looking for that one awesome Superman story..

[RonG]

Hi all,

i've been a casual Superman reader for years, and I've always wondered - what are the absolute best Superman stories and what makes them the best..

I'm actually looking for a great Superman action/adventure story with pathos and not necessarily an origin or Elseworlds tale.

Just wanted your two cents.. :)

[Mat001]

Out of continuity:

-"All Star Superman". The best summation of everything that is Superman.

-"Kingdom Come". A flawed Superman taken to extremes.

-"Secret Identity". The ideals of Superman in a man who is not Kal-El of Krypton.

-"Whatever Happened To The Man Of Tomorrow?" A look at how Superman deals with his final battle.


In continuity:

-"For The Man Who Has Everything". A story about the struggle between everything that he could possibly want and his duty to his adopted home.

-"The Death And Return Of Superman". A good look at what it means to be a hero and the inspiration he leaves in his wake.

-"JLA: American Dreams". Most notably a two parter where the League takes on Asmodel, a rogue angel of heaven.

-"DC 1 Million". An epic tale showing the legacy a Superman throughout the centuries.

-"Exiled". This story shows why Superman does not agree with killing and what happens when he has killed.

-"Must There Be A Superman?" and "Camelot Falls". Two different looks at the conflict Clark faces in continuing the Never Ending Battle and his place in the grand scheme of things.

[Comics_Addict]

I would add to those in the list :

Last Son- Superman finds a kryptonian boy who crash landed on Metropolis.

Brainiac-Superman meets face to face with the "real" Brainiac who has long-since wanted to capture the last living specimens of Krypton. Also posses a Kryptonian city bottled up.


Both written by Geoff Johns which in my opinion wrote some really great superman stories by infusing them with high concepts mixed in with character moments that expose who these characters are. Wrote a couple more of these but imo these are the best ones. Could be a little biased since this has been the era I started reading superman comics with any amount of interest.

[J. Robb]

"For The Man Who Has Everything". A story about the struggle between everything that he could possibly want and his duty to his adopted home.

This is probably my answer for greatest single story.

[the_speedball]

Red Son is a fun take on Superman, and if you don't mind reading it outside of the context of Final Crisis, I love Superman Beyond.

[Samy]

"Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes" - imo the quintessential Clark + Legion tale.

[marshal99]

What happens when superman sense of justice gets pushed to the breaking point ?

[RonG]

Personally, I'm less interested in Superman the "symbol", and Elseworlds tales which in a roundabout way highlight Superman as that same symbol.

I'd like to find more action-oriented stories, with Superman as a "superhero", going up against incredible odds etc.

I've read Last Son and Brainiac and these are more along the lines of what I had been thinking about..

[Samy]

SLOSH is great epic scale action oriented story, which very much highlights Superman as a symbol.

[Cowtools]

"What's So Funny About Truth Justice & The American Way" gets my vote, not just for best Superman story, but as one of the best single issue stories I've ever read. It's included in the first 'Justice League Dark' trade and 'The Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told' collection.

It's basically Superman sticking it to The Authority, and by extension all the other 'grittier and realistic' semi-satirical in-your-face 'heroes' of the early 2000s. It sums up beautifully why Superman has endured for so long in the face of fads and pretenders.

Other than thant, I'll second "All Star Superman". It's pretty much the definition of a 'Superman faces impossible odds'-type story.

And I think I'm in the minority here, but I found "Secret Origin' to be charmingly simple, convincing and well-characterized origin story with lovely art.

[Goggindowner]

If you want Superman against the odds and in a fun action story, All-Star Superman is a great place to start. It really does give you everything you need from a Superman story, but gives you enough of the classic fun elements to make everything feel fresh and new, despite being the exact opposite. I am by no means a big Superman fan, and I have read All-Star at least 4 times now. It is not only a great Superman book, but one of the best modern Superhero comics.

[Comics_Addict]

And I think I'm in the minority here, but I found "Secret Origin' to be charmingly simple, convincing and well-characterized origin story with lovely art.

You're not alone in that assessment. Even if I do love a lot Birthright's detailed exploration of who Clark/Superman/Kal-El should be for the 21st century.

[Shortpack]

Hi all,

i've been a casual Superman reader for years, and I've always wondered - what are the absolute best Superman stories and what makes them the best..

I'm actually looking for a great Superman action/adventure story with pathos and not necessarily an origin or Elseworlds tale.

Just wanted your two cents.. :)

Superman Batman Public Enemies, it focus on the characters and how they see each other

[Mat001]

In that case I give you "Public Enemies", "The Death Of Clark Kent", "Superman/Doomsday: Hunter/Prey", "Superman vs Aliens", "Y2K", "Panic In The Sky" and "Up, Up And Away".

[CyberCoyote]

Dang, Truth Justice and the American Way isn't available for download.. I was gonna snag that based on the referrals here :(