Action Comics #850

Jul 2007 · DC · 3.99 USD; 4.75 CAD

📊 ~56,148 copies sold its debut month

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“Superman: Family”

★ Key event — Clark Kent

About this Issue

Action Comics #850 holds a double milestone: it was the first issue of any American superhero comic to reach the number 850 in an unbroken run, cementing the series' status as the longest continuously numbered title in the medium. More importantly for continuity, it functions as the first in-continuity retelling of Superman's origin on the newly reconstituted 'New Earth' following Infinite Crisis, threading together Golden Age, Silver Age, and post-Crisis versions of the character through a single narrative device. The issue also plants the earliest visual seed for Karsta Wor-Ul, a Kryptonian survivor who would be formally introduced months later as a key player in the Superman line's post-Infinite Crisis expansion of Kryptonian lore. Its oversized format and three-writer collaboration signal DC's awareness that hitting 850 deserved more than a standard monthly entry.

In "Superman: Family," Supergirl, stranded in the 31st century, watches through Brainiac 5’s chronexus as alternate timelines unfold—revealing pivotal moments from Superman’s past, from his Kryptonian origins to his early heroics, his marriage to Lois, and even a glimpse of their future together. As the device shows events from her own history, including a forgotten encounter with Blackstar and a moment when Superman admits how meaningful family has become, Supergirl is moved to act, mentally reaching back to help her cousin in a crisis. The story, written by Kurt Busiek, Fabian Nicieza, and Geoff Johns, with art by Renato Guedes and cover by Renato Guedes, blends emotional depth with a bold, multiverse-spanning scope, culminating in a quiet, powerful message from the future that reminds Superman he’s never truly alone.

writer Kurt Busiek · writer Fabian Nicieza · writer Geoff Johns · artist, colorist Renato Guedes · inker Jose Wilson Magalhaes · letterer Rob Leigh · cover Renato Guedes

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VF $1.24 F/VF $2.29 VG $2.9 FN $2.9 Direct $2.95 NM $2.95 VF/NM $2.99 MINT $2.99

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History

The issue was produced as a deliberate anniversary celebration, written jointly by Kurt Busiek, Fabian Nicieza, and Geoff Johns, with art by Renato Guedes — who also served as his own colorist — and inks by Jose Wilson Magalhaes, the latter making his first professional DC Comics appearance here. The story served a practical editorial purpose as well: the flagship Johns/Richard Donner/Adam Kubert 'Last Son' arc on Action Comics had stalled due to production delays, and this double-sized special filled the scheduling gap while simultaneously doing the continuity housekeeping that post-Infinite Crisis New Earth demanded. Editors Matt Idelson and Nachie Castro shepherded the issue, with Executive Editor Dan DiDio listed on the masthead.

Trivia · 7 facts

Written by Kurt Busiek, Fabian Nicieza, and Geoff Johns; penciled and colored by Renato Guedes; inked by Jose Wilson Magalhaes (his first professional DC Comics work); lettered by Rob Leigh.
Recognized as the first retelling of Superman's 'New Earth' origin following the Infinite Crisis continuity reset — the story walks through Kal-El's birth, the Kents raising Clark, his public debut, and key moments up to the present, effectively establishing what counts as canonical post-Infinite Crisis Superman history.
The narrative frame involves Brainiac 5's time-scanning device (the 'Chronexus') showing Supergirl — trapped in the 31st century — flashes of Superman's past and future, briefly cycling through parallel Golden Age, Silver Age, and post-Crisis timelines before locking onto New Earth continuity.
Contains the earliest cameo appearance of Karsta Wor-Ul, a previously unknown Kryptonian survivor, depicted in a future-vision sequence; she was formally introduced and named in Superman #668 (cover-dated December 2007) as part of Busiek's 'Third Kryptonian' arc.
Action Comics #850 is, according to contemporary commentary, the first comic book series in American superhero publishing to reach issue #850 in an unbroken numbered run — a record built in part by the title's stint as the weekly 'Action Comics Weekly' anthology (issues #601–642, 1988–89).
The issue was reprinted in two separate trade paperback collections: Supergirl: Beyond Good and Evil and Supergirl: Ghosts of Krypton, as well as in the Kurt Busiek Superman omnibus collection Superman by Kurt Busiek, Book Two.
Legion of Super-Heroes members appearing include Brainiac 5, Chameleon, Invisible Kid, Shadow Lass, and Ultra Boy; the story also features flashback or cameo appearances by the original Justice League lineup (Barry Allen Flash, Hal Jordan Green Lantern, Aquaman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter) and villain Amazo.