I want to get into superman....

[Nubner]

I have wanted to get into the superman universe for a while now. The only problem is there are just so many different arcs and so many different comics over the years I have NOOOO idea where to start. If anyone could give me some kind of list of books/collections to get to get me started that would be awesome. I would prefer to start at the beginning and work my way up to the newer ones like Civil War and such. Again, I appreciate any help.

[NotSuper]

Well, since Infinite Crisis, Superman's history has been altered (new Earth, new continuity), so the best place to start is the One Year Later Superman titles. Specifically, Busiek and Johns' "Up, Up, and Away", Busiek's "Camelot Falls" and "The Third Kryptonian," and Johns and Donner's work on Action Comics. Hope this list helps.

[Gilda Dent]

NotSuper has it right if you're most interested in current continuity.

If you just want some Superman stories, the Showcase volumes aren't a bad place to start. There are three Superman volumes currently available, and you'll get some Superman/Batman teamups in World's Finest from the same era.

You have to be of a mind that can enjoy Silver Age DC, though, to really appreciate these. There are no ongoing storylines, stories are simple, short and self-contained, and there's a lot of 50's sci-fi inspired weirdness.

This is, however, the set of stories that shaped what to this day remains the popular perception of Superman. They're not for everyone, but if you can get your mindset right and connect to your inner ten year old, they are an enormous amount of fun.

Modern writers still mine this era for inspiration.

[stealthwise]

Birthright is a good place to start, it is Superman's origin after all.

All-Star Superman is also a great continuity-free place to wallow in Super-glory.

[cactusmaac]

Get the trades of Superman: Up, Up and Away, Camelot Falls, the Third Kryptonian and Donner/Johns' work to get up to speed on the character's recent past.

Other good Superman-centric stories are Kingdom Come, All-Star Superman, Superman: For All Seasons, the Death and Return of Superman Omnibus, Red Son, Secret Identity and It's A Bird.