NOT the most expensive or rare....But the GREATEST THREE Superman Comics!

[Mantis Girl 94]

If you had to rank the top 3 Greatest Superman comics of all time (not series, but Single Issue),

What are your top 3 Kal Comics of all time?

[Jim Kelly]

That's a tough challenge. I'd go with

SUPERMAN No. 17 (July-August '42)--has a great cover by Fred Ray and features both "Man or Superman" and "When Titans Clash." If I had the money to spend, that would be one I'd like to have in my collection.

SUPERMAN No. 164 (October '63)--features "The Showdown Between Luthor and Superman." The perfect Superman story. The back-up story is so-so, but the whole comic is still worth having and the pride of my collection.

SUPERMAN No. 284 (February '75)--probably the best value for 60 cents I ever got. The all-new lead story--"The Secret Guardian of Smallville"--was fun and the selection of reprints was great: "The Interplanetary Olympics"; "King of the Comic Books"; "A Modern Alice in Wonderland"; "Superman Owes a Billion Dollars"; "The Death of Clark Kent."

[dancj]

If you had to rank the top 3 Greatest Superman comics of all time (not series, but Single Issue),

What are your top 3 Kal Comics of all time?

Do they have to be single issue stories? Because I'd rate parts one and two of Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow as the two best.

[Johnny Thunders!]

1. The Man who Destroyed the Earth, Superman evacuates Earth between winding up and delivering a punch.
2. Superman 301, 300 is good too! Vs. Grundy by Garcia Lopez
3. Last Days of Superman, All Star Superman before All Star

[Jim Kelly]

Do they have to be single issue stories? Because I'd rate parts one and two of Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow as the two best.

I wouldn't peg ACTION COMICS 583 as the greatest comic. It's far and away the saddest comic I ever bought. But to be great, I think a comic would have to fill me with a sense of wonder and awe and absolute appreciation for the chance to own such a superb comic book. Maybe some people felt that way about ACTION 583, but I just felt mournful and lonely.

[Terok Nor]

Superman 400 is my favorite DC Comic ever, and probably the best single issue of Superman (Though ASS 10, Prisoner of the Red Sun, and The Superman/Luthor Showdown are up there). It deals with the effects of the Superman myth on human civilization in a number of possible futures. Superman becomes:

~ A historical subject for happy schoolchildren
~ A tall-tale for the earliest space prospectors
~ An archaeological mystery for inter-dimensional travelers and conspiracy theorists
~ A rallying point for rebellion against a dystopian regime

All leading up to the final two tales which cast him as a religious figure in the deep future.

http://theages.ac/400/cover.html

read it for free at this link

[Mantis Girl 94]

Do they have to be single issue stories? Because I'd rate parts one and two of Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow as the two best.

I would count a two part story as one. (but nothing longer than that).
What are your other two?

I love everyone's choices so far...(it is helping me to decide what older Kal books to buy)

[MykeHavoc]

This would take me a long time to research to give a definite answer. But the first one to come to mind is Action Comics #0 from Morrison's run.

[manofsteel1979]

Superman #400

"For The Man who has everything"

ACTION #500

Runners up ACTION #800 and ACTION #0

[dancj]

I would count a two part story as one. (but nothing longer than that).
What are your other two?

In that case

1 - Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow
2 - For the Man Who Has Everything
3 - The Miraculous Return of Jonathan Kent (IIRC that was a two-parter)

[exile001]

Hmmm. Single issue, eh? I honestly have no idea.

Certainly "For the Man Who Has Everything". Can't think of another single issue favourite.

[daBronzeBomma]

As I haven't read ALL the Superman comic book stories (not even 5% of the thousands upon thousands of comics starring Kal-El over the last 76 years out there), I'll offer up the 3 comics that I did read as they were released that I thought were really important (please note: did not start reading comics until post-CoIE)

ACTION COMICS #643 (volume 1, ca 1989) : where Superman returned to Earth after months of space exile (due to him killing a genocidal Zod)


SUPERMAN # 50 (volume 2, ca. 1990) : where Lois chooses to accept Clark's marriage proposal (without yet knowing his secret), for realsies


ACTION COMICS # 662 (volume 1, ca. 1991) : where Clark finally reveals his identity as Superman to Lois, for realsies (biggest Clois moment EVER)

[blackbolt396]

1) "For the Man Who Has Everything" Superman Annual #11 (1985)

2) Superman #423 - "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?"

3) Action Comics #583 - "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?"

#1 is The Superman story.