Superman Recommendations

[Jim Kelly]

A good book to get for early Superman is SUPERMAN: THE DAILIES 1939 - 1942. It was priced low, but it might be out of print now. It has a lot more pages than your average Archive. The art is in black and white, but I think the dailies were some of the best work from Superman's early years. Joe Shuster and the top artists in the Shuster studio, like Wayne Boring--plus Jack Burnley--did all the art; while Jerry Siegel wrote all the stories. The daily continuity allows Siegel to tell much longer stories, with development of supporting characters. Given this was for the newspaper syndicate, whch had a higher readership than the comic books, Siegel and Shuster were putting their best work into these. There's also SUPERMAN: SUNDAY CLASSICS 1939 - 1943--less pages, but in color; however, the dailies have better stories than the Sundays, in my opinion.

[Kuwagaton]

"Superman: Past and Future" is a solid blend of Golden and Silver Age stories, roughly based around the time travel theme. The last few stories were my first introduction to the awesome Elliot S! Maggin.

"Superman and the Legion of Super Heroes" is easily the best thing I've read from Geoff Johns, basically a love letter to the Legion through the filter of what's essentially the Reeve Superman. If you liked the Legion cameo from the Morrison run, here you go.

You pretty much get exactly what Jim Kelly mentioned with the newspaper collections. Stories adapted from the comics, but larger, more numerous panels so it makes for a better reading experience. You can find them for good prices online, this one is my favorite:
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?p...eview&id=17434

Superman #416. Yes, a single issue from the '80s. Just buy it!

"Time and Time Again" is a fun caper and my favorite story from the Post Crisis era. Cheap trade out there.

I also vouch for Alan Moore, more Grant Morrison, and Joe Casey.

[Radubadu]

So being a new reader I just want to make sure, am I correct in assuming that an archive is essentially a newer reprint of an old book?

[manduck37]

So being a new reader I just want to make sure, am I correct in assuming that an archive is essentially a newer reprint of an old book?

Yes it is. The Archives, or in paperback Chronicles, are reprints of the older Superman stories. They start at the very beginning and work forward. Worth checking out if you want to see Superman in his original characterization. I find the stories fun.