YMMV / Action Comics #1

• Harsher in Hindsight: Superman saving the lady from her husband is revisited decades later in the two-parter "Crisis at Hand" in 1991, where we find out the woman is ultimately killed because of this.
• Heartwarming Moments: "You needn't be afraid of me. I won't harm you."◊ Before Superman, Proto-Superheroes were mostly The Cowl and tended to be more focused on punishing evildoers and seeming mysterious, aloof, and terrifying. But in the moment where he saves and reassures Lois, Superman proves exactly what kind of hero he is and proceeds to inspire hundreds of other characters to do the same.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: This first issue, though a Plot Hole for Superman's assignment to cover a war in South America thanks to either bad wording or Retcon on their conversations, showed the deal between a Sleazy Politician and Corrupt Corporate Executive in United States (neutral during the time of its publication) to take part in Europe became awkward in 1939 (provision of arms to Allies through Lend-and-Lease-Program) and 1942 (When US officially entered the war after Pearl Harbor attack).^note Knowing the Jewish origins of the creators, it was probably a deal to help Germany, since there was a large pro-Germany faction in the US in The '30s.
• Just Here for Godzilla: Let's not kid ourselves: you're only reading this comic for the debut tale of the guy in blue and red underwear, not the dime-a-dozen cowboy, magician (unless you're a Zatanna fan), or star reporter stories that come right after it.
• Once Original, Now Common: Super strong and tough man in underwear going around saving the day in Knight in Shining Armor fashion? Yeah, over 80 years later, it's been done. But in 1938, there just wasn't anything like Superman out there, much less in the form of comics. The very idea of a superhero, much less the kind of Superman's caliber, was a genuinely novel idea for the time.
• Signature Scene:
  • The cover and in-story panel where Superman effortlessly lifts a car over his head and smashes it as the nearby crooks look on in horror. It's one of the most iconic images in all of comic history, and has been frequently paid homage to in and out of the series since.
  • The scene where Superman mops the floor with an abusive husband.
• Values Dissonance: While the moment where Supes saves a lady from her abusive husband is undeniably awesome, the "You're not fighting a woman, now!" line can come off as rather awkward and uncomfortably sexist to contemporary readers.

---