New Krypton or the Tomasi era.
Oh man... I really loved the 2006-2008 period with Busiek on Super and Johns on Action. Then it all went to hell with New Krypton. Also really liked the Loeb early 2000s era and the first few years of Byrne leading into Roger Stern.
Of course, if I could go to ANY era, I get the most pure joy from reading the stories by Siegel and Shuster from 1938-1943 or so, so I'd pick those.
Well, Dark Crisis apparently might involve the restoration of the Pre-COIE Multiverse so, who knows?
You know, we almost got that. Byrne claims that his original plan was to keep most Pre-COIE continuity intact while just doing some cosmetic updates on the origin story and early years...but DC insisted on the scorched earth approach to continuity.
None. We must move forward, not backward; upward, not forward; and always twirling, twirling, twirling towards the next Crisis.
“Look, you can’t put the Superman #77s with the #200s. They haven’t even discovered Red Kryptonite yet. And you can’t put the #98s with the #300s, Lori Lemaris hasn’t even been introduced.” — Sam
“Where the hell are you from? Krypton?” — Edgar Frog
Post-Crisis triangle era.
Although I'm stuck in a rut in my read through right after the "Death of Clark Kent" storyline.
I dropped the book when the electric red and blue came along and tried very half-heartedly to come back during "Our Worlds at War".
"Has Sariel summoned you here, Azrael? Have you come to witness the miracle of your brethren arriving on Earth?"
"I WILL MIX THE ASHES OF YOUR BONES WITH SALT AND USE THEM TO ENSURE THE EARTH THE TEMPLARS TILLED NEVER BEARS FRUIT AGAIN!"
"*sigh* I hoped it was for the miracle."
Dan Watters' Azrael was incredible, a constant delight and perhaps too good for this world (but not the Forth). For the love of St. Dumas, DC, give us more!!!
I think what gives me a greater affection for the earlier comics is that I felt like the guys creating those comics were my friends and family. Obviously this was delusional and I knew very little about them in reality. But what I did know about them from the comics and from books like ALL IN COLOR FOR A DIME and THE STERANKO HISTORY OF COMICS made me feel connected to them.
I just don't have the same feeling for most modern creators and publishers. And often, before you even get a chance to read their work, they have presented themselves on social media and spoiled any delusions you might have had about them.
1938-1966. Peak Superman. That is 28 years of continuous Superman content being made.
And I only started buying Superman comics at the very end of 1966. So I just missed the very best time to be a Superman reader. Even then, I think I instinctively knew this. And ever since I've been trying to find a time travel machine to take me back to this era that I can never revisit, except through back issues and reprints.
Thirded. While the current run on ACTION is fine, it frankly sucks that its the only book featuring the real Superman. I would be ok with Jon having his own book as long as he didn't end up taking Clark's other book. Clark Kent /Kal-El should be the star of Action and Superman, full stop. The push to make Jon the main Superman really grinds my gears.
When it comes to comics,one person's "fan-service" is another persons personal cannon. So by definition it's ALL fan service. Aren't we ALL fans?
SUPERMAN is the greatest fictional character ever created.