50 Years Later...
It's hard to believe that there wasn't an Action Comics Annual in more than 50 years, but it finally came in 1987, and featured a Superman/Batman team-up.
Batman is on the trail of a mass murderer who he's tracked to a swamp somewhere in the deep south. When he discovers that he's actually up against a vampire infestation, he contacts Clark Kent and asks him to send Superman (this is only the second time the two heroes have encountered each other Post Crisis, so the are still unaware of each others secret identities).
Frankly this is a great fun read. Vampires make some of the best villains for superheroes, because they present a real set of challenges, remember those great issues of the X-Men where they had to go toe-to-toe against Dracula? But I digress, Action Comics Annual #1 is another example of why the 70s/80s late Bronze Age/Early Modern Age was really the true Golden Age of comic books. The writing here, by John Byrne is right on - especially the way a new Superman talks "Call out your National Guard, Sheriff" and referring to Batman as "The Batman", and the spot-on Southern dialect of the locals. The art by Arthur Adams and Dick Giordano is also awesome - especially doe-eyed backwoods swamp beauty Skeeter.
It's not a change-your-life kind of comic, but it's the kind of superhero comic that reminds me why I once thought comics were the best value for your entertainment dollar (or $1.25 in this case).
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