bizarro; and Joshua Williamson and Rafa Sandoval’s current arc, which pits Black against Brainiac. Will Superman fight a villain in this next arc whose name starts with “B?” I guess that’s T… B… D.
All joking aside (very serious here) the story is titled “Superman and the Challenge From the Stars” and takes him back to the beginning of his career. When a powerful alien race turns Earth into their arena, Superman stands alone against challenges all over the world.
Simone previously wrote Action Comics for a lauded run that started way back in Action Comics #827, pencilled by John Byrne.
“For me talking about Action Comics is something that goes beyond the title itself,” said Barrows. “I remember when I was 7 years old, I was playing on the sidewalk, and suddenly I was run over by a truck, right there. I spent 3 days fighting for my life, and during that whole year that followed I remained in bed, doing lots of physiotherapy, lots of meds and exams. Going to the doctors was a very regular thing. And it was during that time that Superman came to my life, reading Action Comics. Kal-El became a good friend of mine, making my days better. His adventures and his behavior were things that stuck with me! Reading his stories were the highlight of my days, for a 7-year-old recovering from an accident like I was. Back then I wouldn’t have imagined that one day I would be helping to build his legacy: illustrating his stories. The stories of my all-time favorite superhero… SUPERMAN!”
Action Comics #1067, #1068, and #1069 hit in July, August, and September respectively. Get a look at some of the covers for #1067, below (and click for larger versions):
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