SDCC Coverage sponsored by Mad Cave
The much-anticipated new Superman film has finally arrived at the theater. James Gunn’s vision of Man of Steel features an all-star cast of heroes and villains. David Corenswett is the hero of the title, with Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Holt as Lex Luther. This weekend, Superman will attract a large crowd. Many of them leave the theater wanting to check out The Man of Steel and some comics featuring his supportive characters. With so many great options, it can be difficult to know where to start. Luckily, Beat’s DC Roundup Crew has curated a list of five easily accessible graphic novels for new comics movie fans looking for more Superman in their lives.
(Note: The following list contains mild spoilers for the new Superman movie.)
Superman: birthright
Author: Mark Waid
Pensiller: Reinil Francis Yu
Inker: Jerry Alangairan
Colorist: Dave McKaig
Text: Comiccraft
The story of Superman’s origins is one of the most iconic stories in pop culture history, with dozens of stories about the character’s 87-year history being told dozens of times. Superman: The 2003-2004 series of acclaimed author Mark Wade and artist Reinil Francis Yue was intended to be the definitive origins of the Steel Man at the time of release. Also, even if some of Superman’s early trappings were tweaked as being the basis that the release still exists as the basis for the ultimate son of Crypton’s adventures. Tonally This book is very similar to the Superman film, especially in its portrayal of Lois Lane, and this film borrows some plot elements from the book’s Lex Luthor plot, making it a natural place to start after it comes out of the theater. A compact comic edition of the book is also available for $9.99. This is also a relatively inexpensive entry point. –Joe Grunenwald
Buy Superman: Birthright at Bookshop.org.
Superman: Secret Origin
Author: Jeff Johns
Pensyler: Gary Frank
Inker: John Cival
Colorist: Brad Anderson
Letter: Steve Ones
If one Superman Origin Story isn’t enough for you, there’s the 2009-2010 series by Superman: Secret Origin, Jeff Johns and Gary Frank. The series shares fragments of decades-old origin, like Clark’s time as a superboy, with those born of decades-old origin, perhaps like movie fans, the existence of Superman’s dog, Crypto. Superman’s relationship with Lois, Jimmy and Rex is all well established in this book, and also serves as a great introduction to Superman’s classic villains such as Parasite and Metallo. The Superman in the artist Frank’s version of Superman is surprisingly similar to the original film version of Christopher Reeve. –jg
Buy Superman: Secret Origins of bookshop.org.
Superman breaks clans
Author: Jean Lung Yang
Art & Color: Grihill
Letter: Janice Chian
Superman is an immigrant and being a refugee makes the timing for this new film – in contrast to the severe (to put it gently) federal immigrant crackdown – reminding him that the character has a long history of being played as the foil of injustice in his time. Perhaps there is nothing better than Superman in 2019-2020 destroying the clan. Written by Jean Lun Yang with art from Grihill and lettering by Janice Chan, this standalone story uses actual history as a starting point. And its true history is how the 1946 radio serial “The Fiery Clan of the Cross” from Superman’s Adventures helped change public opinion about Klu Klux Klan in that decade. It’s a great feature for history lovers, but this is also a great book for this list. If you leave the theatre, move to Superman and get inspired, I think there’s a natural and direct connection to this comic. – Zack taste
Buy Superman smashes Klan at Bookshop.org.
Superman Friend Jimmy Olsen: Who killed Jimmy Olsen?
Writer: Matte Fraction
Artist: Steve Leeber
Colorist: Nathan Fairbaan
Letter: Clayton Cowles
And now for something completely different… Superman mate Jimmy Olsen: Who killed Jimmy Olsen? , Matt Fraction and Steve Lieber’s epic 2019-2020 Jimmy-centric series follows Globe Trotting, and sometimes absolutely Superman’s companion adventures. A far cry from the story of a straightforward superhero who killed Jimmy Olsen? Comedy is the best comedy, allowing readers to see the DC Universe and some of the beats of the most important characters from the perspective of one of the most versatile characters, from Superman to Batman to Lex Luthor. As depicted by Skylar Gisondo, Jimmy Olsen is an integral part of both the Daily Planet and the film’s overall plot, with no doubt there’s a hint that it’s happening with him more than what viewers see on screen. This book is a great place to see the rest of Jimmy’s world and is a very enjoyable read to boot. –jg
Buy a signature and sketch version of Superman fellow Jimmy Olsen: Who killed Jimmy Olsen? Directly from artist Steve Lieber via Etsy.
Superman: Supercorp
Author: Joshua Williamson
Artists: Jamal Campbell, Nick Dragotta, etc.
Colorists: Jamal Campbell, Frank Martin, etc.
Letter: Ariana Maher
While all other entries on this list were standalone stories, Superman: Supercorp is the first collection of the current Superman ongoing series from writer Joshua Williamson and the host of All-Star Artists. The series follows Superman adapting to the metropolis behind the bar, but still plays a pivotal role in Steel’s life, especially after Rex appears to have been given a superhero to his company. The dynamics of Superman and Rex are one of the most interesting hero/villain relationships in pop culture, a fact that is fully on display in a new film, with Supercorp filming in a very unexpected direction. If the movie wants you to read some Superman comics, make sure you definitely want to continue after you read this. –jg
Buy Superman: Supercop at bookshop.org.
Do you need more Superman reading and recommendations? Check out our favourite Superman story from this year’s Super Monday!
Header Image: James Gunn via Instagram
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SDCC Coverage sponsored by Mad Cave
