Reading List: "Why Superman Actually Doesn't Suck"

[thehefner]

Speaking of bitemetechie, I'm compiling a "Why Superman Actually Doesn't Suck" mix of graphic novels for her to read during out mad twelve-day excursion to Orlando Fringe Festival.

And really, I've needed to make this collection for some time now. After all the years of hearing people complain about how they hate Superman, it's only in the past year or two that I think we finally have some amazing Superman comics that can finally depict what we fans have always known in our hearts and seen between the bright colors, boy-scout heroics, and lack of grimdark angst.

Therefore, on the "musts" list for this "Why Superman Actually Doesn't Suck" collection, I think it's essential to have the first part of Geoff Johns' current ACTION COMICS run. Start with ACTION COMICS ANNUAL # 10, which for some reason is idiotically not collected anywhere*, even though it contains crucial material.

And then, go on to SUPERMAN: LAST SON (which I didn't love at first, but it leads to get stuff later with Zod), skip the BIZARRO WORLD story (unless anyone here thinks it's awesome/essential), go right to the LEGION OF SUPERHEROES story (the book that finally helped me get the Legion, and features three heart-stopping Clark moments), and finally, SUPERMAN: BRAINIAC (I dislike Brainy 1.0's new muscle-bound look, but it's better than the bony 90's-esque monstrosity he's been sporting recently).

Besides that, ALL-STAR SUPERMAN. I mean, duh. I think that should go after the Johns stuff. Let that be the grand finale of Superman. I hate, hate, hate what Morrison's done with BATMAN and FINAL CRISIS, but after rereading ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, I'm just in awe of this book's elegant power and joy. Throughout, he and Quitely are able to say so much with so little, making it tempting to breeze through the stories as if they were light little trifles, and thereby miss out on all the incredible detail they cram into each panel. Like a Sergio Leone movie, no one says a word of dialogue unless it's absolutely essential to the story.

Plus, Mark Waid's introduction to Vol. 2 really helped me better get what Morrison is showing here with this perfect portrait of who Superman is and why does what he does. He particularly nails it at the end:

But the big moment is the perfect line of dialogue. It comes in Chapter Ten, when Superman, without a second's hesitation, takes time from his world-building feats to embrace and comfort a suicidal young girl. When he tells her, "You're much stronger than you think you are," they become the most moving words we have ever read in a Superman story. And they are perfect because they reveal, in one sentence, the fundamental secret of Superman and why we love him so:

Gods achieve their power by encouraging us to believe in them.

Superman achieves his power by believing in us.

Couldn't have put it better myself.

Besides the Johns and Morrison essentials, I was thinking of including maybe the two Excellent Superman Comics That Don't Actually Feature Superman: IT'S A BIRD, by Steven T. Seagle and Terry Kristiansen, and SUPERMAN: SECRET IDENTITY by Kurt Busiek and Stuart Immonen (which is criminally out of print now! WTF?), not to mention SUPERMAN: RED SON, which is the one truly great thing Mark Millar has ever written.

I've considered SUPERMAN: BIRTHRIGHT, but I didn't get it for the same reason I didn't pick up Geoff Johns' "One Year Later" arc, UP UP AND AWAY, because it just seemed a little too been there, done that. Good stories, but nothing that'll really persuade somebody who doesn't like Superman. Maybe I'm wrong?

Meantime, I'm reading Alan Moore's two SUPREME collections. I'm not sure I'd put them on the list, as they're more about superheroes and comics in general rather than Superman himself. But damn if they aren't fun. Anyone who thinks Moore is too grim and serious should check these out, if they're even still in print. Cracktacular meta superheroics galore!

So yeah, to sum up my list, in the following order:

The Essentials

ACTION COMICS ANNUAL # 10
SUPERMAN: LAST SON
SUPERMAN AND THE LEGION OF SUPERHEROES
SUPERMAN: BRAINIAC
ALL-STAR SUPERMAN VOL. 1
ALL-STAR SUPERMAN VOL. 2

Other possibilities

IT'S A BIRD
SECRET IDENTITY
BIRTHRIGHT
UP UP AND AWAY
RED SON


What think you, Super-fans? Any other suggestions? If nothing else, do assure Techie that these books are actually good, because I suspect getting her to read 'em will take some persuasion.




*More and more, I'm trying to figure out some way to campaign against Bob Joy, the editor of collected editions at DC. I've noticed so many problems in DC's graphic novels, such a drop in quality compared to previous editors like Robert Greenberger, that I feel like something seriously needs to be done. Who else is the blame for putting all the tie-in issues of SINESTRO CORPS in a separate volume, rather than integrating them into the actual story as they're SUPPOSED to be read?

But the one sternly polite letter I'd written him regarding my displeasure of the BATMAN VS. TWO-FACE collection went unanswered, and I feel like there's nothing I can do to voice my frustrations to any powers-that-be. It's seriously hindering my interest in buying trade paperbacks from DC.

Comments

[tragical-mirth.livejournal.com]

Do you actually have Red Son? I want to read that.

After May 22 (my Jour-J of freedom), I'll be banging down your door to borrow it if you do.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I do indeed, and aye, I'll happily lend it to you! Although will you be moving at some point? Because I'll be leaving for Montreal in very early June, and won't be back until the very end of the month.

If you wanna, perhaps I could throw together a GL list as well...

[tragical-mirth.livejournal.com]

I almost have my own GL list, lol. But please do. I really only know to go back to Rebirth and Sinestro Corps War, but if you have any Alan Scott suggestions (and also Jade), I'd be so very interested.

I am moving out of this apartment sometime in June. Where I will go depends. I'm waiting to hear back from CUA, and they finally have my paperwork, so I should know next week. Where I go honestly depends on who offers me the most money, and even if I do go, I won't be terribly far away.

There is a very, very small chance I may still go to Montreal, though maybe not while you are still there. I'll keep you posted.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I mean, I'd lend 'em to you! All of Johns' GL run, plus the GLC trades, and some pre-Johns stuff like EMERALD DAWN and EMERALD TWILIGHT, even though Johns has since retconned those in great detail. At least they might provide some interesting basis of comparison!

Oh, and definitely FLASH/GL: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD, which features my very, very favorite characterizations of Hal and Barry. I just wish Johns, for all this strengths and awesomeness, would use THAT Barry and Hal more often.

Also also, have you read THE NEW FRONTIER? Heck, you might as well just buy that one outright, it's worth it!

As for Alan Scott, I'm afraid your best bet is Johns and Goyer's JSA, particularly "Princes of Darkness," which also features Jade. But for the best of Jade, I think you may track down back issues of INFINITY, INC. I've never read it, but it's a fan favorite from that era, and the reason why many boys in the 80's had a crush on Jade.

Also, Alan has some great moments in the absolutely-excellent JSA: THE GOLDEN AGE. Which brings up Robinson's STARMAN. Which you should read period. Yes. Yes you should.

[tragical-mirth.livejournal.com]

*SNOOPY DANCE*
Heh. Flash/GL.

Um, yeah! You probably shouldn't let me take them off the premises, though, until I'm finished packing or something, now that I think about it, though.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Then let's wait till you've moved someplace else and figure things out from there. :)

[beanie-platypus.livejournal.com]

I have mixed feelings about Superman. I think some of it clearly comes from being a comics-reader under (admittedly low-key) siege; I don't have any friends who read comics before I met them, and a number who still refuse/can't stand to read any book in comic form ("The pictures are distracting." "Duh.") When you have to justify any comic book you read, the ones that have the worst reputation as being "For Children Only" tend to get pushed aside for something sexier.

But when I do encounter Superman in any crossover.... I always seem to really love him. He's like Captain America without the creepy jingoistic overtones- he's just kind of sweet and charming and *good.* And he's faintly goofy as Clark Kent, which really works for him....

So, with that in mind, I will try to score some of these comics myself and see if they change my mind. I do want to lobby for RED SON- the conclusion is just perfect, and I love Lex Luthor as the arguable hero. Also some good Lois Lane moments where she clearly looks really cool.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

It's funny you bring up Captain America. He is often disliked for similar reasons by many, while others love him even though they hate Superman because they love Cap's inspiring asskicking nature (and the fact that he's actually not as jingoistic in the ways you might suspect--although have you read much Cap?--but that's a whole other discussion).

Cap and Clark are often lambasted for being boy scouts, which isn't exactly incorrect, but damn if I have a hard time trying to explain how even if that's true, it's not necessarily a bad thing.

Yeah, with the way you describe Clark there, definitely do be on the lookout for the above comics, many of which are getting available at libraries! ALL-STAR tops the list!

[american-arcane.livejournal.com]

The thing about Captain America and, even more so, Superman that's always kept me interested was that they've managed to remain "good" even though it would be so easy for them to do whatever the heck they wanted.

Why do they stay on the straight and narrow? Because they actually value those ideals they were raised with... they believe that people can be good and those that aren't can sometimes be made better.

Yeah, that bit you quoted up top does, indeed, sum up what makes Superman really awesome. And something very similar applies to Cap... and Spiderman.

That simple truth could also be why kids love those characters so much and the cynical, jaded, stepped upon and broken adults they grow into turn up their noses at such concepts and slide into the anti-heroes and "dark and gritty" not-quite-villains.

Personally, I think there needs to be both. Just to keep up on our toes and to remind us that, no matter how dark or bright it gets, there's always a candle or a shadow somewhere to shake things up. :)

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Good point! I never considered that before: Superman is pretty much the embodiment of Absolute Power, yet he remains uncorrupted. And the reasons, as you note, are entirely within the ideals and values in which they were raised.

James Robinson recently wrote a Cap one-shot that came out a couple weeks ago that showed Steve Rogers before the super-serum, wherein we could see those attributes that would make him Captain America already present within the 98-pound-weakling that he was. It's an obvious idea really, but wonderfully effective nonetheless.

And yeah, you hit upon a very, very important point: there needs to be both. It drives me crazy when people start to argue who's better: Superman or Batman. They're two sides of the same coin, each fulfilling aspects that the other simply cannot! It's a shame more readers--and even more writers--don't understand this, and instead always favor Batman because he's grim and angry and "more human." Shit, I've always found Superman more humane than Batman.

[american-arcane.livejournal.com]

Aside from his origin, there are two wonderfully defining moments in my Captain American reading experience that completely nailed the character to the top of my list. The first is when he chose to turn in the Captain America identity rather than simply serve as the mouthpiece of the U.S. Government. The second was when, after having the Super Soldier serum removed from his system (due to it bonding with other drugs he'd been dosed with), he chose to keep being Captain America, even though there was nothing helping to enhance his abilities (so now he'd actually have to work to keep up the upper-level human stats and stuff).

Those moments of sacrifice, where decisions actually matter to the character's life, tend to stand out much more in the solid "good guy" characters than they do in the "dark and gritty" ones. Yeah, Batman and Wolverine have people and things they care about, but we don't expect them to seriously jeopardize themselves or their mission to protect those things. For them, the moments to watch for are when they do break for puppies or whatnot.

Humans are complex critters. We're also horribly inconsistent when it comes to our behavior. Everything is situational and modified by habits and instincts. We don't think things through more than half the time. The characters who lean heavily in one direction stir up that bit of envy in us... that "Gee, I wish I could be sure I'd do that" feeling.

The dark and gritty ones, though, also bring up the "Wow, I wish I could get away with that" feeling. Which, really, makes them more fun to the average person who feels trapped in any number of things. What most people don't realize is that both types of characters are equally trapped--constrained by their own normal bits of behavior... and the ones on the "pure good" side of things have a lot more to lose than the anti-hero does.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

he's just kind of sweet and charming and *good.* And he's faintly goofy as Clark Kent, which really works for him....

The more I think about this, the more I like it. It's really true! And he's (ideally, in the right writer's hands) all those things without being cheesy or saccharine. When he's done right, Superman can melt even the hardest cynic's heart with his genuine goodness and capacity to inspire change in others.

[gnort.livejournal.com]

So what do they call it, The Sinestro Corps War tie-in collection? That's lame. Like it would've been difficult to just put them in the actual trades. Even if you stretched it out to 3 volumes instead of 2, it would've been a much easier read in that set up than the way they have it now. It makes me glad that I just picked up the individual issues instead of waiting.


Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow is cited as a classic Superman story. I haven't read it so I can't provide a first hand critique but it's an option.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I think it's either Vol. 3 or a "Companion" or something. It features the "Tales of the Sinestro Corps," which were back-up tales in the issues leading up to the SC storyline (and thus provided excellent tension-building over those months!), the four tie-in stories (the last of which--ION--spoils the end to the SC storyline, so it has to be read after, while the middle ones are essential to the regular storyline!), and the Secret Files stuff.

What's stupid is that they still could have done three volumes, just in the right order!

Oh, that's right! Another good one! Really, the whole collected DC stories of Alan Moore is a must-read anyway. Maybe I'll have that one be the very end after ALL-STAR.

[treyhawk.livejournal.com]

Actually, I had been intrigued with the idea of picking up the ALL-STAR collections of Superman and Batman when heading back to the comic stores for the first time in 15 or so years for the Wednesday Comics.

I take it, then, that you're not a fan of ALL-STAR BATMAN?

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, yes, absolutely. BATMAN... I liked it in the first few issues, when the joke was hilarious. But then the joke got very old, very fast.

[swimpenguin.livejournal.com]

Not saying I like it anymore now, but I felt like I understood a bit more what Morrison was attempting to do with Batman after I wiki'ed a bunch of the references (I was thinking what the hell is a Batman Zur en Arh??? until I saw it was something previously existed in the early comics) I can be intrigued by the idea of attempting to disect Batman as a walking mental puzzle, still didn't help that Morrison just went batshit (no pun intended) with his love of mental headcase twists and turns over writing a good, coherent Batman story.
Superman-wise, I recently enjoyed the two part graphic novels Camelot Falls.
1. http://www.amazon.com/Superman-Camelot-Falls-Vol-1/dp/1401212050/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240797918&sr=1-1
2. http://www.amazon.com/Superman-Camelot-Falls-Graphic-Novels/dp/1401218652/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I wish they'd put out an entire collection of all the source material Morrison used for his BATMAN, because that would at least make it more interesting. If you don't already know about the Zur en Arh, what the hell enjoyment is there to take out of that story?! God, I hated Morrison's Batman run so much.

Yet in doing the same thing with Superman, it was somehow a brilliant, rousing success! Go figure.

I've been meaning to check out CAMELOT FALLS, actually! I should do that!

[swimpenguin.livejournal.com]

And have you read either Batman: Year 100 by Paul Pope or Batman: Vampire (the Elseworld's 3 parter where he becomes a vampire?) If so, worth buying or just borrow them?

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I've skimmed through YEAR 100, didn't actually read it. I'm, like, the only person who is left underwhelmed by Paul Pope's work, so don't take my word for it.

I'd borrow the vampire books. The first one (VS. DRACULA) is the best. I've never really cared for either Moench nor Kelly's works, so your mileage may vary.

My point is, neither of those examples are good ones to ask me for, because I am grumpy and opinionated. :)

[swimpenguin.livejournal.com]

Righto. I'm just looking for some more to read, I've been on a Batman kick lately.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Have you picked up, say, BATMAN: THE GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD? The one with the Alex Ross cover?

[swimpenguin.livejournal.com]

No, its actually good material? I always assumed those 'best of' 'greatest of', etc. collections were iffy.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

That one actually is (and it helps that Greenberger was the editor, not Bob Joy, whose "Greatest Joker Stories Ever" leaves much to be desired, to say the least).

It includes "Night of the Stalker," which might well be the definitive Batman story. If I had one story to show someone the entire essence of Batman, it would be that one (Darwyn Cooke "remade" it, which is collected in the BATMAN: EGO trade paperback; it's great, but it can't quite live up to the original), as well as Devin Grayson's "24/7," a day in the life of Batman. It's a perfect little story.

Vol. 2 is much iffier. But vol.1 truly lives up to its name.

[bitemetechie.livejournal.com]

The incorrigible flirt voice in my head just went: Well, well, what kind of persuasion did you have in mind?

But seriously...I will approach this force feeding with as open a mind as I can muster.

Actually, when we popped into the comic shop a couple days ago, I had the worst urge to call you up and ask you to rec--if not set aside--a Green Lantern required reading list...because what I know could fill a thimble. Admittedly a large thimble, but a thimble none-the-less...and I'm curious.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Why the heck didn't you call? You know I'm always good to offer comic pimpery advice! ESPECIALLY for GL!

[jellied.livejournal.com]

I'm throwing in First Thunder because I am a big ol sap.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

The one with Billy? I haven't read it beyond scans that showed up online. Is it good? More to the point, does it have good Clark moments? Because while the art is super-pretty, I'll need a weeny bit of convincing to buy Judd Winnick...

[jellied.livejournal.com]

Go to your local library and see if you can request a copy, and thumb threw it. I recommend it-- and that's something considering I don't really care for either Superman or Shazam.