Superman Suggestion Thread

[ManofTheAtom]

Thanks for the info ManoftheAtom. Those are things I've been wondering for years since Byrne's run is the only extended Superman run that I'm familiar with. (I still need to get the Adventure of Superman issues that were constantly crossing over during that period.)

It's interesting that Byrne didn't originally want to do a reboot. He states that he wanted to simply start with Pre-Crisis Superman and slowly move him to the Superman that we got with his eventual Post-Crisis version.

I'm one of those casual Superman fans that has always been biased for the Byrne's version and the WB animated version (though I had gripes with them going overboard with the depowering in spots) and biased against the Silver Age stuff. I recently got my hands on the first four volumes of Superman Archives and Superman in the Fifties. I of course "know of" those wacky Silver-Aged shenanigans, but I thought it would be fun to read some of the stories and see how I felt about that era first hand.

I'm with you on those points.

The saying goes that "to everything there is a season", and the fact of the matter is that the season for the Silver Age was the 1960s, and that time is long over.

If the writers hadn't been so adamant over the last decade to revive their childhood, then the story of Superman in the comics wouldn't have become the clusterfuck it has turned in ot.

If the time had come for the Man of Steel era to end, then it should have been replaced with something that reflected the first decade of the 21st Century, which it wasn't, at least not in the comics.

All the potential replacements we have seen for MoS in the comics over the years have been derivative of what came before, from Loeb's direct Silver Age revival, to Waid's Bronze Age/Silver Age/Multimedia blendered revival, to the use of the movie in Up, Up, and Away, Action Comics Annual 10, and Secret Origin. None of those versions can be said to be original or reflective of 2000-2010 in the same way that MoS can be said to be oriignal and reflective of the 1980s.

While the comic book writers have been busy chasing their dreams of reviving a dead age in the four color pages, TV producers like Millar, Gough, and others managed to forge a version of Superman for the 21st Century with the Smallville TV show.

While the comics have been contradicting each other for 10 years with which version of Krypton is valid, or which version of Lex is valid, or which version of Clark is valid, during that same time frame the TV show has managed to tell one cohesive story with a clear beginning, a clear middle, and, what is bound to become, a very clear end.

[Jimmy Bond]

I agree Birthright would have made more sense in what's now Earth One than mainstream canon. Even though Man of Steel isn't my cup of tea, I would have kept it for the sake of consistency (See how Batman Year One is still canon). Give it facelift, like For All Seasons, but enough retcons for god's sake.

[ManofTheAtom]

I was actually wrong earlier when I said that Superman's first appearance in Man of Steel had been only slightly changed from him doing it out of costume to him doing it in costume.

In the original version (let's call it Post Crisis Origin 1), he did it out of costume.

In Post Crisis Origin 3 (Birthright - PCO 2 would be Loeb's Return to Krypton) we didn't see him rescue the space plane, but the dialogue made it clear that it was still in continuity, and since prior to that he had his costume, the inference was that he did it in costume.

In Post Crisis Origin 4/Post Infinite Crisis Origin 1 (Action Comics #850/Action Comics Annual #10) we saw Superman rescue the space plane, his first public appearance, in costume.

In Post Crisis Origin 5/Post Infinite Crisis Origin 2 (Secret Origin), however, the space plane has been removed from continuity entirely and been replaced with Superman rescuing Lois from the falling helicopter like in the movie as his first public appearance.

If one goes over the glimpses of Superman's origin as seen in Action Comics 850, Action Comics Annual 10, Countdown, and other couple of comics from that era, there are clear indications that Superman and other related characters have had two or more origins since Infinite Crisis was published.

[-BMC-]

I'm sure this has been covered somewhere but I was just wondering what are the "essential" Superman stories? I've never really read any Superman stories (besides Kingdom Come and Final Crisis) but I know the basics of the character and his history.

Also, I'm very interested in getting All-Star Superman (I'm a big fan of Morrison and Quitely and I've heard good things), would you guys suggest it for someone new to the character?

[Jimmy Bond]

I'm sure this has been covered somewhere but I was just wondering what are the "essential" Superman stories? I've never really read any Superman stories (besides Kingdom Come and Final Crisis) but I know the basics of the character and his history.

Also, I'm very interested in getting All-Star Superman (I'm a big fan of Morrison and Quitely and I've heard good things), would you guys suggest it for someone new to the character?

So let's get this straight:

1. You're looking for essential Superman stories
2. You're a big fan of Morrison and Quitely
3. AND YOU'RE ASKING IF IT'S SUGGESTED?

But in all seriousness, yes a thousand times. It's arguably the quintessential Superman story.

[-BMC-]

So let's get this straight:

1. You're looking for essential Superman stories
2. You're a big fan of Morrison and Quitely
3. AND YOU'RE ASKING IF IT'S SUGGESTED?

But in all seriousness, yes a thousand times. It's arguably the quintessential Superman story.

Haha, alright, I'm getting both volumes of All-Star Superman tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to it.

Any other Superman stories you would recommend? I'm interested in the Death Of Superman story (just watched Superman Doomsday and the book looks really epic), but other than that I don't know where to start.

[Jimmy Bond]

Haha, alright, I'm getting both volumes of All-Star Superman tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to it.

Any other Superman stories you would recommend? I'm interested in the Death Of Superman story (just watched Superman Doomsday and the book looks really epic), but other than that I don't know where to start.

Sure, the Death and Return of Superman Omnibus is pretty good.

Other stories I would say... Up, Up, and Away, Last Son, Superman and the Legion of Superheroes, and Brainiac from Geoff Johns's run on Superman.

For more elseworlds, there's Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow by Alan Moore and Superman: Secret Identity by Kurt Busiek.

[-BMC-]

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll definitely check those out. Can't wait to start All Star Superman.

[JusticeOrigins]

Birthright, For All Seasons, and then All-Star Superman (Volumes 1 and 2)... In that order too.

[Jimmy Bond]

Birthright, For All Seasons, and then All-Star Superman (Volumes 1 and 2)... In that order too.

Those are definitely my favorite Superman stories in in the last 20 years, along with Action Comics #775.

[Ben D]

hmm... well stories that are essential to superman would be 1) Whatever happened to man of tomorrow 2)birthright 3) for all seasons 4) not really superman but alan moore surpreme

now ones that are MY suggestions would be- Superman and the Legion of Superheroes, Last Son, Escape from Bizarro World, All-Star, Superman Infinite: Crisis, Superman/Batman: Supergirl, Superman the greatest stories ever told (its a trade paperback) godfall, Grant Morrison/Mark Waid JLA, brainiac, superboy adventure comics, world without, return of,

[YoungG03]

i gotta read whatever happen to superman.....It shows up on a lot of people "best of" list

[Jimmy Bond]

Okay, well for anyone that's new to Superman:

1. Birthright or Secret Origin*
2. Superman: For All Seasons
3. Superman: Greatest Stories Ever Told Vol. 1
4. Lex Luthor: Man of Steel
5. Superman: Up, Up, And Away
6. Superman Adventures
7. Superman: Red Son
8. All Star Superman Vol. 1 and 2
9. Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow
10. Kingdom Come

First 5 in continuity, next 5 are elseworlds

*Secret Origin is the current canon story. It is mainly a homage of Superman: The Movie, along with references to the Silver Age, Smallville, Man of Steel, and others. Written by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank.

Birthright, though no longer strictly in continuity, is the best modern interpretation of how Clark became Superman. If you're not into continuity, and just want a cool Superman, look here. It also has influences from the movie, Smallville, the Bronze Age, etc. but in a less obvious way.

[Duy]

*Secret Origin is the current canon story. It is mainly a homage of Superman: The Movie, along with references to the Silver Age, Smallville, Man of Steel, and others. Written by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank.

Birthright, though no longer strictly in continuity, is the best modern interpretation of how Clark became Superman. If you're not into continuity, and just want a cool Superman, look here.

For the sake of a balanced opinion, I just want to say that I disagree with this - I liked Secret Origin a lot - it's not the best ever, but I liked the story and I think Gary Frank REALLY delivered. I found Birthright to be the most boring version of Superman's origin, like... ever.

And I say that with total utter respect and love for Mark Waid's work - he's one of my absolute favorites, and maybe that's why I was so disappointed by Birthright.

[Jimmy Bond]

For the sake of a balanced opinion, I just want to say that I disagree with this - I liked Secret Origin a lot - it's not the best ever, but I liked the story and I think Gary Frank REALLY delivered. I found Birthright to be the most boring version of Superman's origin, like... ever.

I just think Secret Origin is just a checklist of plot points, and not a genuine story the way Birthright is. And where SO is a throwback to the movie, BR is a more modern interpretation. As much as I like Johns, I think Waid runs circles around him as a writer, especially when it comes to being subtle.

And to me, the Birthright version of Superman was far from boring. He was a fresh air from the common idea that Superman can only be an uptight boyscout, but still held those ideals.