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Superman

Superman Reading Order, The Modern Age (Post-Crisis)

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It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman! Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in Action Comics #1 (1938), Superman is an alien from the planet Krypton who fights crime in Metropolis and the rest of the world. Under the costume is Kal-El, who was sent to Earth when he was a baby, and adopted by farmers Jonathan and Martha Kent who named him Clark Kent and raised him in the little town of Smallville. As Clark developed superhuman abilities, his parents taught him to use his talents to help humanity.

Clark relocated to Metropolis to pursue a career in journalism. He landed a job at the Daily Planet, where he met the love of his life and journalist Lois Lane, photographer Jimmy Olsen, and editor-in-chief Perry White. In parallel, he put on a colorful costume and used the codename Superman to fight powerful enemies, including General Zod, Brainiac, and the most emblematic of them all, the narcissistic-genius Lex Luthor.

The superhero genre wouldn’t be the same without Superman. Though there was other before him that could be said to fit the bill, he established the conventions and popularized the whole genre, being the best-selling superhero in American comic books up until the 1980s.

As the DC Universe was becoming more complicated and sales were declining, a new page of history was written following a Crisis like no one else: Crisis on Infinite Earths (see reading order). This was the beginning of the Modern Age and the creation of new instant-classic stories. The event was used to retconned the histories of most of the characters. The idea was to clean up the timelines (something DC is still trying to do, in vain) and to update the superheroes in order to appeal to a contemporary audience. 

This is when this Superman reading order begins. This article doesn’t cover the previous decades (or the Pre-Crisis). Our Man of Steel got a new origin story with the help of John Byrne, and it would only be the first of several ones during this long period. Kal-El’s past was explored, revisited, and modified, as the character lived some bold adventures, even making headlines for dying (something so ordinary today… to die in the comics, not the mainstream media coverage).

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The Death of Superman Reading Order

The Death and Return of Superman Reading Order

ABC launched the television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman in 1993, where the marriage of Lois and Clarke was discussed during the production. Even if the comics and the show didn’t take place in the same continuity, Warner Bros wanted the Superman brand to stay consistent across all media. They wanted the wedding of the couple to happen at the same time on screen and paper.

What did it mean for the Superman comics? After all, the creative team was planning the wedding of Lois and Clark, and they had to stop and build a whole new storyline. Writer Jerry Ordway made the joke to just kill Superman, and it became the most attractive scenario for the creative team. If they couldn’t marry the Man of Steel, they could kill him… and make comic history!

That’s how the now-classic storyline The Death of Superman was born. It is divided into a trilogy of story arcs: “Doomsday!” (or Death of the Superman) leads to Superman’s Death; “Funeral for a Friend” is focused on the aftermath; and “Reign of the Supermen!” introduced the Supermen. For Lois Lane fans, it’s also an important period, as the death of Superman puts her on the front line, and she was used as the glue between all the titles. After this trilogy, the inevitable happens, titled “The Return of Superman”.

Launched at the end of 1992, The Death (and Return) of Superman was published almost all the year 1993. The creative team consisted of Dan Jurgens, Louise Simonson, Roger Stern, Jerry Ordway, Karl Kesel, William Messner-Loebs, and Gerard Jones on the writer front. Jon Bogdanove, Tom Grummett, Jackson Guice, Dan Jurgens, Dennis Janke, Denis Rodier, Walt Simonson, Curt Swan, and M. D. Bright on the artist front.

One of the biggest best-sellers at DC, The Death (and Return) of Superman had a major impact on the company, as a similar event happened shortly after with Batman: Knightfall (reading order), followed by the deaths of numerous superheroes. Also, some characters established during the arc became recurring characters afterward.

No doubt about it, The Death (and Return) of Superman occupy a special place in Superman and DC history, and today, we revisit it with a reading order, and the different ways to read this iconic story.

What to read before The Death of Superman?

Like a lot of readers at the time of publication, you can just go straight ahead without any required reading before. A few issues teased Doomsday breaking free from his prison, and we have listed them in the issue-by-issue reading order for the occasion.

I just told you no background reading was necessary, but for those out there who like to know a little more, here are a few things to know:

  • The Justice League’s incarnation at the time of this storyline was Justice League International, with Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, Guy Gardner, and more. It was written by Dan Jurgens.
  • A few issues during that storyline are part of the Bloodlines event.
  • Not long ago, Luthor faked his own death and transplanted his brain into a clone of himself, which he passed off as his unknown son, Lex Luthor II, raised by foster parents in Australia to protect him from Luthor’s enemy. The charade is completed by an Australian accent, a full head of red hair, and a beard. Luthor uses this opportunity to seduce Supergirl (Matrix at the time). Those issues where those events take place are not really well collected (between Action Comics #660 and #678).
  • Finally, if you simply want to discover more stories with Superman, check out our Superman Reading Order, The Modern Age (Post-Crisis).

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Lois Lane: From her comic book creation to the iconic journalist movie and TV icon

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Lois Lane

Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster in 1938, Lois Lane is now one of the most iconic characters in comics, which is no small feat for a woman introduced as a counterpart and love interest to Superman and his alter ego Clark Kent.

During the past 80 years, the character has lived through numerous crises and evolved with her time. If she is famously known as one of the greatest reporters in the DC universe, she worked hard to have that title, beginning as a sob sister, having scoops stolen by Clark Kent, and at some times, confined to the role of the jealous girlfriend.

Lois Lane will rise to the challenge, helped by TV and movie adaptations, to go beyond what was expected of women of her time, to be an inspiring tough, ambitious, fearless woman who never gives up. Here are a few facts about Lois Lane, from her creation to her prolific career on screen:

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Superman: Doomed Reading Order (from New 52)

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Superman Doomed DC New 52 Reading Order

Superman faces Doomsday in this Superman crossover story arc from the New 52 era co-written by Greg Pak, Charles Soule, and Scott Lobdell, with artwork by Ken Lashley, Aaron Kuder, and Tony Daniel.

Here is the official synopsis: Its name is Doomsday. It came from the Phantom Zone, where the Man of Steel had banished it once before. Bigger. Deadlier. Capable of killing life on Earth. Only Superman can stop it. But even that is not the end. Evil is in its blood. And when that blood is spilled, the innocent will fall — and Superman himself will discover the monster within. The Last Son of Krypton may become a destroyer of worlds himself, leaving the Earth without its greatest protector.

Superman and his allies each must make a choice. If they unleash the monster, will they lose the man? Is this Earth’s last shot at salvation, or are Superman and everyone he cares about…

What to read before Superman: Doomed?

Naturally, you can explore our complete reading order for Superman and Action Comics during the New 52 era. For a more specific start, as Superman: Doomed is mostly a crossover between the titles Action Comics and Superman/Wonder Woman, the setup for it takes place in those two series:

Totally optional, DC also teased Doomsday’s appearance in Batman/Superman #3.1 during Villains Month (part of Forever Evil and collected in DC Comics The New 52 Villains Omnibus).

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Superman/Action Comics New 52 Reading Order (with also Superman/Wonder Woman and Batman/Superman)

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Superman/Action Comics New 52 Reading Order

Following the conclusion of the Flashpoint limited series (see Reading Order), the DC Universe has been reset to offer a new entry point to readers. Various changes were made in order to give new takes on familiar characters and attract newcomers.

What does it mean for Superman? We left behind Superman from the Modern era in favor of a younger and brasher version of the character. Superman from New 52 is not married to Lois Lane and his adoptive parents Jonathan and Martha Kent have died. But somewhere still exist another version of Superman who will find his way back to us, helped by Convergence and Rebirth…

During the New 52 period (see the full Reading Order), Superman has been written by Grant Morrison (Action Comics), George Perez (Superman), Greg Pak (Batman/Superman, Action Comics), Charles Soule, and Peter Tomasi (Superman/Wonder Woman), but also Keith Giffen, Dan Jurgens, Fabian Nicieza, Scott Lobdell, Frank Hannah, Mike Johnson, and Gene Luen Yang.

Beware, the New 52 Superman is not a very popular Superman among readers!

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DC Future State Reading Order, The DC Comics event that will define the future

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It’s a new year. It’s a new DC continuity. It’s a new future! It was supposed to be a massive reboot named G5, but things changed and it’s now Future State a two-month event spinning out of the finale of Dark Nights: Death Metal (Reading Order) that takes us on a journey from the near future to the end of time to witness the destinies of DC’s heroes.

It’s a future full of surprises for Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Justice League, the Teen Titans, and so many more. A future that will see new and younger heroes taking the place of the ones we know. A future that will lead them to hostile territories. A future that will help define a different present.

DC Future State is a collection of 25 miniseries. Most of them are two-issue tales (but some are four-issue stories).

What to read before DC Future State?

As the Dark Nights: Death Metal event (Reading Order) is ending, a new future take form. At the end of Dark Nights: Death Metal #7, there is not one, but two epilogues that are leading us into a new world, one of them is the DC Future State world.

The DC Future State event is—in theory—self contained (a bit like Age of Apocalypse). You’re not really required to read anything outside of it.

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Brian Michael Bendis Superman/Action Comics Reading Order

Superman by Michal Bendis Reading Oder

After eighteen years at Marvel, Brian Michael Bendis left the House of Ideas to work for DC Comics exclusively. The American comic book publisher makes a lot of noise for his arrival, with Bendis taking the rein of Superman, making his debut with Action Comics #1000.

What follows was, I’m gonna speculate, not what DC hopes, as Bendis’s run on Superman/Action Comics (as he writes BOTH series) became divisive quite quickly.

Here’s the official synopsis: A new era begins for Superman as a threat from his earliest origins reemerges to destroy the Last Son of Krypton. As Superman struggles to come to grips with what has happened to his wife and son, he must also face a new threat that’s determined to burn down Metropolis!

What to read before Superman/Action Comics by Brian Michael Bendis?

Before Brian Michael Bendis took over creative duties on Superman/Action Comics, the character was handled by Peter Tomasi, Patrick Gleason & Dan Jurgens since the beginning of Rebirth. Bendis deals with some elements of this run, mostly by getting rid of Lois and Jon at the beginning of his run. This is not required reading for Bendis, as he creates quickly a new statu-quo, but this is quite a popular run among Supes fans, worth checking out:

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Event Leviathan Reading Order, a DC mystery Event by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev

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Event Leviathan Reading Order

Event Leviathan is a 2019 crossover event created by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev for DC Comics, happening during the Year of The Villain.

It follows a team of detectives assembled by Lois Lane who investigates the infiltration and apparent destruction of various intelligence agencies within the DC Universe by Leviathan, the group formerly run by Talia al Ghul.

As the official synopsis says: With startling ease, a newly dangerous and aggressive secret organization called Leviathan has returned and has been systematically wiping out all its competition. The ways of the old world no longer work. Now Leviathan is turning its sights to molding the world into its own radical vision of order.

Can this new threat’s growth be stopped? Join Lois Lane as she leads Batman, Green Arrow, Plastic Man, Manhunter, the Question along with a couple of surprise sleuths in the search of the man who sits behind the cloak of Leviathan. But will whoever find him first capture him…or join him?

What to read before Event Leviathan?

Why Event Leviathan didn’t simply take place in Action Comics is the real mystery here. Bendis’s run on Action Comics leads into Event Leviathan, making it an important read to better understand the event.

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Superman/Action Comics Rebirth Reading Order (by Peter Tomasi, Patrick Gleason & Dan Jurgens)

Superman Rebirth Reading Order, Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason

Following New 52, an era that rebooted DC continuity in 2011 (and have a whole reading order), comes DC Rebirth, a period focused on returning the characters to an earlier status quo while updating the premises for new audiences. For The Man in Steel, it means reconnecting with the Superman from Pre-Flashpoint, a man married to Lois Lane and father of Jon Kent.

Action Comics starring Superman is written by Dan Jurgens and Superman is launched by writers Peter J. Tomasi & Patrick Gleason.

What to read before Superman/Action Comics Rebirth?

For full context about Superman, Lois Lane, and the birth of Jon Kent, the answer lies in Convergence. Although it’s probably not strictly necessary, and generally considered not that important… and pretty bad! Superman: Lois & Clark serves as an introduction to Superman’s family.

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