The following list represents nothing more official than my own informed opinion on the top ten graphic novels featuring the world's greatest superhero. Through searching the Internet and talking with comic aficionados, I have been gratified to see many of my choices ratified by the experts, but this list should really be seen as an introductory orientation for the uninitiated and NOT as the definitive word on anything. I mean, who the crap do I think I am, Jeph Loeb?
1.
Kingdom Come (1996) - Mark Waid / Alex Ross
Set in the distant future, when the old guard of superheroes has largely retired and been replaced by a ragtag group of hotheads and loose cannons with no regard for the greater good, this riveting story entertains some pretty heady questions about the nature of power and the limits of freedom. Of particular interest is Superman's decision to create and police a Gulag in the American heartland to house the more reckless of the next-gen heroes, an all-out battle royale between Captain Marvel and Superman (perhaps the comic book universe's two most powerful characters), and the total destruction of Kansas by a particularly megalomaniacal "hero" called Magog.
2.
Superman For All Seasons (1998) - Jeph Loeb / Tim Sale
A wholesome origin story detailing Clark's Smallville roots and the angst of first love (Clark tells Lana Lang about his powers and she runs away), this awesome book contains one of coolest Lex Luthor schemes ever hatched in any plotline. When fighting a superpowerful alien who is practically invincible, how can an ordinary man even stand a chance? Get inside the alien's head. Sale's artwork is something of an acquired taste, but it ultimately does complement the classic, Golden Age feel of the narrative, which is delievered Vivaldi-style in four installments corresponding thematically to the seasons of the year.
3.
All Star Superman (2005) - Grant Morrison / Frank Quitely
Superman has cancer, Jimmy Olsen is a Doomsday monster, and Lois plays Superwoman for a day! Though these episodes sound like tales from the Elseworlds annals, they are so expertly spun in this groundbreaking book that you'll believe every last twist and turn. Don't get out your continuity notebooks for this one, fanboys, because the All Star imprint cares not a whit for post-Crisis continuities. Nevertheless, there's a whimsical freedom in all this devil-may-care writing and artwork (cf. the battle with the chronovore and the various Supermen in a Smallville of the past), and the stories in volume two of the series will drop even the most fastidious true believer's jaw.
4.
Superman: Secret Identity (2004) - Kurt Busiek / Stuart Immonen
A truly amazing instance of pure originality in the Superman canon, though the book is not technically considered a part of the mainstream story-arcs,
Secret Identity traces the life and career of a young boy ironically named Clark Kent after the "Superman" character from comic books in a world without superheroes. Inexplicably, he develops Superman's fabled powers in his early teens and decides to follow his literary counterpart's example and use his powers for the good of mankind. The resulting story teems with clever inside references for the true Superman fan, but it also stands in its own right as an engaging and dramatic reimagining of the comic book universe's favorite origin tale.
5.
Superman: Birthright (2003-4) - Mark Waid / Leinil F. Yu
Deemed by some to be mildly controversial due to its inclusion of the perils of African tribal warfare, this modern retelling of the Man of Steel's coming of age story deserves some accolades just for holding its own in a virtual sea of Superman origin narratives. Martha Kent becomes obsessed with UFOs, Lex and Clark were apparently childhood buddies (a la TV's
Smallville), and Superman has to stave off an invasion by...can you believe it?...the Kryptonian Army! There's a pretty significant twist to this tale, however, and without giving too much away, let me just say that Lex Luthor has never been so diabolically cool.
6.
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (2003) - Jeph Loeb / Ed McGuinness
To start with, Lex Luthor is the President of the United States. If that weren't enough, there's also a huge chunk of Kryptonite hurtling towards Earth that is increasingly sapping Superman's strength, and several of Earth's heroes have been recruited by the government to track down and detain the dastardly duo of Batman and Superman. Add to these juicy plot details Jeph Loeb's innovative dual narration technique, which peppers the narrative with Bruce Wayne's internal views on Clark Kent and vice versa, and Ed McGuinness' awesome art that pops off the page like Superman's pecs, and you have yourself one of the coolest graphic novels in recent memory. There's also a much anticipated DC / Warner Bros.
animated feature version of this book in the works, set to be released Sept. 29.
7.
Superman: Red Son (2003) - Mark Millar / Dave Johnson
What if Kal-El's rocket had crashed in Soviet Russia instead of in the Kansas plains? Just one half-turn of the Earth changes the course of history and forever alters the Man of Tomorrow's future as champion of all mankind. With the Soviet hammer and sickle in place of his iconic 'S', this Elseworlds title's reimagined Superman is the "strange visitor from another world" who "fights a never-ending battle for Stalin, Socialism, and the international expansion of the Warsaw Pact." Beware, capitalist citizens of Earth! There's only one Superpower now!
8.
Death of / World Without a / Return of Superman (1992-3) - Jurgens et al / Bogdanove et al
No avid Superman fan's bookshelf would be complete without this industry-revolutionizing trilogy from the early 90s. Watch Superman fight harder than he's ever fought before against the unstoppable juggernaut that is Doomsday, an ancient, Kryptonian, perpetually evolving super-monster hellbent on destroying any and all life that crosses his path...including Superman's. You'll get misty-eyed. You'll laugh outright at the ridiculous plot labyrinth that is the Reign of the Supermen. You'll cheer when the rejuvenated Man of Steel returns in his snazzy black suit.
9.
Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? (2009) - Alan Moore / Curt Swan
What can be said about the greatest stories ever to cross the comic pages? Mr. Moore simply cannot be topped in his ability to spin a perfect narrative web, from his triumph with
Watchmen to his more avant-garde (but nonetheless brilliant)
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. This awesome "Deluxe Edition" gathers together all of Moore's best stories about the Man of Tomorrow, including the classic "For the Man Who Has Everything," wherein Superman's birthday party turns nasty after a visit from Mongul. Another story features Swamp Thing in a nurturing, Superman-saving supporting role, and the title piece relates Superman's battle with his "greatest foe," a designator more mysterious than revelatory.
10.
Superman: Last Son (2007-8) - Geoff Johns, Richard Donner / Adam Kubert
The source of some considerable hubbub due to its delayed completion, this book features the dream writing team of Johns and Donner (director of the original Superman film) in a story we all saw coming but were delightfully surprised by nonetheless. What if Kal-El was not the "Last Son of Krypton"? What if another boy fell from the skies in a strange spaceship, landing in the middle of Metropolis itself? Would Superman and Lois manage to adopt the strange visitor, whose powers strongly resemble those of a certain flying Kryptonian? How could they keep the government...and Lex Luthor...from exploiting the boy? And what if the boy's real father was a notorious Kryptonian convict from the Phantom Zone? Enticed yet? You will be.
