What are the definitive Bronze Age Superman stories?

[Bored at 3:00AM]

For the Man Who Has Everything and Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow are pretty much the only stories that I know of that are universally pointed to by fans. Elliot S. Maggin's Miracle Monday novel also gets a lot of love.

What are the rest? What comics would you recommend for someone interested in the Bronze Age Superman?

[manwhohaseverything]

Is'nt the sandman saga from the bronze age? I love that story.

[Johnny Thunders!]

Jim Starlins Where No Superman Has Gone Before. The Phantom Zone miniseries by Steve Gerber. Superman vs Muhammad Ali. I need to look in my long boxes! To be continued! The Miraculous Return of Jonathan Kent!

[Sacred Knight]

Is'nt the sandman saga from the bronze age? I love that story.

Yeah I think Sandman Saga/Kryptonite Nevermore is considered the beginning of Bronze Age Superman. And it definitely counts as definitive.

[Vordan]

Pretty much anything by Maggin, Bates, or Moore can be considered definitive. The Jungle Line by Alan Moore is a great overlooked Superman/Swamp Thing team up issue where Swampy helps cure Supes of a disease that’s killing him.

[manwhohaseverything]

Pretty much anything by Maggin, Bates, or Moore can be considered definitive. The Jungle Line by Alan Moore is a great overlooked Superman/Swamp Thing team up issue where Swampy helps cure Supes of a disease that’s killing him.

Yeah! That one was pretty cool too. I like superman and swampthing team ups in general.

Yeah I think Sandman Saga/Kryptonite Nevermore is considered the beginning of Bronze Age Superman. And it definitely counts as definitive.

Thanks for that. I wonder why nobody does modern version of sandman saga. I mean, if Superman’s return to krypton can become for the man who has everything and godfall . A modern version of that story can be engaging.I gotta say, i have to get that look on batman's face when he realises kryptonite is useless.

[Robanker]

Yeah! That one was pretty cool too. I like superman and swampthing team ups in general.


Thanks for that. I wonder why nobody does modern version of sandman saga. I mean, if Superman’s return to krypton can become for the man who has everything. A modern version of that story can be engaging.I gotta say, i have to get that look on batman's face when he realises kryptonite is useless.

I came here to mention that story as well and I'm equally perplexed it doesn't get adapted much. It's certainly interesting and the showrunners of whichever show or creative team of the comic that tried could easily walk it back to return to status quo if needed.


I think Superman vs. Muhammad Ali counts right? That should be up there as well for how iconic it's become.

[K7P5V]

Jim Starlins Where No Superman Has Gone Before. The Phantom Zone miniseries by Steve Gerber. Superman vs Muhammad Ali. I need to look in my long boxes! To be continued! The Miraculous Return of Jonathan Kent!

In agreement with all of your choices, especially Starlin's DCP #29
https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/DC_Comics...im%20for%20now.

I'd also add...

• "Between Friend & Foe!" (DCP #26)
  
  
• "The Key That Unlocked Chaos!" (DCP #27)
  
  
• "Warworld!" (DCP #28)

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Absolutely Superman vs Muhammad Ali. Can't believe I forgot that one.

Those Starlin comics are also great.

Which issues by Maggin are considered his best outside of his novels?

[Adekis]

There are actually two adaptations of "Kryptonite Nevermore" I can think of off the top of my head - though neither is particularly high profile.

One was from Superman Adventures # 54 / 55, and adapted the story for the Superman the Animated Series tie-in comic. That one is pretty straightforward.

The other was from Superman Special vol 2 # 1, and that one is more infamous. The most surface level element of that small controversy is that the story didn't fit in with the continuity of Superman titles at the time, as it was meant to be published a few years prior.

But the other, more intriguing element is the urban legend that Superman was going to be revealed as having secretly been the Sand Superman for years, in a precursor to Marvel's "Ben Reilly was the Original Peter All Along" reveal from Spider-Man's Clone Saga! The theory also includes the supposition that Superman having been the Sandman was the cause for his gradually increasing powers, and that that detail was a potential way for Superman to return from the dead after Doomsday killed him!

Despite the fact that this was apparently never intended by the creators, I couldn't help but to think about it when at the end of "The Final Days of Superman," Kal collapsed into a pile of sand after dying. Fascinating!

Er, anyway, neither of those stories were written in the Bronze Age, just adapted from the story that kicked off its start, so I guess my post is ultimately tangential to the original prompt, but I thought it was interesting enough to bring up!

[Jon Clark]

Who Took The Super Out Of Superman in Superman #296-299 was another classic story. Our hero finds that his powers only seem to work when he is dressed as Superman. In one scene he is actually powerless because he still has Clark's shoes on over his boots. As a result he concludes this power problem stems from his need to either be Clark or Superman 24/7. So there is one issue where for a week he is fully Clark but a bolder less milktoast version of Clark. The next issue we see him as Superman but a Superman who can't catch his breath by slipping into Clark's daily routine to escape the pressure of being Superman. The actual adventures are a bit goofy, but the exploration of how Superman and Clark need each other was a novel idea at the time.

Then Superman #307-309 had a weird story where Supergirl revealed to Superman that there never was a Krypton. They were both mutants due to Jonathan Kent and Fred Danvers having been exposed to radiation decades before. Kandor was nothing but a toy city Superman had created as part of his delusion that he was an alien. This offered another interesting glimpse into Superman's personality as we see him adapt to the idea that he is part of humanity rather than "a strange visitor" trying to fit in.

[Kuwagaton]

Yeah as Adekis mentioned, they most recently did a major Sandman homage with "Denny Swan." Personally I dig Superman #233, #235 (featuring Ferlin Nyxly) and #236 but don't really like the Sandman story overall very much. #243, Starry Eyed Siren, is probably closest to both definitive and being a story I love from that set. The Killer Kent story right before Denny came in was great but a very obscure imaginary tale.

I really love Boltinoff Action Comics from the same time. Dorfman, Bates, and Swanderson. Though again, obscure aside from maybe Action Comics #400. IMO Action Comics #393-466 could be argued for the best stretch of Superman to not have a major mythos contribution. The most famous stories to come out of these I suppose would be #440 as one of Maggin's best, and the Human Target one from #419 with that well known cover. *Shrugs*

Action Comics #484 and #500 are landmark stories and I think the first one is probably owned by most fans in one format or another. The Return of Jonathan Kent, #507-508, was a great story DC felt was worth reprinting at least, in their Best of 80s. Brainiac Rebirth is probably the biggest Action story left from before Whatever happened.

Back on Superman, post Denny, #252 is a major collector's item but not for regular reasons. The Phantom Quarterback of #264 first gave us Lombard and was well known enough for Stan Lee to chime in on the homage for basically his only Superman work. #286 and #287 are definitive Maggin stories that were reprinted in the 70s collection. #292-302 would have to be the most famous Maggin (and cowritten Bates) stories, also featuring Garcia Lopez in the last few. I love that era but I think from there the most famous is getting all the way up to #400, the legendary anniversary issue. #416 has two great stories under one of the best covers of all time.

Some DCP greats have already come up but it started with quite a bang, with the Flash team up in #1-2 by Pasko and Garcia Lopez.

[Johnny Thunders!]

I went and read Superman Annual 10, the Day the Cheering Stopped, The Ghost of Superman Future/The Einstein Connection, The Made to Order Menace, and the Man Who Created Superman. I was surprised how much these stories have in common and how much they influenced Morrison's version of the character.

[Johnny Thunders!]

In agreement with all of your choices, especially Starlin's DCP #29
https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/DC_Comics...im%20for%20now.

I'd also add...

• "Between Friend & Foe!" (DCP #26)
  
  
• "The Key That Unlocked Chaos!" (DCP #27)
  
  
• "Warworld!" (DCP #28)

These blew me away when they first came out.

[marshal88]

there was also a superman three parter that crossover with the superboy issue at that time when superman and superboy entered the timestream at the same time. i never read the last 2 part , only got the first part but i found the story interesting. superboy in superman's body wasn't interested in lois , was only interested in lana who only came back to clark's life to work as co-tv anchor.