Top 5 Superman Comics To Read Before James Gunn 'Superman'
5. Superman Smashes The Klan
When people say, “I don’t like race or politics in my Superhero movies" I can't help but laugh. Comics have been woke since they were first created and people are just ignorant to the source material. Superman Smashes The Klan is set in 1946 and details the story about an Asian family (Lee family) that move from Chinatown to Metropolis and encounter the KKK. It tackles microaggressions, white supremacy and also it showcases Superman as an immigrant.
Not a lot of Superman media highlight that Superman is also an immigrant. When people say that, “Superman is not relatable” then I would immediately recommend this comic. Superman relates to the Lee family because he knows what it feels like to be ostracized and different because of where he comes from or how he looks.
4. Superman: Up In The Sky
Tom King is a very divisive writer. Some people like him and some people dislike him because of his military propaganda in his stories. Tom King has written two of my favorite DC stories: Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow and this story.
When Aliens have kidnapped a young girl it's up to Superman rescue her. This story shows Superman's brains over brawns. Superman is constantly saving people and in this story he can't punch his way out of trouble. This is more of an investigation story that shows that Superman cares about humanity so much he is willing to travel to another planet just to save one person.
3. Kingdom Come
Mark Waid is one of the best writers to pen for the, ‘Man Of Steel'. Kingdom Come is set in the near future where Superman comes out of retirement to reunite with Batman and Wonder Woman to fight for truth and justice one last time. After Superman disappears from the public eye, humanity, the God's and even the Justice League starts crumbling apart without him. It's not just humanity that respect and admire Superman but so do the God's and his Justice League members as well.
One of my favorite panels in this story is Bruce telling Clark that he abandoned Bruce when he needed him the most. Bruce/Batman and Clark/Superman are polar opposites but they are best of friends. Bruce displaying his disappointment with his best friend (Clark Kent/Superman) abandoning him and society shows how Superman is needed in the world. The artwork is absolutely outstanding and because of how well this story is drawn I think it could only work in an animated feature film. As great as this story is the only thing I don’t like about it is Superman and Wonder Woman being a couple.
2. All-Star Superman
After Mark Waid I would say Grant Morrison is a close 2nd when it comes to my favorite Superman writer. James Gunn has stated that this is one of the comics that influenced his version of Superman. If you’ve seen the teaser/official trailer of the film then you can definitely see the influence of All-Star Superman from the designs of the Superman's robots to even the size difference between Clark Kent and Superman.
In Grant Morrison's, All-Star Superman, Superman finds out that he is dying after being overexposed to the radiation of the sun. This story poses the question to Superman and readers: what would you do if you had a limited amount of time to live? There is a very heart-felt moment with Superman comforting a young woman that thinks about taking her own life by leaping off the edge of a building. Great artwork and emotionally impactful.
1. Superman: For All Seasons
Superman: For All Seasons takes places in four seasons of the year. Spring, Summer, Fall & Winter and each chapter is narrated by someone in his life. This story we see Clark Kent the man as he returns home to Smallville as people that know him personally narrate his upbringing to the man that he has molded himself into today. The only time this actually feels like a so-called, “Superman” story is when we see him in Metropolis and his reactions with Lex Luthor.
If you're looking for a more grounded take on Superman that depicts Clark Kent as the man and Superman second then give this a read.
