Superman is one of the most important characters in comic history. As the first costumed superhero, it's safe to say that without Superman, pop culture would be very different. He's one of the most powerful heroes in the DC Universe and his neverending battle for truth and justice had led him to battling some of the most dangerous villains ever created.
In his over eighty years of existence, Superman has been a part of some amazing stories. It can be hard to narrow it down because of the sheer volume of stories but there are some Superman stories that are better than others, ones that every fan of the character should read.
8 Superman: Last Son Of Krypton Brought General Zod Back Into The Mix
General Zod is known as one of Superman's greatest foes but after Crisis On Infinite Earths, the character as originally conceived had disappeared because of the mandate to get rid of excess Kryptonians. Superman: Last Son Of Krypton, by writers Geoff Johns and Richard Donner and artist Adam Kubert, brought the classic Kryptonian criminal back to the DC Universe, pitting Superman against Zod and the Phantom Zone Kryptonians.
Johns and Donner jampacked the story full of Superman goodness, bringing in Lex Luthor, Bizarro, Metallo, and Parasite. Kubert's art is some of the best of his career. It's just a wonderful Superman story, one that every fan should read.
7 1986's The Man Of Steel Is One Of The Best Superman Origin Stories Of All Time
Crisis On Infinite Earths changed everything for the DC Universe, transforming the origins of many of its most popular heroes. Superman's origin got a massive change in writer/artist John Byrne's 1986 classic The Man of Steel. Bringing Superman's origin into the modern-day, it would become the gold standard for Superman origin stories.
The six-issue miniseries became a fan-favorite series, introducing the post-Crisis Superman to the world. Even though his origin would get tweaked over the years, it always built off The Man of Steel until the New 52.
6 The Death Of Superman Is A Classic
The Death Of Superman has one of the greatest origin stories ever. The Superman writers and editors were at a story conference and Jerry Ordway suggested that they kill Superman. This led to one of the biggest stories of the '90s, one that would do exactly what it advertised- killed Superman.
Pitting Superman against Doomsday, the story did an amazing job of building tension and delivering blockbuster action. On the surface, it's just a big action piece but it's more than that; the creative teams build a palpable sense of dread throughout. It's also an amazing-looking story, with great art that sells the action and emotion of the story perfectly.
5 Kingdom Come Shows The Importance Of Superman
Kingdom Come, by writer Mark Waid and artist Alex Ross, is one of DC's best '90s stories. Taking place in a future where Superman and the older generation of heroes handed the reins over to the next generation, it's ostensibly a DC story but Superman is at the core of the whole thing, his actions making all the difference and moving the plot along.
Waid understands both Superman and the DC Universe and it shows on every page and Ross turns in some of the best art of his career. Superman is the linchpin of DC and this book shows why, presenting a killer story with amazing art.
4 Grant Morrison's Action Comics Run Is The Best Of The New 52 Superman
The New 52 has been lampooned for years and there is good reason for that. However, there were some high points and one of them was writer Grant Morrison's Action Comics run. Joined by artists Rags Morales, Andy Kubert, Ben Oliver, and Travel Foreman, Morrison's 19 issue run represented a new beginning for the Man of Steel in the New 52.
Morrison took Superman back to his Golden Age roots, making him a man of the people again and pitting him against a mind-bending threat in a story that only Morrison could pull off. It's vastly underrated but it's a Superman story that every fan should read.
3 Superman: Son Of Kal-El #1 Introduces A New Superman
Jon Kent has become a major part of the Superman mythos since his introduction. In recent years, the character has been positioned to become a bigger part of the DC Universe and he finally got his chance at solo stardom in writer Tom Taylor and artist Jon Timm's Superman: Son Of Kal-El #1. Seeing Jon take his first steps into the world as Superman, it's a new kind of Superman story.
Right out of the gate, the comic shows Jon as a different kind of Superman, one who has taken his father's lessons to heart but wants to forge a different path. While the book itself sold out within the first week, more printings are coming and it's a wonderful start to Jon's journey as Superman.
2 Superman: Whatever Happened To The Man Of Tomorrow Was The End Of The Silver Age Superman
With Crisis On Infinite Earths and The Man of Steel about change Superman forever, DC tapped writer Alan Moore to write "the last Superman story". Joined by artists George Perez and Curt Swan, Moore pulled out all the stops on closing out the story of the Silver Age Superman. Pitting Superman and his allies against his greatest villains, this one has it all.
Moore brings his trademark mature style to the whole thing, creating an epic unlike anything Superman readers had experienced up to that point. Swan's artwork gave the whole thing an old-school feel that still felt new and vital. Even almost forty years and several Superman reboots later, it's still one of the best "last Superman" stories ever.
1 All-Star Superman Shows Why Superman Is One Of The Greatest Fictional Characters Of The Last Century
All-Star Superman is writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely's Superman opus, probably the best Superman story of all time. Beginning with Superman learning he's dying, it sees him trying to leave the world a better place than it was before. Highlighting everything great about Superman, Morrison and Quitely do an amazing job of creating a story that is both classic and modern at the same time.
Quitely draws the perfect Superman and Morrison's love for the character shines through on every page. Few teams in modern comics work together as well as they do and they deliver an epic Superman story that hits all the right notes. There are few stories out there like All-Star Superman and it's a story that every Superman fan- and comic fan- needs to read.