Action Comics # 0 2012 NM-

Action Comics #0 is a notable modern issue published by DC Comics on September 5, 2012. Released during the publisher-wide "Zero Month" initiative for The New 52 relaunch, this issue serves as a foundational prequel to the brand-new timeline, specifically diving into Clark Kent's very first days as a street-level social crusader in Metropolis.

The Plot & Storyline

The main story, titled "The Boy Who Stole Superman's Cape," scales back cosmic level threats to tell an intimate, human story:

• The T-Shirt Blueprint: Long before he has a high-tech armor suit, a young Clark Kent spends his first hard-earned paycheck from the Daily Star to custom-order 200 plain blue T-shirts emblazoned with his family's "S" crest.
• A Fall and a Theft: While testing his early boundaries and leaping across the skyline, Clark gets knocked off a building. During the confusion, his indestructible red kryptonian blanket-turned-cape is stolen by a street kid.
• The Hunt Through Metropolis: Clark hunts down the missing cape through the city's underbelly. He discovers the child took it to protect himself and his friends from a local child abuser. Clark retrieves the cape, stops the abuser, and is reminded that his true mission is protecting the vulnerable individuals of Metropolis.
• Backup Feature: The issue features a backup story titled "Origin of the Species" by Sholly Fisch and artist Cafu. It pivots away from Clark to explore the background mechanics of the universe, detailing the origins of Captain Comet and the Neo-sapiens storyline running through the main title.

Creative Team & Style

• Creators: The main story was written by legendary comics mastermind Grant Morrison and illustrated with clean, slick lines by guest artist Ben Oliver.
• The New 52 Reimagining: Morrison used this zero issue to contextualize their gritty, blue-jeans-and-workboots era of Superman—showing him as an independent, down-to-earth champion of the oppressed before he became a globally recognized godlike superhero.