Continuity between volumes of Superman comic books

[CaptainCatholic]

Hi everyone!

So as a young kid, I got really into Superman comics for a time. My parents bought me several issues of The Adventures of Superman in the late 80s and early 90s (I think the issue numbers were something like 470 to 480). I have my own son now, and I just bought him a copy of Superman #8 (apparently from Volume 5 of Superman).

I am a total noob when it comes to comics, and I am confused - looking it up online, it looks like there have been 5 Volumes of Superman comics published. Do these 5 volumes all connect to each other, or are they separate universes with separate storylines, kind of like a "reboot" each time? In other words, when Volume 3 ended, did Volume 4 pick up right where Volume 3 left off?

I am wondering if what my son is reading now is "officially" connected to the same Superman comics I read in the 80s and 90s.

Thanks in advance, I appreciate the help!
Tony

[Kuwagaton]

Welcome Cap. Hopefully my wording does well enough in explaining the snags.

Superman volume one was the original going from the 40s to mid 80s. It starred technically one version of Superman, but by the 50s, as it tends to happen in long serials, he had changed. So much so that they began to classify the earlier stories as being a different version. Where the change started has not officially been defined.

Superman volume two was a whole new Superman for the 80s, the one you would know. The old volume became a secondary title called Adventures of Superman with this same new version, so that the old numbering (volume one) continued but the actual Superman title had a more inviting number.

As the line downsized volume two ended at 225 and Adventures once again became volume one. By this point Superman was drastically and more suddenly changed, but to keep it simple he was regarded as the same character.

From then on it's been simple. Volume three was an all new Superman. Volume four was the return of the Superman who starred in volume two. Volume five is merely a sequel to four, renumbered for marketing purposes.

The easiest thing by far is getting the recent Man of Steel mini series that serves as a primer for volume five. If you continue from there, Superman by itself is a sufficient story without also reading his other title, Action Comics.

[CaptainCatholic]

Welcome Cap. Hopefully my wording does well enough in explaining the snags.

Superman volume one was the original going from the 40s to mid 80s. It starred technically one version of Superman, but by the 50s, as it tends to happen in long serials, he had changed. So much so that they began to classify the earlier stories as being a different version. Where the change started has not officially been defined.

Superman volume two was a whole new Superman for the 80s, the one you would know. The old volume became a secondary title called Adventures of Superman with this same new version, so that the old numbering (volume one) continued but the actual Superman title had a more inviting number.

As the line downsized volume two ended at 225 and Adventures once again became volume one. By this point Superman was drastically and more suddenly changed, but to keep it simple he was regarded as the same character.

From then on it's been simple. Volume three was an all new Superman. Volume four was the return of the Superman who starred in volume two. Volume five is merely a sequel to four, renumbered for marketing purposes.

The easiest thing by far is getting the recent Man of Steel mini series that serves as a primer for volume five. If you continue from there, Superman by itself is a sufficient story without also reading his other title, Action Comics.

Hey Kuwagaton, and thank you very much for your helpful response!! No kidding, that is awesome to know. I just found this website, which is helpful, but was confusing without the context you've given me: https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Superman_Vol_2

So if I'm following you correctly, the original version of Superman from Volume 1 ended in 1986 in Issue #423. Then, Volume 2 introduced a new version of Superman in January 1987, and there were 2 different "publications" that simultaneously told the stories of this new "Volume 2 Superman" (beginning with Superman #1 and The Adventures of Superman #424, both in January 1987), is that correct?

And then, years later, Superman Volume 4 (August 2016) and Volume 5 (September 2018) continued the story from Volume 2, is that correct as well? And I'm assuming the version of Superman featured in Volume 2 is the same version of Superman featured in Volumes 4 and 5?

So basically, if I'm understanding you, the Superman comics my son is reading now (Volume 5) is a continuation of the Superman comics I read as kid (Volume 2). If so, that's pretty cool!!

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong about anything, and thanks again for all of your help!!! (Even with all of the info out there, I haven't found anything that makes as much sense as your explanation haha, really appreciate it!!)

[Kuwagaton]

Hey no problem. Yeah it's weird because it really didn't seem like "that" Superman would come back, but he did a few years ago. There have been a number of stories designed to help new or lapsed readers and I think some of the threads like the one at the top of this board do a good job of recommending them.

And you got it. Superman volume one basically ran for 713 issues or so, but numbers 424-649 were titled differently as another book ran. If you were to run through the numbered comics in order you'd be basically caught up, except some of the biggest changes typically had a dedicated mini series.

Not to open a can of worms but his other comic is currently on 1007. Action Comics has essentially run straight through. Except 584 lined up with the change to volume two's Superman, then from the end of 2011 to the beginning of 2016 it had a new number to designate the newer Superman. Those were titled 1-52 (corresponding to volume three) and the original numbering picked back up at 957.

[CaptainCatholic]

Hey no problem. Yeah it's weird because it really didn't seem like "that" Superman would come back, but he did a few years ago. There have been a number of stories designed to help new or lapsed readers and I think some of the threads like the one at the top of this board do a good job of recommending them.

And you got it. Superman volume one basically ran for 713 issues or so, but numbers 424-649 were titled differently as another book ran. If you were to run through the numbered comics in order you'd be basically caught up, except some of the biggest changes typically had a dedicated mini series.

Not to open a can of worms but his other comic is currently on 1007. Action Comics has essentially run straight through. Except 584 lined up with the change to volume two's Superman, then from the end of 2011 to the beginning of 2016 it had a new number to designate the newer Superman. Those were titled 1-52 (corresponding to volume three) and the original numbering picked back up at 957.

Thanks again! It's incredible how little information there is about this - I literally don't see anything else on the internet explaining this outside of your post, haha. Did DC just come out at the time and say, "Hey, Volume 4 is a continuation of Volume 2," or did fans like you just understand this given the context of the stories? I'm fascinated by how this is all pieced together - I guess I always assumed the Superman comics started in the 30s and just continued through today uninterrupted, I had no idea it was this complicated! Very interesting.

[Kuwagaton]

Yeah as much as I love the comics, there are some bizarre, awkward stories and ideas that are essentially roundabout. For 80 years they basically told a small crowd of random people with vaguely similar talents and preferences in fiction to pull together countless products nonstop.

Yet, reading the stories page by page it's usually really easy to digest if you're willing to roll with it. To explain exactly how this Superman came back to the titles would be harder than reading it. But in a nutshell, DC came out with a special event mini series calles Convergence, where the main story (featuring the Superman circa 2015) broke off into dozens of two part comics featuring characters from their entire history. The aged Superman from the 40s, ultra powerful early 80s Superman, and the early 00s Superman all had their own specials. For the latter, well, read on if you'd like. It doesn't hurt to know this going in since it's merely a springboard but:

spoilers:

Superman and Lois had been stuck on a world sectioned off from their world by happenings in the event. When another set of (evil) characters come from yet another universe, the ensuing action brings him into the main plot where the day is saved, but he and Lois have no world to which they can return. So they go to the world of the new Superman, and when he dies the older Superman takes over.

end of spoilers

There's a story in a trade paperback called Lois and Clark that tackles the Superman side of the story.

[Digifiend]

And then in an arc called Superman Reborn...
spoilers:

The 2011 and 1987 Supermen and Lois Lanes merge. That merged version is the one who appears in the remainder of the Rebirth volume and the current Bendis one.

end of spoilers

[CaptainCatholic]

Yeah as much as I love the comics, there are some bizarre, awkward stories and ideas that are essentially roundabout. For 80 years they basically told a small crowd of random people with vaguely similar talents and preferences in fiction to pull together countless products nonstop.

Yet, reading the stories page by page it's usually really easy to digest if you're willing to roll with it. To explain exactly how this Superman came back to the titles would be harder than reading it. But in a nutshell, DC came out with a special event mini series calles Convergence, where the main story (featuring the Superman circa 2015) broke off into dozens of two part comics featuring characters from their entire history. The aged Superman from the 40s, ultra powerful early 80s Superman, and the early 00s Superman all had their own specials. For the latter, well, read on if you'd like. It doesn't hurt to know this going in since it's merely a springboard but:

spoilers:

Superman and Lois had been stuck on a world sectioned off from their world by happenings in the event. When another set of (evil) characters come from yet another universe, the ensuing action brings him into the main plot where the day is saved, but he and Lois have no world to which they can return. So they go to the world of the new Superman, and when he dies the older Superman takes over.

end of spoilers

There's a story in a trade paperback called Lois and Clark that tackles the Superman side of the story.

Hey again Kuwagaton! Very interesting!! That is awesome to know, thank you again for all the helpful information!! My son is really liking these comics so I think we will make it a hobby. I am definitely having fun too, bringing back a lot of good memories.

I just have 2 last questions for you and then I promise I'll stop bugging you to death, hahaha (sorry haha, you have been so helpful! When you said that spoilers:

Superman from the early 00s went to the world of the new Superman and took over when the older Superman died, what comic book is that in? I know you said it is in the Convergence series, but I can't seem to find the exact issue or issues it's in.

end of spoilers

And then, when Superman fought Doomsday in 1992, what "earth" was that? (i.e. "New Earth," "Earth-Two," etc.). And does "that" Superman have a name (i.e. Earth-Two Superman, Earth-One Superman, etc.). I know that "that" Superman is the Volume 2 Superman and the same one from Volume 5, but wasn't sure what "earth" he was from.

Thank you so much again for all your help, this is helping me to make sense of everything!! At some point I'd like to go back and read more of Superman's adventures myself, but for now I don't mind learning spoilers just so I can understand which Superman I'm reading about in Volume 5 with my son, haha. Thanks again!!!

[CaptainCatholic]

And then in an arc called Superman Reborn...
spoilers:

The 2011 and 1987 Supermen and Lois Lanes merge. That merged version is the one who appears in the remainder of the Rebirth volume and the current Bendis one.

end of spoilers

Hi Digifiend! Ah man, just when I thought I was starting to understand everything, hahaha. Well thank you very much for elaborating! Just to clarify, you're basically saying that...

spoilers:

in the Superman: Reborn arc, the Superman from 1987-2011 literally merges and becomes on with the Superman from 2011-2016, is that correct? I thought I read somewhere that the Superman from 2011 to 2016 died, but obviously that either changed or I misread, haha. Although either way, it sounds like you're saying the current Bendis version of Superman today in 2019 is at least "half" 1986-2011 Superman, if that makes sense, haha.

end of spoilers

Thanks again for your help!!!! Really appreciate you guys helping out a noob like me, haha.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

It's all connected. Everything happened

[Digifiend]

Hi Digifiend! Ah man, just when I thought I was starting to understand everything, hahaha. Well thank you very much for elaborating! Just to clarify, you're basically saying that...

spoilers:

in the Superman: Reborn arc, the Superman from 1987-2011 literally merges and becomes on with the Superman from 2011-2016, is that correct? I thought I read somewhere that the Superman from 2011 to 2016 died, but obviously that either changed or I misread, haha. Although either way, it sounds like you're saying the current Bendis version of Superman today in 2019 is at least "half" 1986-2011 Superman, if that makes sense, haha.

end of spoilers

Thanks again for your help!!!! Really appreciate you guys helping out a noob like me, haha.

spoilers:

Yeah, it changed. Lois had died too, in Superwoman #1. Their spirits were fused with pre-Flashpoint Lois and Clark, thanks to Mister Mxyzptlk. It's probably best if you look at the issue summary: https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Action_Comics_Vol_1_976

end of spoilers

[CaptainCatholic]

spoilers:

Yeah, it changed. Lois had died too, in Superwoman #1. Their spirits were fused with pre-Flashpoint Lois and Clark, thanks to Mister Mxyzptlk. It's probably best if you look at the issue summary: https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Action_Comics_Vol_1_976

end of spoilers

Awesome, thank you very much Digifiend!! That website was super helpful. Definitely helped it make more sense. I now have a pretty big "wishlist" of comics I want to buy to read all these stories, haha. Thanks again!

[CaptainCatholic]

So for anyone who is wondering the same question I was wondering before everyone here helped me, here's a quick list I made of the primary "Supermen" featured in the comics from the beginning to the present. It definitely helped me to make sense of everything, haha, so hopefully it helps someone else out there!

Quick Summary (By Order of Appearance):
1) Earth-Two Superman: 1938 to the mid-1950s
2) Earth-One Superman: Mid-1950s to 1986
3) New Earth Superman: 1987 to 2011, and again from 2016 to The Present
4) Prime Earth Superman: 2011 to 2016 (and then... spoilers:

merged with New Earth Superman in 2017)

end of spoilers )


Quick Summary (By Year):
1) 1938 to the mid-1950s: Earth-Two Superman
2) Mid-1950s to 1986: Earth-One Superman
3) 1987 to 2011: New Earth Superman
4) 2011 to 2016: Prime Earth Superman
5) 2016 to The Present: New Earth Superman spoilers:

(whose spirit is merged with the spirit of Prime Earth Superman in 2017)

end of spoilers


Aliases:
1) Earth-Two Superman: Also known as "Golden Age Superman"
2) Earth-One Superman: Also known as "Pre-Crisis Superman," or "Silver Age Superman"
3) New Earth Superman: Also known as "Post-Crisis Superman," or "Pre-Flashpoint Superman," or "Pre-New 52 Superman"
4) Prime Earth Superman: Also known as "New 52 Superman," or "Post-Flashpoint Superman"




Thank you once again everyone for helping me "make sense" of all this! At first, I just wanted to understand what was going on so I could explain it to my son as we read the current Volume 5 of the series. But now that I've looked into all this, I'm pretty hooked, I'm excited to go back and read these stories! About the only thing left that I can't figure out... what comic book(s) should I read to transition from the "New Earth" Superman to the "Prime Earth" Superman back in 2011?

(i.e. in order to understand the transition from Earth-One Superman to New Earth Superman, I'm going to read Superman #423 (Volume 1) and Action Comics #583 (Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?), and then I'm going to read the 1986 series Man of Steel, and then Crisis on Infinite Earths. I'm assuming that'll explain how New Earth Superman came to be.

But what storyline tells us how Prime Earth Superman "came to be" back in 2011? I know the last appearance we see of New Earth Superman (before he comes back in 2016) was in Action Comics #904 and Superman #714 (Volume 1) both in October 2011... and then all of a sudden Prime Earth Superman appeared the next month in Superman #1 (Volume 3) in November 2011. But were there any other comic books in between Oct and Nov 2011 that explains the switch between Supermen at that time? Or was it just an arbitrary, immediate switch without much explanation?

Thanks again all, I am having a blast learning about all this!

[Ascended]

The two big transitions are actually pretty clean cuts, by comic book standards. You might want to read Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985) to see the ending for both pre-Crisis Supermen, and Whatever Happened.....? and the 86 Man of Steel mini, like you said. The MoS mini is a "clean break" from what came before and a fresh start. You don't really need to read anything else to get started on that version but COIE will "cleanse the palate" so to speak.

The New52, likewise, begins with Grant Morrison's Action #1 (2011) and Perez's Superman #1, and you dont need anything to start off with them, but the miniseries "Flashpoint" will show you how the continuity was altered to make way for the new guy.

The current version, you'll want to read a 12 issue mini called Lois & Clark (2015 or so?), which dovetails into a story (told in the regular titles) called "The Final Days of Superman" which covers the death of New52 Superman and has the post-Crisis version (from the L&C mini) take over for him. That leads directly into the Rebirth era with Tomasi's Superman title and Jurgens' Action. Those titles lead into Reborn, where the New52 and post-Crisis versions merge.

Hope that helps?

[CaptainCatholic]

The two big transitions are actually pretty clean cuts, by comic book standards. You might want to read Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985) to see the ending for both pre-Crisis Supermen, and Whatever Happened.....? and the 86 Man of Steel mini, like you said. The MoS mini is a "clean break" from what came before and a fresh start. You don't really need to read anything else to get started on that version but COIE will "cleanse the palate" so to speak.

The New52, likewise, begins with Grant Morrison's Action #1 (2011) and Perez's Superman #1, and you dont need anything to start off with them, but the miniseries "Flashpoint" will show you how the continuity was altered to make way for the new guy.

The current version, you'll want to read a 12 issue mini called Lois & Clark (2015 or so?), which dovetails into a story (told in the regular titles) called "The Final Days of Superman" which covers the death of New52 Superman and has the post-Crisis version (from the L&C mini) take over for him. That leads directly into the Rebirth era with Tomasi's Superman title and Jurgens' Action. Those titles lead into Reborn, where the New52 and post-Crisis versions merge.

Hope that helps?

Hey Ascended! That is extremely helpful, thank you so much!! I am going to pick up all the issues/series you mentioned, sounds like some great reading. The Superman that is featured in the Flashpoint miniseries (the one who is imprisoned as a child for Project: Superman) - is that the New 52 Superman I'm assuming?

Thanks again, very helpful!