The Top 20 Superman Stories, Part 1

- by Steve Garcia, 1 November 2013

Being that it’s Superman’s 75th Anniversary year, it would be some sort of crime if I did not write up a single piece that commemorates my favorite fictional character of all time before the year is over. Of course I could write a long, sappy article about what the character means to me, further dissect and beat the dead horse on his latest flick, or even give you a long history lesson on just who the character is and how far he’s come… But what’s the fun in all that? Sit down and listen up, Trash Muties—this is my top 20 Superman stories of all time! Part 1 of 2!

Superman image by Alex Ross. All pictures in this article are © DC Comics.

20. SUPERMAN/BATMAN: PUBLIC ENEMIES

Kicking off the list is Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness’s take on the World’s Finest in Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. 

Superman’s friendship with Batman is without a doubt one of the most intriguing in all of comicdom, and this story arc really does an excellent job bringing it all out on the table. Heavily action-packed, this is a story I would absolutely recommend to beginners, as it has a little bit of everything to offer. Loeb’s storytelling is fantastic, McGuinness’s art is great, and, when it comes right down to it, who doesn’t want to see the DC superheroes fight eachother? 

A fun read, there’s a reason why this story spawned an animated film.

19. SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE

Superman’s origin story is one that has been told and retold many, many times over the course of his 75 years. With each time, it may get exhausting, as there are only so many ways to tell the same story again and again. What makes J. Michael Straczynki’s Superman: Earth One a breath of fresh air, however, is that this takes the timeless character’s story, and puts it in a modern-day setting with a Superman who is much younger and inexperienced—a huge contrast compared to what storytellers such as John Byrne or Geoff Johns have brought to the table. Straczynki’s characterization of Clark Kent, an alienated super-god who wishes to find his way in the world, was entirely spot on, and the use of a completely original villain made this story an absolute delight. What makes this book even more captivating is Shane Davis’s artwork. He brings us the Superman we know and love, complete with the red trunks, but gives it the most subtle updates that totally work for this modern take of the character.

18. THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN

It should come as no surprise that such a game-changing story — not only to the character, but to the industry in general — makes this list. 

Death in comics had certainly been present at this time: Uncle Ben, Gwen Stacy, Bruce Wayne’s parents, etc., but the death of a major character had still yet to be seen up until this point. 

When DC decided to kill off the king of superheroes, the world was taken aback, and we were given a great story along with it. The story not only brought us the introduction to Doomsday, the unstoppable force that killed the seemingly unkillable Superman, but it also brought us the iconic panel of the dying hero whose only concern was that his city was safe.

17. BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS

Before you scroll up to make sure we’re still talking about Superman stories, take a step back and reflect on one of the main themes that is heavily present in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns: night vs. day. 

As I previously stated, Batman and Superman’s relationship is an extremely fascinating concept to grasp; they are two completely different characters who have completely different approaches when it comes to crime-fighting. While it’s fairly obvious that Frank Miller hates the fact that the two are friends in general, The Dark Knight Returns gives us an in depth look as to why and how these characters are so different, yet choose to fight on the same team. Even if Superman gets the living snot beat out of him in this elseworlds story, it provides a great insight on who the two characters are, what they stand for, and why that matters.

16. SUPERMAN: CHAMPION OF THE OPPRESSED

Throughout history, civilization had always turned to religion or mythology to explain the unexplainable, provide solace in their times of chaos, and bring the idea of a heroic role model to look up to. The ancient Greeks had Heracles, Christians had Samson, and today, we have Superman. In 1938, after years of trying to get their story told, Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster brought us Action Comics #1, which introduced us to the cover story, Superman: Champion of the Oppressed. While I could go on for days as to how much this story impacted American culture, how it was the kickstart of a multi-billion dollar franchise, and why it’s one of the most important pieces of American literature ever written as far as pop-culture is concerned, I won’t, because we’re still very early in the list, and there’s much more to get to. Action Comics #1 isn’t only an important historical milestone, but it actually contains a great story that should be read by everyone, especially Superman fans, at least once.

15. SUPERMAN: PEACE ON EARTH

Written by Batman: The Animated Series writer Paul Dini, with incredible art by Alex Ross, this story dealt with Superman trying to fight a battle that has never been fought previously by any superhero: ending world hunger. 

As it is a daunting task, he learns that even if he may possess the powers of a god, missions on this scale are just too much on his shoulders, even for him. 

This beautifully written story also contains a little nugget of wisdom by Pa Kent himself: "Not every seed will make it... But they should all have a chance to grow."

14. SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN

Being the king of superheroes, Superman’s origin is something that is open to explore and dissect in a variety of ways, yet each time will result in an excellent read worth taking in again and again. 

Before the New 52, Geoff Johns and Gary Frank provided us with Superman: Secret Origin, a mini-series that not only retold the classic origin, but reinserted fantastic Silver Age concepts back into the Superman mythos such as (but not limited to) Superman’s involvement with the Legion of Superheroes and Krypto the super dog. What also sets this particular retelling apart from the others, is how Johns gives us a closer look into Superman’s time in Smallville, how he dealt with discovering his powers for the first time, lost loves, a true introduction to the loveable Daily Planet staff, and everything the comic-reading audience never really got to see before.

13. SUPERMAN: BRAINIAC

A complaint that many comic book fans claim in regards to Superman is that, aside from Lex Luthor, there is a lack of complex and capable villains to challenge our favorite Kryptonian superhero. 

In 2009, writer Geoff Johns answered the call, and presented us with a story that gave Superman’s longtime Silver Age villain, Brainiac, the chance to be a threat to the Man of Steel. Superman: Brainiac not only reinvented one of my personal favorite Superman villains, but it also reintroduced the bottled city of Kandor to the Superman mythos, a zany Silver Age concept that interests me to no end. A story in which Superman uses more than his brawn to fight the enemy is a great (and unfortunately rare) treat, and Johns knocks it out of the park to add that extra something to Superman’s world to really give him a challenge. 

The artwork should also get a particularly special shoutout, because Gary Frank is an amazingly talented man who not only captures each moment beautifully, but his Superman bears an uncanny resemblance to the late Christopher Reeve, making this story feel like the cinematic adventure it ought to be.

12. SUPERMAN FOR ALL SEASONS

Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, the team responsible for such gems as Batman: The Long Halloween, Spider-Man: Blue, and Daredevil: Yellow, absolutely nailed the coming-of-age story that is Superman For All Seasons. 

Unlike the standard Superman story, this one puts its main focus on Clark Kent’s background, and really digs in deep to show us the kind of man he is. Each part of this four-issue miniseries is told uniquely in the perspectives of the people closest to Clark: Pa Kent, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, and childhood friend Lana Lang. 

An all-around feel-good story, Loeb’s beautifully written dialogue compliments Sale’s unique art style better than ever before, and this is a tale that shouldn’t be missed by anyone.

11. SUPERMAN: LAST SON

When Geoff Johns first took over Action Comics in 2006, he, the always talented Adam Kubert, and a little director named Richard Donner teamed up to give us not only a great story, but a fantastic reintroduction to one of Superman’s greatest foes in mainstream continuity: General Zod. 

In Last Son, Superman discovers that he apparently is not the last son of Krypton, as he stumbles upon a Kryptonian boy with mysterious origins that he and Lois Lane immediately take a liking to. Mirroring Ma and Pa Kent’s dilemma when they found the baby Kal-El in that rocket ship all those years ago, things take a turn for the worse once the boy’s mysterious origins reveals itself. This story excelled at a few things, one of them being the solidification and exploration of the Phantom Zone, which is essentially Superman’s version of Arkham Asylum. 

While that is an impressive feat by itself, where this story truly shines is how it gives us a deeper look into Lois and Clark’s relationship. Being that Clark is an alien, we are reminded that he is incapable of having children with Lois, a mortal, human woman. As the two become attached to the boy, we see Superman struggle and come to terms with the fact that, despite how much he wants to fit in by wanting to raise a family of his own, he can’t.


This concludes the first part of The Top 20 Superman Stories! You can now read PART TWO, where Steve gets down to the Top 10 RIGHT HERE!

What do you think of the list so far? What stories would you like to see in the second part, in the Top 10? Leave us a comment!

Tagged: comics.

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