What's your favorite (or least favorite) origin story?

[Alkaeus]

Having recently read Birthright for the first time and having finished Morrison's run on Action Comics, I was thinking about how many origin/"Year One" style stories there are for the Man of Tomorrow. I wondered what people's thoughts were on those different origins. I haven't read all of them (Man of Steel, Secret Origin, etc.) but of the ones I have:

- It's been a while since I've read All-Star, but famous condensation of the origin is rightly famous. Not much more to add.
- Birthright, imo, is probably my favorite of the ones I've read. It's comprehensive, has a good character arc for Clark, and has some interesting ideas of its own (vegetarian Superman, Martha as a UFO enthusiast).
- Morrison's Action Comics isn't completely an origin, but reworking Golden Age sensibilities in a modern context is definitely an interesting idea; if nothing else the T shirt and jeans look is pretty great.
- American Alien, if you can stomach talking about it given its author, is definitely an alternative take and has some sharp deviations from more traditional versions, like the proto-Superman suit being inspired by Batman. I think it works as its own thing but I don't know how good it would be if Landis got to do his whole "Kryptonian epic" thing.

[The Frog Bros]

Morrison All-Star. The single page origin is the epitome of simple yet effective storytelling at its very best. Concise and tells you everything you need to know in a mere few panels on a single page. Sets up the ensuing story perfectly.

After that, I'd go Birthright.

Not sure about an actual least favorite, but Miller's Year One was not great. Seemed bizarre just for the sake of being bizarre.

[bat39]

1. Birthright is one of the all-time best origins, and started the trend in the comics of incorporating Pre-Crisis elements into the Post-Crisis Superman mythos, something which continues to this day. Its lasting contribution to the Superman mythos was making the S symbol a Kryptonian symbol for ''Hope'', taking things one step further than the family crest explanation from the Donner movie.

2. Morrison's New 52 run was more about the transition from the social crusader Golden Age Superman to the sci-fi oriented Silver Age Superman (a story which Superman Smashes the Klan has arguably handled as well if not better), but I'd argue it still works as a pretty good origin story.

3. Miller's Year One is...an interesting alternate take on the character. Clark's 'Superboy' adventures in the military and in Atlantis gave a more epic scope to his pre-Metropolis years. I did like Miller's take on the otherwise silly ''super-memory'' concept from the Silver Age. His interactions with Batman and Wonder Woman were almost a playful parody of his other work! Its not the best origin but perhaps one of the most interesting ones, shall we say.

4. American Alien is another interesting alternate take, and possibly one of my personal favorites. One of my favorite parts of this one is how it highlights the idea of Clark not as some messiah or alien God or paragon, but just as a guy who wants to help. An everyman who happens to have alien heritage. Sadly, given the situation with Landis, we're unlikely to ever see a follow-up, and frankly, some of the stuff I've read about his sequel ideas doesn't make me too enthusiastic.

Honorary mention: John Byrne's Man of Steel. There's nothing particularly groundbreaking or exciting about it in hindsight, but it did basically invent the modern Superman that ALL subsequent versions across media have borrowed from, so I think it deserves kudos for that.

[Batman Begins 2005]

All-Star Superman closely followed by Grant Morrison's Action Comics.

[Jon Clark]

The one page All-Star Superman one has to be my least favorite as it is so bare bones. Even Action Comics #1 in 1938 had more depth to it.

My favorite has to be Action Comics #500, but the basic origin that was done in 1948 then updated twice in the Silver and Bronze Ages is a close second.

[Vordan]

Birthright or Morrison Action are my favorites. Both feel like great answers to the question of “what would Superman look like if he debuted today?” and of the two I think Morrison Action is my favorite.

Least favorite is Frank Miller’s Year One, lousy story with meh art from Romita Jr. Hope that’s the last one we get for a long time.

[Riv86672]

Favorite: Man of Steel (Byrne)
Least favorite: Man of Steel (Nolan)