Top 5 Contemporary Superman trades/collections

[Will.S]

Just to make this interesting, what would you guys consider the top 5 must read contemporary Superman trades/collections? I'll add an extra 6th slot just in case it HAS to be added.

1) Superman Secret Identity
2) All Star Superman vol. 1 & 2 (kind of cheating here but it should really be in one volume)
3) Superman For All Seasons
4) Lex Luthor Man of Steel
5) Superman Red Son

Extra 6th slot:

6) Superman and the Legion of Superheroes

[cosmoboy]

I've been terrible at reading comics for the past few years. All I can add is that I think you probably got your #1 pick right.

[spawnonfire]

I hope this thread takes off. I've only ever read Superman for Tomorrow and I want to read more of his stories.

[SuperTommyMan]

1.Kingdom Come
2. Superman: Secret Identity
3. Superman: Red Son
4. Superman for All Seasons
5. Superman/Batman: Supergirl, if this doesnt count then I guess All Star Superman or Superman Birthright

[Kid Kyoto]

What are we counting as our cut off?

If you mean post-crisis My picks would be:

Man of Steel (Byrne reboot, but over 20 years old)
Kingdom Come (Superman is a main protagonist)
Supreme 1&2 (Alan Moore on superman!)
Lex Luthor Man of Steel

But only one of those is under 10 years old.

Limit me to 10 years and I'd go with

Superman/Batman vol 2 (the Supergirl arc)
All Star Superman 1&2 (not as good as Moore but decent enough)
Lex Luthor Man of Steel
Superman Secret Identity


Ask me to do all time and the list changes again:
Superman Chronicles Vol 1
Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told
Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow
Man of Steel
Supreme Vol 1

As you can see Red Son and All Star really didn't impress me. Red Son is an OK story but not really a superman book. In All Star Superman is too much of a cypher, he never really develops a personality, even when he's dying.

And for my money Alan Moore's Supreme is still the best Superman there ever was.

[Will.S]

I've been terrible at reading comics for the past few years. All I can add is that I think you probably got your #1 pick right.Ah, I should add that it's in no particular order.

I hope this thread takes off. I've only ever read Superman for Tomorrow and I want to read more of his stories.For Tomorrow is decent although Jim Lee's art both saves it and makes it a little worse since some characters look straight out of the 90's like with spiky armored General Zod and Equus looking a lot like Seth from the Authority.

But if you liked For Tomorrow you will definitely like Lex Luthor Man of Steel since Azzarello wrote that book as well and uses Mr. Orr who was also in For Tomorrow but IMO Lex Luthor Man of Steel is better.

What are we counting as our cut off?

If you mean post-crisis My picks would be:

Man of Steel (Byrne reboot, but over 20 years old)
Kingdom Come (Superman is a main protagonist)
Supreme 1&2 (Alan Moore on superman!)
Lex Luthor Man of Steel

But only one of those is under 10 years old.

Limit me to 10 years and I'd go with

Superman/Batman vol 2 (the Supergirl arc)
All Star Superman 1&2 (not as good as Moore but decent enough)
Lex Luthor Man of Steel
Superman Secret Identity
Mid to late 90's would be the cut off.

[spawnonfire]

Thanks for the list kid. I'll check these out.\

Btw, what do you mean by contemporary Will?

[Will.S]

Thanks for the list kid. I'll check these out.\

Btw, what do you mean by contemporary Will?
No problem man.

And by contemporary I mean modern/present day stories like from the late 90's up until today.

[Harding Prime]

Just throwin some out....

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies & Supergirl
Superman: Camelot Falls
Superman: Brianiac
Superman: Up, Up & Away
Action Comics: Last Son

I haven't read All Seasons yet, I really should, as I'm going though Loeb & Sale Batman. But these are some of my modern favorites that are in continuity.

[NickFury90]

From what I've read(which is embarrassingly nothing at all, but I felt like I wanted to contribute).

All-Star Superman Vol.1/2
Superman: Brainiac
Superman: Red Son
Superman: For Tomorrow
Superman: Legion of Super Heroes

I also hope this thread takes off. I'm definitely a much bigger fan of the modern comics than the earlier ones, and Superman is quickly turning into a cool character in my eyes.

[d newton]

1 - Superman: 'Til Death Do Us Part / Critical Condition.
2 - Superman: Emperor Joker.
3 - Superman: The Third Kryptonian!.
4 - Superman: Return to Krypton.
5 - Superman/Batman: Search for Kryptonite.

[Brother Justin Crowe]

1. All-Star Superman Vols. 1 & 2
2. Superman: Red Son
3. Lex Luthor: Man of Steel
4. The Kents
5. Superman: Last Son of Earth/Last Stand on Krypton

BONUS:
- Superman: Distant Fires
- Superman: For Tomorrow

[jgiannantoni05]

1. Superman Last Son
2. Superman Brainiac
3. Lex Luthor Man of Steel
4. Superman/Batman Public Enemies
5. Superman For All Seasons

6. Superman The Man of Steel Vol 2 (earliest Byrne & Wolfman stories after Man of Steel)
________
Buy vapor genie (http://vaporizers.net/vapor-genie)

[Will.S]

Interesting.

So far the votes are (excluding my own):

Lex Luthor Man of Steel (3)
All Star Superman vol.1 & 2 (3)
Superman Braniac (3)
Superman/Batman: Supergirl (3)
Superman: Red Son (3)
Superman For All Seasons (2)
Superman: Last Son (2)
Superman Secret Identity (2)

With Up, up, and away and Legion of Superheroes having 1 each.

[dancj]

I wasn't as bowled over with All Star Superman v1 as everyone else, but I just got vole 2 so I'll hold off on voting for now...

[Grievous]

Is Last Son good? I was flipping through it and I really dug Kubert's art in it. I was trying to decide between maybe getting that or the LOSH arc.

I was out of Superman comics for a long time (besides All Star), but I got the Braniac arc of Action and have read everything since.

[Will.S]

Is Last Son good? I was flipping through it and I really dug Kubert's art in it. I was trying to decide between maybe getting that or the LOSH arc.I liked the Legion of Superheroes arc more but Last Son is pretty good as well.

[Kid Kyoto]

I really didn't like the LSH arc but that's probably because I'm a fan of the 80s Legion. The arc rehashed too many old story-lines (xenophobic Earth done at least twice in the 80s, same with Subs to the rescue), had too much silver age nonsense (the sun is red, why again?) and to me felt like one of those awful reunion specials on TV.

[NickFury90]

Well for me it was the opposite, because I didn't have any affection for any of these Legion characters, so after after three issues I was like "Ya know what, I could be catching up on Bru's Daredevil right now".

[hondobrode]

Last 10 years :

All-Star Superman Volumes 1 & 2

Superman : Red Son

Superman : Sacrifice

Superman & Batman : Generations

Honestly, those are all good, but it's the 90's Superman with work by Jeph Loeb, Mark Schultz, Jerry Ordway, Mike McKone, Ed McGuinness, John Byrne, Stuart Immonen, Karl Kessel, etc. that were the best Superman stories. Those were some of the best comics of the decade IMHO. Almost any of the stuff from that decade is good.

[dancj]

Honestly, those are all good, but it's the 90's Superman with work by Jeph Loeb, Mark Schultz, Jerry Ordway, Mike McKone, Ed McGuinness, John Byrne, Stuart Immonen, Karl Kessel, etc. that were the best Superman stories. Those were some of the best comics of the decade IMHO. Almost any of the stuff from that decade is good.
I couldn't disagree more.

With the exception of The Reign of Superman (aka The Return of Superman) that was a creatively dead era. Byrne's stuff at the end of the 80's was great, but other than that barring the above mentioned story there was nothing decent in the main Superman titles till Greg Rucka came on board.

(I've probably missed something, but not much)

[Will.S]

I couldn't disagree more.

With the exception of The Reign of Superman (aka The Return of Superman) that was a creatively dead era. Byrne's stuff at the end of the 80's was great, but other than that barring the above mentioned story there was nothing decent in the main Superman titles till Greg Rucka came on board.

(I've probably missed something, but not much)The Superman books were still pretty good in the early 90's (I really enjoyed the Blackout story) but it did get progressively worse after Reign.

[d newton]

I couldn't disagree more.

With the exception of The Reign of Superman (aka The Return of Superman) that was a creatively dead era. Byrne's stuff at the end of the 80's was great, but other than that barring the above mentioned story there was nothing decent in the main Superman titles till Greg Rucka came on board.
Would you like some cheese to go with that comment? :tongue: The 90's were good when compared to the boring Ruin arc.

[Harding Prime]

The Superman books were still pretty good in the early 90's (I really enjoyed the Blackout story) but it did get progressively worse after Reign.

Long-Haired Superman was pretty bad for me. Death and Return were good for what they were, but they couldn't do anything to combat that, even though thats all they tried to do. Fall of Metopolis was bad, and Time After Time, blah blah blah... Blackout was a failed attempt at Death like sales. I have the glow in the dark cover.

I really think Superman hasn't been better since COIE as he is now, since Infinite Crisis. From Up, Up, and Away, the storylines have been consistent and intermingling, thanks to good writing and direction from Johns and a great job keeping up by Busiek. Since Busiek left, actually, I think its gone downhill a little bit, but I'm waiting to get all the New Krypton stuff in TPB.

[Kid Kyoto]

Last 10 years :

All-Star Superman Volumes 1 & 2

Superman : Red Son

Superman : Sacrifice

Superman & Batman : Generations


I forgot Generations! Very good stuff in there.

[BOOND]

I like all mentioned, but I would throw in Elseworlds " Speeding Bullets"

[Alex Smith]

Hm, top 5. Well, no order at the moment.

1. All-Star Superman
2. Superman for All Seasons
3. Up, Up and Away! (OYL)
4. Superman: Birthright
5. (I'll probably take crap for this one, but I love it) Superman: Last Son Of Earth

Edit: I haven't read Secret Identity, but I hear it's excellent.

[Will.S]

Long-Haired Superman was pretty bad for me. Death and Return were good for what they were, but they couldn't do anything to combat that, even though thats all they tried to do. Fall of Metopolis was bad, and Time After Time, blah blah blah... Blackout was a failed attempt at Death like sales. I have the glow in the dark cover.
Hmm, you sure we're talking about the same Blackout Harding?

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/5137/blackoutseries.png

I thought it was fun stuff with Superman having amnesia and Mr. Z being the foil character. I also liked seeing Guardian, Gangbuster, and Thorn show up. As for the long haired Superman era, I never really read those books after Reign and Return. I got back into Superman probably after the Electric Superman stuff went away and more full time when the Loeb, Kelly, and Schultz came in for another creative team shift in 1999-early 2000's.

I really think Superman hasn't been better since COIE as he is now, since Infinite Crisis. From Up, Up, and Away, the storylines have been consistent and intermingling, thanks to good writing and direction from Johns and a great job keeping up by Busiek. Since Busiek left, actually, I think its gone downhill a little bit, but I'm waiting to get all the New Krypton stuff in TPB.I've enjoyed most of the post IC Superman stories as well although I think the pre-IC stuff was still pretty good.

[Harding Prime]

Sorry, I was referring to Superman: Eletric

http://www.intuitivewebdesigns.com/comics/graphics/superman/NewSuperman.jpg

[Slaughter]

Eletric Superman can go die in a eletromagnetic fire.

Here's my top five:

1º Kingdown Come
2º Death and Return of Superman
3º Man of Steel (the REAL origin)
4º Last Son
5º All the three Ruin TPs.

[dancj]

I've read all of ASS now so I'll vote - in no order:

Red Son
The Return of Superman (aka Reign of the Supermen)
Secret Identity
All Star Superman
either Son of Superman or Last Son of Earth/Last Stand on Krypton

[Vigilante Man]

Birthright
All Star Supes
For Tomorrow
Red Son
Secret Identity

[STC]

Byrne Man of Steel Vol 1
Death, World Without, and Return of Superman
Birthright
For Tomorrow
Brainiac

[Will.S]

You know what? After thinking it over, I think I have a better idea of separating the categories.

How about a list of contemporary "Top 5 in continuity" stories and "Top 5 Elseworlds" stories?

So mine would be:

In continuity:

1) Superman For All Seasons
2) Lex Luthor Man of Steel
3) Superman and the Legion of Superheroes
4) Superman Last Son
5) Superman Braniac


Elseworlds (or alternate takes):

1) All Star Superman vol. 1 & 2
2) Superman Secret Identity
3) Superman Red Son
4) Superman Birthright
5) Kingdom Come

[El_Travieso_805]

Should All Star Superman really be refered to as "ASS" aka "Butt":smile:

[Hanzo the Razor]

5. Kingdom Come
4. Superman: Legion of Superheroes
3. Superman: Red Son
2. Supreme: Story of the Year
1. All Star Superman Vol.1-2