Surprise, friends. Grant Morrison joins the show for Superman Day! As the writer behind the seminal All-Star Superman, which observes its 20th anniversary this November, we cannot think of a better person to help us celebrate the Last Son of Krypton on his 87th birthday. Action Comics #1, featuring the first appearance of Superman by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, hit newsstands on April 18th, 1938. It is the source of everything you love about superhero comics.

When Action Comics first arrived, America was in economic ruin. The world was about to enter its second great war. Despair was easily accessible, but two Jewish kids from Cleveland imagined a Man of Steel who could do the impossible and would act for those who could not act for themselves. As we look outside our windows in 2025, we see an incredible darkness, but we strive for a future beyond it. We can imitate the devils in the dark, or we can seek Superman, who reflects the best version of ourselves.

Like most people, probably, we first encountered Superman through television and film; it was the All-Star Superman comics by Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely, Jamie Grant, Phil Balsman, and Travis Lanham that solidified our passion for the character. Those twelve issues showcased the joyous, awful, absurd, and adventurous universe Superman populated, making us fall in love with it and our own realm in return. As Morrison writes in Supergods, we are the stories we tell ourselves. In Superman, we see who we've been, who we are, and who we could be.

We're positively chuffed to chat Superman with Grant Morrison. We discuss their approach to the character in All-Star Superman and how it differs from the version they wrote in JLA, Action Comics, Final Crisis, and other stories. We discuss the significance of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster and what it means for Grant and others to extend their great idea. We talk about Lois and Clark, Lex Luthor, Samson, and Atlas, and Grant Morrison reveals their next big comic project somewhere along the line.

Continue our conversation with Grant Morrison by visiting their Website, Substack, Instagram, and Bluesky.

This Week's Sponsor:

We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.

Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:

Dan Slott and Mark Waid on Action Comics #1

Joshua Williamson, Dan Slott, and Mark Waid on Summer of Superman

Missing Frames: Celebrating Superman

Geeksplained: All-Star Superman - Chapter 3 w/CBCC

CBCC on Grant Morrison's New X-Men

Four Color Fantasies Charity Sketch Cover Auction

Patreon Exclusive: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Club

Support Your Local Comic Shop Free Patreon Series

Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):

Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.

And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.

Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.

Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.

Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.