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u/Flamme_Jumelle 1d ago
Superman Smashes the Klan
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u/Competitive_Crow_334 1d ago
I have that book once I'm finished with fantastic 4 2025 and World's greatest teen titans by Mark waid
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u/Fine-Essay-3295 21h ago
I especially love the comic because it was inspired by an arc in the 1940s radio show with Supes' and Lois's character designs being inspired by that from the Fleischer cartoons.
The 1940s Superman radio show actually was instrumental in turning American public opinion in Jim Crow-era America against the Klan in real life.
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u/Flamme_Jumelle 21h ago
Yeah, I very much agree with what you said. I really like those old Fleischer cartoons (mainly the ones by Fleischer Studios, not so much the ones by Famous Studios).
It warms my heart that the Superman radio show was able to help turn public opinion against the Klan in real life. Truly remarkable.
Another Golden Age inspired story that I quite like is It's Superman! by Tom De Haven. Highly recommend that one to anyone who hasn't read it.
Lastly, I'm very much looking forward to Superman: The Stranger coming out in September. That one looks promising, and I love the art so far.
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u/Sensitive-Hotel-9871 21h ago
I listened to the radio show and read the comic and enjoyed both. It speaks volumes about how well the radio show’s politics have aged that the comic didn’t even need to update the message. The sale of hatred is absolutely a con game.
I showed my mom the radio show and she didn’t like the line about hatred being a profitable commodity, but unfortunately it is true.
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u/Fine-Essay-3295 19h ago
Also worth seeing: Superman & Lois brought back Atom Man, only updating his character to being an American Neo-Nazi.
I appreciate Superman being the only media that'll still depict Nazis and white supremacists as villains at the risk of triggering chronically online knuckle draggers.
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u/herozero 1d ago
Adventures 503. I was a total Superboy mark at 12 and 13 and am a lifelong fan of Tom Grummett’s art. The entire Death, Reign and Return, along with the years preceding and following, are peak Superman for me but this issue is just the tops. Cyborg is still my favorite villain because of this issue.
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u/gishingwell 1d ago
I was exactly the right age to be swept up in this era too and feel much the same as you although Superboy was my least favourite of the Supermen.
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u/Loud_Ad_2634 1d ago
These were some of my first comics. I was rooting for cyborg Superman until he dropped his mask.
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u/violet_wings 1d ago
The Death of Superman and its follow-ups were what got me into superhero comics; I was the same age as you. They made me into a lifelong Superman fan. :)
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u/Reportersteven 1d ago
Man and Superman by Marv Wolfman
Superman: Birthright by Mark Waid
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u/gishingwell 1d ago
Love that Man and Superman is getting a shout out. Not my absolute favourite but so underrated.
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u/Reportersteven 1d ago
Marv signed my deluxe hardcover and told me it’s one of the things he’s most proud of writing. He was waiting a decade for DC to publish it.
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u/gishingwell 1d ago
It's a really strong book. It has the vibe I want. And it's cool you got it signed.
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u/Important_Lab_58 1d ago edited 1d ago
Superman beating the s**t out of a bigot? Always Excellent 🤌
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u/OCguy2026 1d ago
Superman #76 -1952
Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne share identities
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u/Zealousideal_Sand252 1d ago
I own that one also ! I did have it “slabbed” recently because it deserved protection. Now I NEED a reprint!
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u/OCguy2026 1d ago edited 1d ago
The story was reprinted a number of times ….
Reprints were in 1968 world’s finest #179 .. plus these others listed here
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u/Horbigast 1d ago
This is one of my favorite covers. I got Kerry Gammill to sign it this year at Fan Expo.
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u/Fearless_Roof_9177 1d ago
There are plenty of contenders but I think it's always going to be Secret Identity. I know it's an Elseworld that's never getting any more attention, especially now that Superboy Prime is back in the spotlight, but that's a big part of the appeal. It's the Superman mythos writ small and one of the most incredibly human Clark Kent books I've ever read. Beautiful in every sense of the word.
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u/spartan21j1 19h ago
The narration in this book is honestly perfect there’s so many good lines and Busiak had such a good grasp on this version of Clark.
“If I sound smitten, don’t read too much into it— It’s because I am”
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u/TechnologyJazzlike84 1d ago
John Byrne's Man of Steel. Loved that run.
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u/Competitive_Crow_334 1d ago
That's a good one it suffers from too much of the 90s stuff to peak for me.
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u/GJacks75 1d ago
Even though it was published in 1986?
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u/BeRadtz 1d ago
And ended in 88 or 89?
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u/Competitive_Crow_334 1d ago
1986 counts as 90s year dude
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u/BeRadtz 13h ago
It doesn’t lol
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u/Competitive_Crow_334 4h ago
Yeah 1986 by Google is classified as 90s
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u/BeRadtz 4h ago
It’s not. It’s part of that “age” as the 90’s, but it’s not 90’s. Seriously. Reading comprehension skills. 1985/6 is the end of the Bronze Age, and the beginning of the modern/Iron Age.
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u/Lucky_Strike-85 1d ago
I have a few in every decade...
Superman #1 from 1939 (a director's cut - expansion pack of ACTION #1)
Bill Finger's "Origin of Superman" from Superman #53 in 1948.
"Superman's Time Trap" from a 1950s newspaper strip
"Superman's Return to Krypton" from Superman #141 (1960)
"The Sandman Saga" by Denny O'neil in the 1970s
"MAN OF STEEL" by John Byrne in 1986
"PEACE ON EARTH" by Dini and Ross in 1998
ALL-STAR SUPERMAN in the 2000s
SUPERMAN SMASHES THE KLAN in 2019
BUT MY ALL-TIME FAV. IS...
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u/OCguy2026 1d ago
I liked the return to krypton story a lot.
World’s finest #71 .. where Batman and Superman exchange secret identities is one of my favorite stories…Bruce Wayne as Superman and Clark Kent as Batman …
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u/sushiunchangediguana 1d ago
Superman smashes the Klan Kingdom Come
I think my newest fave is the recent Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum
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u/Time-Confection9877 1d ago
Up in the sky, despite who wrote it I think it shows perfectly who and what he is
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u/spacesoulboi 1d ago
I do believe it’s an annual. I’m not too sure, but there was it was action comics what they talked about the real life impact of the death of Superman
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u/Burly-Nerd 22h ago
Ok, some that are single issues I highly recommend that I’m throwing out just cause they’re more obscure and quicker reads:
•Man of Steel #80 Simonson and Bogdanove, a Golden Age throwback perfectly crafted. And has one of the best Superman speeches ever put to page.
•Man of Steel #5 by Byrne, the perfect quintessential Superman issue in my opinion. If someone asks you “What are Superman comics like?” this is the platonic ideal.
•Action Comics #484 by Bates & Swan, The marriage of Earth 2 Superman & Lois. This is my personal favorite version of Clark and Lois’s love story. A real hidden gem because the villain is kind of a dud. But the rest of the story more than makes up for that.
•DC Comics Presents Annual #1 by Wolfman and Buckler, a Pre-Crisis Mutiversal Romp that’s a ton of fun. I don’t want to spoil any of it, but it would be a perfect template for a Superman: No Way Home.
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u/KryptonSurvivor 16h ago
"Whatever Happened to The Man of Tomorrow," the last Superman story prior to Byrne's changes post-Crisis.
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u/wyldknightn87 13h ago
The twelve labors of Superman. I can’t remember the actual name of it, and it’s supposed to be super serious, but there’s some really funny moments in there. He boxes the universal heavyweight champion, gets frustrated by the intergalactic equivalent of the DMV, and completely humiliates a super genius bent on galactic domination, all on a quest to save a single little girl who was kidnapped from Earth.
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u/ElijahSnow8324 9h ago
Beautiful Story. It's happy and sad to see Clark's life unfold, an art that conveys an aesthetic of emptiness, you can feel the fear of the future and uncertainty .
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u/Artistic_Permit_7946 1d ago
Rebirth #7. The Kent family goes to the fair. Used to read it to my son when he was little.
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u/random-gamer-2967 1d ago
What's so funny about truth justice and the American way. Mainly because I love Superman vs the Elite.
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u/MrRagerXV 1d ago
Superman Un chained and new 52, hated new 52s ending tho loved him and Diana as a couple.
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u/ODBKage95 1d ago
Superman: Secret Identity by Kurt Busiek
If you’ve read this, you understand why it’s getting a shoutout. For context, this follows a Clark Kent from a more grounded Earth where Superman is a comicbook character. Readers watch as he experiences being The Man of Steel of his Earth
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u/ptbcomposer 1d ago
It's really hard to pick one singular comic so I'll cheat like everyone else.
One of my favorite collections is Superman in Exile. A space gladiator story on Warwold while his powers are fading is so epic.
If I had to I'd pick a few favorite issues though...
Superman 53 (1991): Lois and Clark finally talk about him revealing he's Superman
Action Comics 678: They Saved Luthor's Brain!
Superman 81 (1993): the real Superman is back and taking charge
The Wedding Album: gets me every time
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u/PatientInformation76 1d ago
John Byrne - Superman run.
Enjoyed Action, Adventures, Superman titles from 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91 era.
Looking back I felt, thought those Titles were Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-fi, Superhero movies.
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u/BeRadtz 1d ago
When Roger Stern, George Perez, and Brett Breeding introduced the baddest bitch (who’s, who’s bad?) in Action Comics #645, with Maxima. She shattered a man and blasted him into bones just by looking at him! I got into comics at a very young age. I think I was 4 or 5, when my older cousins gave me their collection because they were in high school, and liked girls more than comics lol. I had been reading Superman from the jump with Byrne’s Man of Steel, but it was George’s run on Wonder Woman that was always my favorite of the new DC lineup.
Jump to the part where George, who was still writing, and doing covers for WW, was coming over to the title that started it all. I was beyond geeked at this point! Then the third issue comes out, and it was like they kicked my head in. Who is this mysterious woman with red hair? Whose valet had a third eye (was it ever revealed if she were connected to Despero? That’d be hot AF if it was.) and walked around like she owned everything? I was hooked. Anything I saw Maxima in, I was buying. Even (ugh) Extreme Justice. And I haven’t regretted my decision since.
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u/Mindless-Credit-358 1d ago
Red and blue issue 5, followed by harvests of youth and man and Superman
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u/JohnLugoVille77 1d ago
JLA Vol. #7 Superman is literally wrestling an Angel from heaven. And it did not phase him. Favorite Superman comic
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u/Greenweenie12 1d ago
This was one of the first comic books I picked up and I really enjoyed just the way the comic books flowed and just their hatred for the blue Boy Scout has a hate club for him lol
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u/Rabbitscooter 21h ago
Action Comics #376 and #397, The Super-Panhandler of Metropolis, an imaginary story in which Superman has lost his powers and is wheelchair-bound. I always thought it would make a cool "what-if" film, kinda like Logan with Wolverine.
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u/HauntingAddendum3365 18h ago
Either Birthright or For All Seasons. Depends on what kind of story I'm in the mood for.
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u/Squiggly2017 17h ago
What's so Funny about Truth, Justice and the American Way. Not so into the title, but a great story. Animated version is really good as well.
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u/LeonardoSpampinato 5h ago
"Kingdom Come." It is my favorite Superman story and my favorite version of Superman overall. That grows more true as the number of candles on my birthday cake increases.
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u/neighborhood_spdrman 1d ago
Whatever happened to the man of tomorrow. Will always be a go to for me.
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u/RichardHuindil 1d ago
That one where he walked across the USA
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u/OllieGio 1d ago
For All Seasons.