Action Comics #1

A 1938 issue of the anthology comic series Action Comics that introduced Superman, created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster.

Jerry Siegel: An American comic-book writer who co-created Superman with Joe Shuster. Siegel wrote Superman’s stories and helped develop the character published in this issue.
Comic book: A publication that presents stories through sequential art, usually combining images and text. Action Comics #1 uses sequential art to tell several short stories in one issue.
Superhero fiction: Fiction centered on heroes who use exceptional abilities or identities to confront wrongdoing and danger. Superman’s debut helped make this form a defining part of popular fiction.
Superman’s first appearance: The first published appearance of Superman, in Action Comics #1 in 1938. The issue’s opening Superman story is the character’s publishing debut.
Joe Shuster: A Canadian-born American comic-book artist who co-created Superman with Jerry Siegel. Shuster drew Superman’s debut and established the character’s early visual style.
Golden Age of Comic Books: A period of American comic-book history, generally dated from the late 1930s through the early 1950s. The issue’s 1938 publication is commonly treated as a landmark at the era’s beginning.
DC Comics: An American comic-book publisher whose characters include Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. The publisher’s history traces back to the company that released this issue.
Zatara: A fictional stage magician and superhero created by writer Fred Guardineer for DC Comics. Zatara is one of the other characters featured in the issue’s anthology lineup.
National Allied Publications: The American comic-book publisher founded by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson that preceded DC Comics. The company published Action Comics #1 under the National Allied name.
Superhero: A fictional character who uses extraordinary abilities or resources to fight threats and protect others. Superman’s debut helped establish the superhero as a major comic-book genre.

Linked from 9 pages

American comic bookBroader topic: Its success launched the superhero boom and reshaped the industry.