Getting one blog in real quick for the Superman Anniversary, I’ll be showcasing some of my favorite comics from the big blue boy scout.
Superman as a character has always been my favorite from DC, and while it's a bit of a cliche, there is something genuinely endearing about Superman's form of heroism. While sometimes written like an OP anime character, Superman shines better when he's written more as a first responder or rescuer before he's a flat-out crime fighter. I first encountered the Superman myth when I first saw Superman Returns and, before that, Superman: The Movie. He is a man that had all the power in the world to kill us all and take over, but he doesn’t; that’s his true virtue as a hero. It'd be easy for him, but he doesn't. Instead, Superman uses those unique abilities to help people, save people….and keep cats from trees. Superman is the true…or fictional embodiment, in this case, of doing the right thing while no one is looking; as a human race, we should all strive to be much like him.
Over the past decade, Hollywood writers and directors have struggled to capture what makes Superman unique on the big screen, and other adaptations have resorted to making him evil to create interest. However, over the past three years fans have seen some interesting adaptations in the Superman lore, such as the CW's Superman and Lois series, Superman: War World and an upcoming adult animated series called My Adventures with Superman. James Gunn of Guardians and Suicide Squad fame will be directing and writing the next Superman movie and hopefully with his comic book sensibilities, we'll finally get a film that understands who Clark Kent is as a person and hero.
With much of that preamble out of the way, here are some of my favorite Superman comics that any fan should read!
5. Superman: For the man who has Everything-
A short story by Alan Moore (back when he still liked superheroes), For the Man Who has Everything, takes place on Superman's birthday! Batman, Robin, and Wonder Woman attend the Fortress of Solitude for Superman's birthday party. When they arrive, Superman has his brain taken over by a mysterious alien plant that gives the person wearing it their heart's desires. In Superman's mind, we see that Clark wishes to return to his homeworld of Krypton with his own family and son. While Superman is living in this fantasy world where he still loves Krypton, the rest of the heroes are fighting Mongul, who gave him the plant to distract and defeat Superman.
It's a fun and somewhat tragic short story about Superman's possible dreams and a nice "what if" story about if Krypton hadn't exploded and remained on the planet as Kal-El. Unfortunately, this one can only be collected in a "best of" Superman trade or a "collected DC works of Alan Moore" trade, but if you can find it, it's worth the read.
4. Superman: American Alien
This pick is a bit controversial because of the less than stellar public image that its creator, Max Landis, has on the internet but with all that in mind…Superman: American Alien is undoubtedly one of my favorite takes on the Superman character. American Alien is a collection of 6 issues that explore Clark's early life, from growing up in Smallville to pretending to be Bruce Wayne on a yacht party during his college years and meeting other DC characters on his path to becoming Superman. What I love about this comic is that Landis creates a much more modern and fallible version of Superman. Clark, throughout the series, makes mistakes, falters, and indulges in young adult pleasures, but he's still a hero that strives to help people first and foremost. Some could argue that Landis has made Superman more of a reflection of himself, and while that may be true, I believe it makes for a more intriguing characterization. Various artists also draw each story; some art is pretty hit or miss, but they certainly fit the tone in which Landis tells each story.
Unfortunately, we won't see the extension of his Superman universe in comic book form due to Landis' public behavior. Still, he has created YouTube videos elaborating and building on the lore from American Alien. Landis has been working on this "Kryptonian" epic since the pandemic and amassed a mixed media fan-fic story that, if nothing else, is one of the more interesting and unique depictions of Superman and the heroes that inhabit his world.
3. John Bryne's Man of Steel-
For any new beginner to Superman comics, I recommend the beginning of John Bryne's 80's run of the Man of Steel. John Bryne's Man of Steel is the definitive origin for Superman and lays the groundwork for a serialized and human take on Clark Kent that had never been written before. It's not only a good jumping-on point because it's the first Superman content in the "Post-Crisis" reboot of the DC universe, but it also portrays a Superman that is more stripped down and contains many of the elements that make his mythos essential: an alien boy from Kansas who discovers he has super-powers and wants to use them to help the world. Unlike other incarnations, this Superman has trouble balancing his Superman and Clark Kent life while dealing with villains and threats that test his limits, such as business tycoon Lex Luthor and an enhanced Bizarro clone. It's one of the few mainstream Superman runs that feel essential for the character and perhaps one of the Best runs on Superman in more modern comics. Hopefully, its 80's setting doesn't set you off, but if you're already familiar with reading slightly older comics, these should be straight-forwards pick to go for!
2. Grant Morrison's Action Comics Run-
While John Bryne's run is essential Superman reading, Grant Morrison's Action Comics run serves as an exciting mashup of modern Superman with his golden-age roots as a social crusader that could leap but not fly. Morrison had already proven that they knew the character better than most writers, having worked with Frank Quietly on All-Star Superman, but this run only goes to prove his knowledge even more by bringing Clark back to the leaping social crusader that went up against corrupt bosses, business people, and organized crime. It was another reinvention of Superman to fit into the "New 52 continuity", but Morrison also uses this run to show the multifaceted way Superman can be written and reinvented in the DC multiverse. Aside from Clark himself going from the golden-age social crusader phase to full-blown "silver age"/space age Superman within the first story arc, there are also multiple Supermen from the multiverse to display the many reboots and revamps the man of Steel has gone through. It could be a better run; some parts might need to be clarified if you're not familiar with reading comics, especially if you're not already acclimated to Superman comics. However, it's my recommendation because it showcases Superman as the man of the people first and the superhero second.
All-Star Superman
This pick should come as no surprise, but if you only read one Superman comic in your lifetime Grant Morrison's All-Star Superman is it! Before writing Superman's revamped beginning, they took their hand at imagining the characters' end. The death of Superman isn't a new concept for DC. As Harlan Ellison once said, "DC kills Superman every other decade." while showing many comic book issues that feature the man of Steel's death. However, what sets this death story apart from the others is that this isn't an excuse to show what the world could do without a Superman; Morrison uses Superman's inevitable death as a way to showcase Clark's true desires, wishes, regrets, and mission to protect humanity even after he's gone.
In the same way that The Dark Knight Returns is an ending and a celebration of the Batman character, All-Star Superman is very much the same as the man of Steel faces cancer, and in the days leading up to his death, the man of tomorrow completes Everything on his "bucket list" before his day comes. Grant Morrison also incorporates many of the sillier and goofy elements of Superman's world (Krypto the SuperDog, the Bizarro family, and the robot Superman servants), but the emotion from the characters is all real. Do yourself a favor and read the best Superman story ever written; I promise it'll make you cry .