Five Comics To Read After Seeing ‘Superman’
by Tony Thornley
It’s the biggest movie in the world, and now that we’ve all seen Superman as the film enters its second weekend, you might be asking what comics to read next. Well, as Superman fans, we want to point you to what’s next.
Superman Vol. 6 by Joshua Williamson, Jamal Campbell, Dan Mora, et al
The currently running volume of Superman re-centered the man of steel in Metropolis after years of adventures across the globe, time and space. It introduced a unique Luthor/Superman alliance, Supercorp, new villains and heroes, and brought back a supporting cast that had been neglected for the better part of a decade. It’s a huge superhero epic that is centered on the characters and their relationships. In other words, a perfect companion piece to the movie.
Superman: Warworld Rising by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Daniel Sampere, et al
Now, I say that the previous run took Superman away from Metropolis. That’s not to say it was bad. In fact, it was one of the best Superman runs in the last twenty years. When a refugee from Warworld crashes on Earth, Superman prevents a war over her ship, and learns more about the imminent invasion. Earth’s only hope is for Superman to gather a team of heroes- a new version of the Authority- and take the fight to Warworld and Mongul.
Batman/Superman: World’s Finest by Mark Waid, Dan Mora, et al
Waid and Mora have become one of the greatest creative teams in comics and their collaboration started here. The series has featured a modernization of Superman and Batman’s earliest adventures, creating a look back that’s more timeless than nostalgic. It’s created fascinating new characters like the Devil Nezha, Boy Thunder, Doom-Mite, while showing why Batman and Superman — as well as the various members of their supporting cast like Robin and Supergirl and Jimmy Olsen and Batgirl — are some of the greatest teams in comics.
Superman Adventures by Paul Dini, Mark Evanier, Hilary Bader, Mark Millar and many more
Some of the greatest single and two-issue Superman stories came from an animated series tie-in series. By telling continuity free stories, the creators of Superman Adventures was able to tell fascinating character and adventure based stories about all parts of Metropolis, with a love of the Man of Steel’s mythology that rivaled the main ongoing series of the day.
Superman ‘78 by Robert Venditti, Wilfredo Torres, Jordie Bellaire
It might seem weird to be recommending a direct sequel to Superman II as a follow-up to Superman 2025, but Superman ‘78 took the basics of the film, and created a timeless adventure using the framework of the film. It never feels dated or a throwback, rather something from a specific moment in time, which allows for simplifying some of the core concepts of Superman into an exciting new story.
