Looking for comics that focus on Superman’s mother

[Dipter]

In most Superman media (or at least the stuff that I’ve consumed) Clark seems to lack curiosity about his biological mom. Are there any storylines that involve him digging deeper into his mother’s history? Or anything that provides insight into Lara Lor-Van’s personality and accomplishments on Krypton. I’m very interested in learning more.

[Vordan]

Yeah Lara and Martha typically get zero focus with dads being the ones who are important to Clark. Martha sometimes gets a little focus since Birthright since Waid was the first one to really try to give her stuff to do. Despite the hate for the period, it’s really only with the New 52 that Lara started to get any focus or attention whatsoever. Stuff for Lara from that era that I liked:

Secret Origins #1 - Focuses on Lara and Martha and their hopes for Clark
Birthright - Martha is the one who encourages Clark to connect with his heritage and it was the first story where I started to get a feel for her personality beyond “nice old lady”
Superman #0 (New 52) - Mainly focuses on Jor-El but Lara gets a few cool moments. It’s written by Lobdell but drawn by Rocafort, so you get great art at least
“The World of Krypton” - Back up with Parts 1-3 and Part 5 running through Action Comics #20-23 with Part 4 in Superman Annual #2. It’s a story about a young Jor-El and a young Lara, how they stopped a coup and fell in love. Lara is a space cadet in the military here and I really like that idea.

That’s kind of it? Martha usually just plays sidekick to wise old Jonathan and Lara just dies alongside Jor without doing much typically.

[Restingvoice]

Yeah Lara and Martha typically get zero focus with dads being the ones who are important to Clark. Martha sometimes gets a little focus since Birthright since Waid was the first one to really try to give her stuff to do. Despite the hate for the period, it’s really only with the New 52 that Lara started to get any focus or attention whatsoever. Stuff for Lara from that era that I liked:

Secret Origins #1 - Focuses on Lara and Martha and their hopes for Clark
Birthright - Martha is the one who encourages Clark to connect with his heritage and it was the first story where I started to get a feel for her personality beyond “nice old lady”
Superman #0 (New 52) - Mainly focuses on Jor-El but Lara gets a few cool moments. It’s written by Lobdell but drawn by Rocafort, so you get great art at least
“The World of Krypton” - Back up with Parts 1-3 and Part 5 running through Action Comics #20-23 with Part 4 in Superman Annual #2. It’s a story about a young Jor-El and a young Lara, how they stopped a coup and fell in love. Lara is a space cadet in the military here and I really like that idea.

That’s kind of it? Martha usually just plays sidekick to wise old Jonathan and Lara just dies alongside Jor without doing much typically.

What about the New 52 Doomsday villain issue? It was set during Doomsday rampage on Krypton when Zod and Lara were in the military, but I haven't picked it up so I don't know how much focus she gets.

[Vordan]

What about the New 52 Doomsday villain issue? It was set during Doomsday rampage on Krypton when Zod and Lara were in the military, but I haven't picked it up so I don't know how much focus she gets.

Don’t remember it, I may not have read it or it’s just been so long.

[seismic-2]

In Superman #141 - 143 (Nov 1960 - Jan 1961), Superman travels back in time to Krypton before he was born, and he meets and befriends Jor-El and Lara (but without letting him know that they would become his parents and that their world was doomed). He also gets engaged, a scenario which of course would be revived by Alan Moore in For the Man Who Has Everything.

[Jim Kelly]

SUPERMAN 233 (January 1971)--on sale November 5, 1970--has the first World of Krypton back-up feature, "Jor-El's Golden Folly" by E. Nelson Bridwell and Murphy Anderson.

In the year 9994, young Jor-El comes to work at the space centre for Ken-Dal and Dru-Zod. There he meets an astronaut named Lara Lor-Van. Because gold is one of the cheapest metals on Krypton, Jor-El constructs an experimental rocket ship with the substance. Everyone calls it "Jor-El's Golden Folly" because they doubt it will work.

However, Lara Lor-Van has faith in Jor-El and stows away on board the "Golden Folly"--even though it's supposed to be unmanned. Everything goes well before Lara loses control of the ship and crashes on the moon of Wegthor. Jor-El must then use another rocket ship to get to Lara Lor-Van and bring her back safely to Krypton.

[Stanlos]

Good luck with that! DC (at least under DiDio and Johns) are not about that and you have only to look at their idiotic choices with Wonder Woman (the only property in comics really celebrating mothers and feminine power) to see this.

[magha_regulus]

SUPERMAN 233 (January 1971)--on sale November 5, 1970--has the first World of Krypton back-up feature, "Jor-El's Golden Folly" by E. Nelson Bridwell and Murphy Anderson.

In the year 9994, young Jor-El comes to work at the space centre for Ken-Dal and Dru-Zod. There he meets an astronaut named Lara Lor-Van. Because gold is one of the cheapest metals on Krypton, Jor-El constructs an experimental rocket ship with the substance. Everyone calls it "Jor-El's Golden Folly" because they doubt it will work.

However, Lara Lor-Van has faith in Jor-El and stows away on board the "Golden Folly"--even though it's supposed to be unmanned. Everything goes well before Lara loses control of the ship and crashes on the moon of Wegthor. Jor-El must then use another rocket ship to get to Lara Lor-Van and bring her back safely to Krypton.

Lara being an adventurer and an astronaut always felt perfect to me. I love the idea that Superman gets his sense of adventure from Lara, his intellect from Jor-El, his dislike of bullies from Jonathan and his curiosity from Martha.

There definitely needs to be more stories about Lara and Martha. I can see Lara being pretty close to a sci-fi pulp hero in her own right on Krypton.

[magha_regulus]

Good luck with that! DC (at least under DiDio and Johns) are not about that and you have only to look at their idiotic choices with Wonder Woman (the only property in comics really celebrating mothers and feminine power) to see this.

That's so true. The way Wonder Woman's origin was changed in the New 52 era was ridiculous.

[Gaius]

Been a while since I read it but the novel Last Days of Krypton had some stuff for Lara even though most of the story from what I recall was Jor-El and Zod centric.

[Multiverse]

Apparantly, Silver Age comic "Superman (vol. 1) #257, October 1972" showed that the Guardians of the Universe saw Lara as a excellent choice for the Green Lantern Corps.