Superman’s origin story is one of the most well-known stories in pop culture. Almost everyone on the street knows the basic details of his beginning. Dying planet, desperate scientists, loving farm couple, leads one to become Superman. The story has been re-told so many times, that many people prefer just to skip it.

Action Comics #5 is the DC New 52 version of his origin story, and it has all the familiar elements. Jor-El, Martha and Jonathan Kent, and even the Legion of Superheroes all make an appearance.

The exception of this re-telling is that it was written by Grant Morrison and complimented with dynamic art by Andy Kubert. This re-telling is anything, but stale. Action Comics #5 turns everything old new again by making Superman’s origin exciting, epic, and engaging.

When re-telling an old story, one can add a new element to it by simply switching the perspective of who tells the story, which is exactly what Morrison does. We get to see the origin through the eyes of a character that has never been voiced before in any version of the Superman mythos. We get to see the Superman origin through the perspective of his ship, the one that flew him to Earth.

In Morrison’s origin, Superman’s ship has A.I., and it generally cares for the young Kal-El. Its dialogue comes off as alien and machine like, but through the small paragraphs of prose, the ship expresses its duty to carry out its mission. It’s this fresh element that truly makes Krypton for the first time ever truly alien, and not just an Earth-like copy.

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“I work hard at my job, Inspector. I won’t stop trying to expose the corruption of Metropolis. If that makes me an outside or a freak, I’m fine with that.”  - Clark Kent, Action Comics #3

It’s month three of the New 52 Superman. No longer is he an ultra-powerful god that worries about being lonely. Now, he is a social crusader that can leap tall buildings and wears jeans. Did writer Grant Morrison continue the forward momentum and the fresh take on the character that made the first issue so successful? The short answer is yes, and the longer answer is that he did it in a way that I did not expect.

The issue begins with a flashback to the destruction of Krypton, beautifully illustrated by guest artist Gene Ha. Ha handles all the art on the Krypton sequences while series artist Rags Morales continues art on the rest of the issue. While the re-designs of Superman’s doomed planet are great, I was really bored with this sequence. Don’t get me wrong, I was excited by the new inclusion of Brainiac into the destruction of Krypton. (Something that was done first by Bruce Timm’s Superman: The Animated Series over ten years ago).

Parts of these pages have been seen over and over again by anyone that has ever read a Superman comic. Grant Morrison, himself, skipped over Krypton’s destruction by only letting it have two panels in his Superman epic All-Star Superman. In that book, he simply wrote, “Desperate scientists, doomed planet,” and that was all we needed to know. Thankfully, the book doesn’t dwell on Krypton for too long, and focuses on what makes this book excellent.

Superman makes only one tiny appearance in this book. Then who is the star, you might ask. Let me tell you. It’s Clark Kent, and Clark Kent is awesome in this book. No longer the meek, clumsy, nerd he was in the Christopher Reeve movies. This Clark Kent writes articles about corruption in every aspect of society: the police, businesses, and politicians.

He angers people with his articles, and gets beat up for it regularly. The police even search his apartment to get him to stop writing! This is a Clark Kent that matters. His articles and words fight for justice just as hard as Superman does.

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Everyone knows that Wednesday is new comic book day. While picking up your new issues consider looking at some of the trade paperbacks and hard covers of past issues and story lines. But which ones should you choose?

That’s why every Tuesday, The Flickcast will recommend a collection of comics that are just as good, if not better, than the issues you are currently buying. Books that deserve to be read, and bought the next time you walk into your local comic book store.

“I’m only human; They don’t believe I can penetrate their stronghold. They don’t believe I pose a threat. Wrong.” – Batman – JLA #3

Everyone has their favorite superhero team. For some, it is the X-Men, for others it is the Avengers, but for me, it will always be the Justice League. The team’s membership includes not only Superman and Batman, which just by themselves are unstoppable, but includes classics like Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and Aquaman.

Now, the Justice League has over sixty years of publishing history. So a reader wanting to read the Justice League may be a little confused about where to start, and that’s where our Trade Paperback Tuesday pick comes in.

JLA: Volume 1 collects the first nine issues of Grant Morrison and Howard Porter’s run in the 1990′s plus a Secret Files special. Morrison treated his Justice League team as if they were the Greek Gods themselves protecting their kingdom from their castle in the clouds. (This Justice League had its Watchtower base on the moon!) His team also included the “Big 7″ of DC Comics, and eventually expanded to a membership of twelve.

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If one year ago you told me that DC Comics would take Superman back to his roots in the 1930′s and it would turn out to be the most modern and relevant take on the character, I would have called you crazy. But that is exactly what Grant Morrison has done to the character of Superman, and this comic is refreshing, exciting, and meaningful.

Action Comics #2 begins shortly after the end of last issue. The government has captured the being known as Superman, and under a task force led by Lex Luthor, they are experimenting and testing his powers. This is a Superman that can bleed; he is not the all-powerful god that he will become later. Superman breaks free, holds Luthor in a choke hold, and gets to meet Lois Lane for the first time.

Each and every beat of this book has a joy and energy that a Superman story hasn’t had in a long time. The issue ends with the readers discovering the true being that Luthor is working for. (Hint: It’s a classic Superman villain that has teamed with Luthor before.)

Part of the reason that this book works is the pure essence of motion instilled into every panel by Rags Morales. Last issue, his art came off as rushed. Well, Mr. Morales must have had a chance to catch up, because the art on this issue is fantastic. His Superman is always moving, has a smile on his face, and shows power in every shot.

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You will believe that man can fly, no wait, run really fast.

More so than any of the other DC Comics #1′s, including Justice League #1, Action Comics #1 is the flagship book of DC. Superheroes were created in the original Action Comics #1 way back in June of 1939.

The editors of DC Comics must have realized this as well so they gave the job of reinventing their original book and superhero to Grant Morrison, superstar comic writer and creator of one of  the best Superman stories of all time known as All Star Superman. So how is Action Comics #1? Well, it can be summed up in one simple sentence.

Welcome back, Superman.

Action Comics #1 is a refreshing, brand new take on the character of Superman. By going back to the roots of Superman, in his humble beginnings in 1939, Grant Morrison has created a Superman that is more modern and relevant than ever.

The issue begins with a young Superman. He can’t fly, but he can run real fast and leap buildings in a single bound. His costume is nothing but a t-shirt, a cape, and a pair of jeans. Superman grabs a CEO of a company that mistreated his workers, bribed city officials, and used illegal cheap labor.

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Since we first started getting casting news about Zack Snyder’s upcoming reboot/sequel to the Superman franchise titled Man of Steel, questions have been flying in from every direction about what the possible story could be.

With names like Kevin Costner, Laurence Fishburne, Diane Keaton, and Russell Crowe tying up the cast, we could only imagine how these A-listers would make their way into the film. The official synopsis has made its way onto the web, so maybe this will clear things up:

In the pantheon of superheroes, Superman is the most recognized and revered character of all time. Clark Kent/Kal-El (Henry Cavill) is a young twentysomething journalist who feels alienated by powers beyond anyone’s imagination. Transported to Earth years ago from Krypton, an advanced alien planet, Clark struggles with the ultimate question – Why am I here?

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When DC Universe Online launched earlier this year, it was possible to recreate almost any character, classic or modern, that fans of comics have loved for decades. There was one group of heroes and villains though that was noticeably left out in terms of power sets though. The Lanterns. Green, Red, Yellow, Blue and all the others had no presence in DC Universe Online from the player community. Sure they could fight alongside Hal Jordan but without a power ring of their own where is the fun in that?

Coming at the end of summer, the Fight for the Light expansion comes to DC Universe Online allowing ring based power sets to create a new array of combat options. Boxing gloves, freight trains, fighter jets, machine guns and more all produced by little green rings will up the ante in DCUO.

At Comic-Con, Mark Anderson from Sony Online Entertainment spoke with The Flickcast about what we would see in this expansion. In addition to seeing sights like Coast City or the Science Cells on Oa, the expansion will also help wrap up the story with Brainiac and the anomalies of the power rings. Players will be given the role as Corps Reserve members to help explain why so many lanterns are running around in a single sector.

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Coming on the heels of some rather eyebrow-raising news that Laurence Fishburne has been cast as Perry White, Warner Bros. is making sure you stay excited about their newest Superman film, Man of Steel, with a brand new pic of star Henry Cavill in the super suit.

The film, directed by Sucker Punch visionary Zack Snyder, is said to be a fresh new take on the classic Superman tale, while finally giving us the Superman that we have wanted in theaters for decades. Now that just about the entire cast is in place, here’s the official press release from WB:

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures have provided the first look at the new “Man of Steel,” revealing star Henry Cavill as Superman in the film from director Zack Snyder. The film also stars three-time Oscar nominee Amy Adams (“The Fighter”) as Daily Planet journalist Lois Lane, and Oscar nominee Laurence Fishburne (“What’s Love Got to Do with It”) as her editor-in-chief, Perry White. Starring as Clark Kent’s adoptive parents, Martha and Jonathan Kent, are Oscar nominee Diane Lane (“Unfaithful”) and Academy Award winner Kevin Costner (“Dances with Wolves”).

Squaring off against the superhero are two other surviving Kryptonians, the villainous General Zod, played by Oscar nominee Michael Shannon (“Revolutionary Road”), and Faora, Zod’s evil partner, played by Antje Traue. Also from Superman’s native Krypton are Lara Lor-Van, Superman’s mother, played by Julia Ormond, and Superman’s father, Jor-El, portrayed by Academy Award winner Russell Crowe (“Gladiator”).

Check out the full sized image of Cavill ripping apart a bank vault after the jump. Keep an eye out as more Man of Steel info and photos hit the web soon.

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As a journalist, it becomes daunting to constantly report on a film with a “WTF?” attitude, but that’s exactly the reaction we have every time we get casting news about Zack Snyder’s upcoming Superman reboot/sequel, titled Man Of Steel.

With the exception of Michael Shannon and the lead Henry Cavill, every other piece of casting news has been quite questionable for a film like Superman. Between Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, and Diane Lane as Martha Kent, how much weirder could this film get? How about Matrix star Laurence Fishburne as Daily Planet Editor-in-Chief Perry White? That’s right. EW has the scoop.

The casting resolves the question of what Laurence would be up to following his departure this May from CBS’ long-running CSI after just over two seasons. (Ted Danson will take Fishburne’s place on the show this fall.)

White has traditionally been a hard-charging, old fashioned newspaperman, who relies on his ace reporters, Clark and Lois, to get the big scoop. Jackie Cooper played White in the Christopher Reeve-era Superman films, and Frank Langella took on the role in director Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns in 2006.

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While DC is currently scratching their collective heads to figure out how to beat out Marvel Studios and their plan for world domination, they’ve had a few busts of recent history. Films like Green Lantern and Jonah Hex were pretty big flops, but nowhere near as much as the critically panned reboot/sequel hybrid Superman Returns from X-Men director Bryan Singer.

The film was panned by most fans, made some money, and did absolutely nothing for the franchise (unless you consider calling for yet another reboot a few years later “progress”). After a few years, it turns out there are still a few secrets that have yet to be uncovered about the film.

As it turns out, there was a $10 million opening sequence for the film that was shot and rendered in which Routh’s Kal-El returns to a dead Krypton to see if there is any semblance of life from his once lively home planet. Short answer: there isn’t.

No dialogue, lots of slow shots of deep space, and Routh looking all sweaty. Overall, it’s probably a good thing this scene wasn’t in the film, but the fact that Singer and his team once thought this was a good idea should remind us that this film was probably no good from the get-go.

Take a look at the 5-minute long opening after the jump, and let’s hope this trend doesn’t continue with Zack Snyder’s upcoming Man of Steel reboot.

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It’s Comic-Con! Hurray!

In honor of this geek-stravaganza, today’s Film Score Friday is taking a break from the standard review and instead going through the top ten comic book scores of all time. So without further adieu, I present to you the top ten comic book scores of all time:

10. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

Scott Pilgrim is a melting pot of geekdom. Mixing together video games, movies, TV, comics, music and many more into a singular generational experience. The movie has so much going on in it that the references and structure starts to bleed in on itself, making a seamless cinematic experience. A huge part of that is the music, which flows between songs and score better than almost any film before. The score bit in particular is what makes this list, making use of some great digital sounds that fit the movie like a glove.

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Fans of Zack Snyder’s upcoming Superman flick Man of Steel (although, not sure how one can be a fan since it hasn’t been released yet) will have to wait a little longer to get their fix.

Warner Bros. announced that the movie will open June 14, 2013 instead of in December 2012. Hopefully that won’t upset too many Superman fans who’ve been awaiting a new Superman movie since 2006′s Superman Returns Superman IV: The Quest for Peace Superman III for a long time.

The good news, if you haven’t heard it yet, is that Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer, the dream team behind Batman Begins and The Dark Knight are still attached and working on the script. And, if you need your DC crack until then, there’s always The Dark Knight Rises, coming out next year.

Man of Steel stars Henry Cavill (The Count of Monte Cristo) as Superman, Amy Adams (Catch Me If You Can) as Lois Lane, Diane Lane and Kevin Costner as Martha and Jonathan Kent, and Michael Shannon (Boardwalk Empire) as General “Kneel Before!” Zod. Russell Crowe is reported to be in final talks as Jor-El.

Obviously, we’ll be following this one pretty closely.