In 1938, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster gave birth to the American superhero comic book when they introduced the world to Superman in Action Comics #1. The book was a ringing success, and launched an entire new direction for American comics for decades to come, building a multi-billion dollar empire around the Man of Steel. Even today, the quintessential superhero and wholesome middle-American continues to be a source of some of DC's greatest stories. As much as some have written the hero off as a boy scout, his stories continue to show what makes a true hero.