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[QUOTE=Vakanai;4513539]Doesn't Earth One effectively do the same thing, minus the risk of stumbling into a Morrison head screw while still providing a full story (you're really only going to recommend two floppy issues to a new reader?)?[/QUOTE]
I wouldn’t say the Earth One Supes is akin to the Morrison New 52 Supes at all. The Earth One Superman is much more akin to a “Spider-Man” take on Superman imo. Clark is selfish and self-centered at the start and over time learns to come out of his shell and protect others. But when Tyrell attacks at first Clark just sits back and watches. It’s only when Jimmy Olsen gets attacked that Clark finally joins the action. I never really got a “social crusader” vibe from him at all.
New 52 Superman is kind of the exact opposite. Where EO Supes is selfish at the start, New 52 Superman is an activist taking on corruption and corporate greed. New 52 Supes is arrogant and hotheaded while EO Supes is more quiet and observant. They both struggle with the question of what they want to do with their lives, but they come at it from different angles. EO Supes kind of gets dragged into it by an alien invasion while New 52 Supes is insanely eager to show off to the world all the feats he can do.
I get how the stuff with the 5-D Imps can be confusing but I didn’t think the first arc where Supes fights Glenmorgan, Metallo, Lex, the military, and finally Brainiac was that hard to follow at all. The one-shot stories like the Krypto issue were amazing (I also liked the EO version where he buries his cat on the moon).
Man and Superman by Wolfman hit on a lot of same story beats though and is great in its own right. If Morrison’s wasn’t to someone’s taste I’d give them that or Birthright.
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Byrnes Man of Steel
Superman Exile
Panic in the Sky
Death and Return Saga
Action Comics 775
Unending Battle
Bendis’s Man of Steel
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Without knowing my prospective reader and assuming back issues aren't very practical:
The Origin: Man and Superman
At this point you can really skip the origin for anyone, but people aren't likely to do that. It's a popular thing. Man and Superman handles Clark, Lex, Lois, and general Metropolis in a fashion that works across continuity. That would be the main reason I take this over my second favorite, "Superman and the Men of Steel." That one is a little difficult unless you're taking someone through the actual New 52 or basing your recommendations specifically around Morrison. Man and Superman looks beautiful and works as a bright, but still human alternative to Batman Year One and the niche it built.
The Adventure Epic: Trial of Superman
Because the Exile Omnibus is a ridiculous ask of a newer reader. The 25th anniversary edition is coming up at a great price and hopefully has some recoloring. I think it's a fun space caper that effectively introduces the Superman Family (as they still are, with the technical exception of Supergirl and inclusion of Marcus) as well as establishes Metropolis itself as a setting and Hank Henshaw as a villain beyond just being the Superman impersonator.
The Darling: Superman and the Legion of Superheroes
I see all of these recs for Secret Identity and I shouldn't betray that... but technically it's not Superman. It's a great stand-alone but LoSH is a fantastic entry point to a seemingly impenetrable part of the mythos and it wears on the guard of those too... sophisticated for superheroic tropes. Thank God Frank stayed the entire stretch and that they chose those wonderfully bright colors. It's a personal favorite because it hooked me at a point where I wasn't so into the regular comics myself.
The Classic: Superman, the Silver Age Dailies 1959-61
Because again, an omnibus is too much to recommend. This is Superman literally silver, done or redone by Jerry Siegel. Anyone who wants to experience the legendary hijinx will probably find that this volume and the unique newspaper experience of more sophisticated storytelling has nuttiness in spades. IMO easily Superman at his funniest, and I think it's important for people to realize why comedy is essential.
With Batman: World's Finest 1990
Most people getting into Superman are probably going to have an easier time if Batman is there, too. It's always good to get a bogo on them. The Kesel miniseries is chronologically awesome and longer, and Generations is a really cool meta narrative, but Gibbons and Rude are just the classiest of cartoonist teams. This one is gorgeous and insanely easy to find.
The Quintessential Heroics: Superman, City of Tomorrow
Y2K is a pretty weird recommendation, sure, but it's really overlooked how good that relaunch was. It covers Lex and Brainiac in one story, guest stars a few heroes and new villains, and generally sets up a ton of stories also collected and available. They're probably to be re released as this archive continues. I believe the trade is out in December.
The Current: Man of Steel 2018
So I know even a lot of fans prefer the actual runs to this but that's why it's perfect. It sets up everything you'll need going forward and IMO this era is built for trade. Bendis comes together with Lee, Garcia Lopez, Reis, Sook, Maguire, Shaner, Rude, Hughes, and Fabok... I don't know who can't find value in that. I quite liked the story and again, despite the ending it's designed to get you in and coming back one way or another.
So that leaves out Morrison and Moore, the giants, along with Death and Return. I think those are so accessible and along with the Elite also well done in animation, so I wouldn't want to go to those wells off the bat. The one thing I'd recommend above all, Past and Future, is a trade out of print. Killer compilation of old stories. If you can't read dated earlier than like 1999, you should still give it a shot when you can.
[QUOTE=Vakanai;4513598]
On the flip side I read the first trade of Morrison's run, and as much as I liked the Superman that story presented the plot confused the hell out of me. In fact everything I've read from Morrison since I've found so confusing that I truly believe he writes with the actual aim of befuddling readers, and I haven't a clue why any of his stories are popular (I haven't read All Star, but having read a good chunk of his other work now I'm not sure I would want to anymore). Basically, I'd be wary of introducing any new readers to Morrison, even for just a couple issues - what if they get curious, order the whole book, and then get put off thinking all comic books are some kind of riddle?
He's got good ideas, but he needs an editor who'll make him rewrite everything until people can read it in one go and not ask, "What the hell?"
[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I think people take for granted that he's a comic guy's comic guy. Most of his dialogue is pretty jarring if you're not dialed in and most people from my experience won't be inspired to dig up annotations. I think he's great but the reason he does comics might not be the reason I read them. All Star os the best at what it does, but if you don't like what it does I dunno
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All-Star Superman.
Death, Funeral for a Friend, & Reign of Supermen Saga.
Byrne's Legion & Zod Pocket Universe Story.
Exile.
Lois and Clark (Rebirth) Series.
Public Enemies from Superman and Batman.
John's Brainiac.
Honorable Mentions to Bryne's World of Krypton and Birthright.
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Two honorable mentions that I totally forgot:
[I]Superman: Strength[/I] by Scott McCloud and Aluir Amancio
[I]Superman: The Kansas Sighting[/I] by J.M. DeMatteis and Jamie Tolagson
Both are indescribably high quality Superman stories that anyone can jump into, and they're quite underrated. The Kansas Sighting is maybe the best hard science fiction Superman story I've read. And Strength is just some top level Superman craft.
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Ha! I'm glad you know and recognize those. I really, really enjoy them both but since I haven't seen a trade and never seem to be in a shop they slip my mind.
DeMatteis is actually one of my favorite writers, he knocks it out of the park on a lot of really quiet superhero stuff. Has since like the late 70s.
And everone talks about Millar on the cartoon adaptation, but McCloud and others were really good. Didn't know he was a school buddy of Busiek but somehow I'm not surprised.
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1948 - The Origin of Superman
1961 - The Death of Superman!
1972 - Must There Be a Superman?
1977 - The Second Coming of Superman!
1985 - For the Man Who Has Everything!
1986 - Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?
1998 - Peace on Earth (from Dini/Ross)
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It depends on the person. For someone already predisposed to liking Superman, but wants to know the basics of the origin and status quo, I'd go with Johns & Frank's Secret Origin, because that's exactly what the story was designed to do. For someone who is a little more skeptical about Superman, I'd give them Morrison & Morales's World Against Superman, because it would challenge their preconceived notions of who they character and how he really started before the rough edges were sanded off.
From there, I think I'd go with Moore & Gibbon's For the Man Who Has Everything, Morrison & Quitely's All Star Superman, then Tomasi & Gleason's Superman & Son. After that, I'd delve into Elseworlds with Secret Identity and Red Son.
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Tough to choose. But I'll go ...
For the Man who has Everything
Peace on Earth
Kingdom Come
Superman for All Seasons
Red Son
Under the Skin
Year One
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[QUOTE=Vordan;4513927]I wouldn’t say the Earth One Supes is akin to the Morrison New 52 Supes at all. The Earth One Superman is much more akin to a “Spider-Man” take on Superman imo. Clark is selfish and self-centered at the start and over time learns to come out of his shell and protect others. But when Tyrell attacks at first Clark just sits back and watches. It’s only when Jimmy Olsen gets attacked that Clark finally joins the action. I never really got a “social crusader” vibe from him at all.
New 52 Superman is kind of the exact opposite. Where EO Supes is selfish at the start, New 52 Superman is an activist taking on corruption and corporate greed. New 52 Supes is arrogant and hotheaded while EO Supes is more quiet and observant. They both struggle with the question of what they want to do with their lives, but they come at it from different angles. EO Supes kind of gets dragged into it by an alien invasion while New 52 Supes is insanely eager to show off to the world all the feats he can do.
I get how the stuff with the 5-D Imps can be confusing but I didn’t think the first arc where Supes fights Glenmorgan, Metallo, Lex, the military, and finally Brainiac was that hard to follow at all. The one-shot stories like the Krypto issue were amazing (I also liked the EO version where he buries his cat on the moon).
Man and Superman by Wolfman hit on a lot of same story beats though and is great in its own right. If Morrison’s wasn’t to someone’s taste I’d give them that or Birthright.[/QUOTE]
While Clark didn't start out as a selfless activist like New52 Supes and definitely had to go on a hero's journey, I still think he never came across as selfish. Again the early bit where he wanted to make a lot of money was never about him having money but wanting to provide for his mother, which is something a lot of us can probably relate to assuming most people came from at least one loving parent. If I won the lottery I'd give my mom a million dollars no hesitation. And not wanting to get in some big super fight or save the day also doesn't really feel selfish to me at all, but it's been a couple years at least since I read the volume. Maybe I need to return to it for a re-read soon. But I'll give you maybe he doesn't quite fit the social crusader role like New52 Supes did.
I only read the first volume so missed all the 5D imp stuff, but even then while it wasn't that hard to follow the plot compared to other Morrison stories I've read, it still was hard enough that the plot/pacing felt a bit janky and more frustrating than satisfying to me. Again, just my opinion, but it's definitely one of the reasons why I wouldn't recommend it or most other Morrison stories I've read to new readers. But maybe I'll like it more on a second reading, who knows. Apparently I hear Morrison's work is something that's better as you re-read it, and I don't typically do that unless I love a story the first time.
Man and Superman is definitely the origin I'd probably most recommend to a new reader. It's not only a seriously great book, but it also has the advantage of being relatively short compared to a lot of the other choices, which is good for easing someone new into it. Birthright is probably the better story though, but is a bit longer.
[QUOTE=Kuwagaton;4515083]Without knowing my prospective reader and assuming back issues aren't very practical:
The Origin: Man and Superman
At this point you can really skip the origin for anyone, but people aren't likely to do that. It's a popular thing. Man and Superman handles Clark, Lex, Lois, and general Metropolis in a fashion that works across continuity. That would be the main reason I take this over my second favorite, "Superman and the Men of Steel." That one is a little difficult unless you're taking someone through the actual New 52 or basing your recommendations specifically around Morrison. Man and Superman looks beautiful and works as a bright, but still human alternative to Batman Year One and the niche it built.[/QUOTE]
I like that review.
[QUOTE]Yeah, I think people take for granted that he's a comic guy's comic guy. Most of his dialogue is pretty jarring if you're not dialed in and most people from my experience won't be inspired to dig up annotations. I think he's great but the reason he does comics might not be the reason I read them. All Star os the best at what it does, but if you don't like what it does I dunno[/QUOTE]
Yeah, as I'm still pretty limited in my comic knowledge this might be one of the reasons I find his work so frustrating (but not the only reason). I should probably still give All Star a shot some day, but as is my current distaste for Morrison coupled with my feeling I got a good gist of it from the movie version makes it a low priority for me.
[QUOTE=friendly-fire-press;4515595]Year One[/QUOTE]
Really? But it's like only one-third published right now. Shouldn't we wait till it's all over before we recommend it to new readers, or do you think the first extended issue is strong enough as is to be confident in?
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Recommending the first issue of Year One is the best way to ensure a Batman fan for life.
It's a dumpster fire.
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[QUOTE=Yoda;4516666]Recommending the first issue of Year One is the best way to ensure a Batman fan for life.
It's a dumpster fire.[/QUOTE]
Eh, I wouldn't say that. I mean yes, the dialog by itself is atrocious and worthy maybe of labeling a dumpster fire (what was Miller thinking? Where was the editor? People don't talk like that!), but otherwise the story was mediocre at worst, but it also had some genuinely good concepts and ideas. Young Clark making a small group of the outcasts and misfits and protecting them is something I'd love to see done better in another continuity.
But yeah, I'm definitely surprised to see Year One on anyone's list here. And not just because the story is technically not fully published yet.
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[QUOTE=Vakanai;4516684]Eh, I wouldn't say that. I mean yes, the dialog by itself is atrocious and worthy maybe of labeling a dumpster fire (what was Miller thinking? Where was the editor? People don't talk like that!), but otherwise the story was mediocre at worst, but it also had some genuinely good concepts and ideas. Young Clark making a small group of the outcasts and misfits and protecting them is something I'd love to see done better in another continuity.
But yeah, I'm definitely surprised to see Year One on anyone's list here. And not just because the story is technically not fully published yet.[/QUOTE]
I'd say mediocre is being extremely generous, and could go on. But I'll just say as an introduction to Superman it's a really really poor choice.
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[QUOTE=Yoda;4516723]I'd say mediocre is being extremely generous, and could go on. But I'll just say as an introduction to Superman it's a really really poor choice.[/QUOTE]
I'm definitely not arguing there, even with my more mildly positive appraisal of it, but I am curious to hear anyone give some opinions that say otherwise.
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I wouldn't recommend Year One yet just because its incomplete. Issue one was good but I can't tell the future so only when its done would I evaluate for a hypothetical such as this. And even then I'd probably add the addendum of that, despite the writer's words himself, don't incorporate it with DKR at all. Despite it techincally being in the same verse the tone is completely different, and for the better. But there's nothing outright counter to the spirit of Superman in the first issue, I can't disagree more with those who make that assertion.