Superman titles?

[UnjustChaos]

After spending most of my life as a strictly Marvel guy I got attracted to the DCU by the Bianchi covers on Detective comics. I bought the Face the Face TPB and after reading it and a few issues of Detective I quickly added Batman and Detective to my pull list. I was at the LCS last week and bought the Up,Up, and Away TPB to give Supes a shot as well needless to say I was back at the shop later that week to pick up Action Comics 841 to 845 and now I`m hooked. I guess my question with Superman and Batman titles as well is do they have their own continuity by title and only crossover when an event like Up,Up, and Away occurs or is it neccessary to read both Action and Superman to stay on top of things?

[Nstar83]

Both Superman an Both BAtman books usually are seperate.For example Detective is being written as one shot isolated issues an not a multi part arc,on the other hand Batman the comic has just finished a 4 part arc about batmans possible Son.Same goes for superman an action once the 8 part OYL reload was over

[AaronJ]

Basically, there are four (and a half) Superman titles right now. And, although I am no real historian, it seems to me that there can't have been a time when Superman was being written and drawn better than he is right now.

And I'm not even a big Superman fan. Until now.

Superman: Written by Kurt Busiek, Carlos Pacheco on pencils. The last issue, #658, was one of, if not *the* best single issue I read all year, of any comic. This story is going to be great. It's a stunning book visually, and Busiek is a fantastic writer, hitting all sorts of great notes.

Action Comics: Geoff Johns and Richard Donner, Adam Kubert. This is a real hum-dinger of a story. It has a real magic to it. Great characterization, mystery, and just good old fun.

Superman Confidential: Darwyn Cooke writing, Tim Sale on art. This is an all-star caliber team. Cooke and Sale tell stories from the early years of Superman's career. The present arc is wonderful, and issue #2, the last issue, was a beauty. Sale's art is splendid as always. And no one gets these characters like Darwyn Cooke does. This is out of continuity.

All Star Superman: Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. Simply put, the best title DC produces ... when it comes out! Which is, at best, infrequently lately. This is out of continuity, as is the rest of the All Star line. But it is the best there is. Pure, unadulterated, comics goodness.

Then, there is Superman/Batman which will get you a wider range of responses than most any other title. :) It's pretty much a love it or hate it sort of thing. I love it. Many hate it. It is in continuity, but it lives on the fringe. It has a rotating system of writers and artists, by arc, it seems. Jeph Loeb used to write it. Now Mark Verheiden is writing it.

When you look at the teams assembled on the Superman titles, every single one of them is All Star caliber. Every one. I don't think you can possibly go wrong with any of them.

[Tony Starkz]

Gotta second Busiek's Superman.Thick on story,amazing art and colors.

All Star Superman is just fun and fresh.

Trades-wise,you'll have to go with:

Red Son
Secret Identity
For All Seasons
Birthright
Kingdom Come

[aukevin]

diana_fan, I thought Superman Confidential is in continuity and is revisiting and retelling important times in Superman's career. Same thing for the Batman Confidential title.

[The Shadow]

I've been reading Superman comics since the Byrne reboot... and I cannot think of a better time.

diana_fan nailed all the titles... though I'm less thrilled with All Star Superman than most (I think Morrison's kinda overrated) but it is stilla great book.

Pacheco and Busiek on Superman is probably the best the title has been since Byrne wrote and drew it and Donner/Johns on Action has been a blast!

I'm also a fan of Superman-Batman and miss Loeb on the book.

[sgt pepper]

I've never been a big Superman fan, but even I can tell that it's a very good time to be a Superman fan. Four of the titles are awesome right now. I think Superman/Batman is awful.

[AaronJ]

diana_fan, I thought Superman Confidential is in continuity and is revisiting and retelling important times in Superman's career. Same thing for the Batman Confidential title.

OK, you may be right.

I should have said that they are stories from the character's past. So, they don't take place in *present* continuity.

But, I do think that you are correct in that these stories are supposed to be part of the character's background.

Either way, seriously, this title is amazing.

[Kilgore Trout]

For me it's a very good time to be a Superman fan in a very limited way.

ALL STAR SUPERMAN is everything a Superman comic should be...

I find Busiek's SUPERMAN title unreadable...

His penchant for describing everything you’re supposed to be LOOKING at, coupled with his affinity for stuffing every page with endless varieties of white-noise and character babble just confound me to no end...

I have NEVER read a more distracting comic...

This is really apparent when compared to Morrison’s ALL STAR SUPERMAN which has a clean, natural rhythm that Busiek’s Superman could only wish for...

The ACTION title is hit and miss to me and seems to be more experimental as far as characterizations go but at least their taking a chance, whereas the SUPERMAN title seems to be riffing the early 1990’s as far as the characterization goes…

I just don’t get the gaga over Busiek’s pedestrian, middle of the road Superman… :rolleyes:

[Jack Zodiac]

It's a fun, well-written without having or wanting to redefine, balanced tale of Superman and Clark Kent... that comes out on time.