Since his first comic appearance,Supermanhas been one of the most iconic heroes in fiction. Known for his wholesome nature, immense levels of power and genre-defining origins, the Man of Steel has been written into some of the best stories in comics history. While many of his best tales come from his first half-century in the 1900s, there’s no shortage of instant-classic Superman comics from the modern and post-Rebirth era.
Superman’s recent history has been contentious, and always controversial, but many stories, events, and series have become almost universally loved. While not every one may rank among the greatestSupermancomics of all time, they still stand out as some of the best-written tales in print. For those looking to see the best of Kal-El in the modern world, we’ve asssembled a list ofthe best modernSupermancomics fans should be reading right now.
10The Death of Superman: The Wake
Louise Simonson, Cat Staggs, Joel Ojeda, Jose Marzan Jr, Laura Braga, Jesus Merino, Andy Owens and Jon Bogdanove
“The Death of Superman"followed the arrival of the Kryptonian monster Doomsday to Earth, where he fought the Man of Steel to the death on the streets of Metropolis. In recent years, DC has returned to the fan-favorite event a number of times, including Louise Simonson’s “The Wake,” a digital-first story that focuses on the heroes' response to the death of their friend.
“The Wake” highlights the feelings of Superman’s closest loved ones and the emotional void that his death left on the DC universe. The story also sheds light on the original event from new perspectives, focusing on the likes of Jimmy Olsen and Perry White. Bringing readers a more comprehensive look at one of DC’s greatest events and its aftermath, Louise Simonson’s return to the story made for a great story.
9House of Brainiac
Joshua Williamson, Rafa Sandoval, Laura Braga, Edwin Galmon and Fico Ossio
As thefirst major Superman eventin the Dawn of DC era, “House of Brainiac” pits Kal-El against an onslaught of threats, from Brainiac to an army of Czarnians. With Luthor making his move against the Man of Steel at the same time, the hero is forced into an uneasy partnership with Lobo, one that naturally culminates in a showdown.
“House of Brainiac” marks the climax of Williamson’s tenure on the mainSupermanbook, and succeeds in combining two of the hero’s greatest rivals into a blockbuster story. The event highlights the more cosmic side of the Man of Steel, while also delving into Brainiac’s own lore to great effect.
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8Superman ‘78
Robert Venditti and Wilfredo Torres
In line with DC’s return to movie continuities, Batman and Superman received miniseries based on their 1989 Tim Burton and 1978 Richard Donner movies, respectively. The latter was told through Superman ‘78, which continues the life of Christopher Reeve’s Man of Steel, this time facing off against Metallo and Brainiac.
In one of the rare cases of a competing Superman comic surpassing the quality of a Caped Crusader series, Robert Venditti turned in a brilliant sequel to the original movie. Along with the follow-up miniseries,The Metal Curtain, the title is pure fan service for people who love Reeve and Donner’s vision for Superman.
7Superman Smashes The Klan
Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru
Superman Smashes the Klan focuses on an Asian-American family, the Lees, who decide to move out of Chinatown and into Metropolis. However, like many minorities in the 1940s, they attract the unwanted attention of racists – namely the Ku Klux Klan. Proving himself the true champion of the oppressed, the Man of Steel steps in to protect the family, taking on the KKK as he stands up for the true American Way.
Superman Smashes the Klan honors the hero’s Golden Age roots, while showing what he means to ordinary people, and that no problem is too small for him. For a hero who typically spars with cosmic tyrants and alien monsters, seeing him face prejudice at the ground level made the hero more relevant and relatable – and it led to a modern classic.
6Metallo
Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Rafa Sandoval and Max Raynor
Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s tenure onAction Comicswas replete with brilliant story lines, including his handling of Metallo. The series follows the despondent villain when, after being upgraded by Lex Luthor, he has to grapple with his own sanity, as his new body grows beyond his control. With the Super-family stepping in to take on an army of Metallo drones, Superman steps up to try and talk the villain down before it’s too late.
“Metallo” returned some much-needed depth to one of Superman’s most tragic and formidable foes, while also exploring the perils of uncontrolled technology. The story, despite being a classic Man of Steel sci-fi tale, takes on elements of horror as the city is overwhelmed by zombie-like “necrodrones.”
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5Superman: Dawn of DC
Joshua Williamson, Jamal Campbell, Gleb Melnikov, Dan Jurgens and Bruno Redondo
In 2023, the mainSupermanseries was relaunched under writer Joshua Williamson, exploring the Dawn of DC era for Clark Kent and his family. Beginning with Luthor erasing the world’s memory of the Kryptonian’s true identity, the series casts the hero and villain as reluctant partners, even exploring a time in the villain’s life when he was a hero.
Williamson’s Superman run has been praised as much for its handling and exploration of Lex Luthor as Clark Kent, though the latter carries the series. With one fan-favorite story following the Man of Steel on ajourney back to the Old West, the series was a ringing success in its purpose of bringing readers a fresh start for Dawn of DC.
4Superman Up In the Sky
Tom King, Sandra Hope and Andy Kubert
Tom King’s work on DC has been defined by his focus on character deconstruction and examination of war and PTSD, earning him a reputation for fairly dark stories. However, his work onSuperman: Up In the Skymade for a surprisingly good pairing of character and creator. The digital-first miniseries follows the Man of Steel in a series of adventures that bring out the best in the character, from a Sgt Rock team-up to an alien boxing match.
Superman: Up In the Skyisn’t just a solid Superman series, it’s actually a brilliant entry point for the character, with each issue highlighting a different side of the superhero. Serving as a tour of DC history and a character showcase all in one, the miniseries is one of King’s best works, bringing his strength in short stories.
3Superman Lost
Christopher Priest, Carlo Pagulayan and Jason Paz
Christopher Priest has earned a reputation as one of comics’ foremost deconstruction-themed writers, turning in complex character studies for characters like Deathstroke and Black Adam. In Superman Lost, the writer turned in a story that sees the Man of Steel return home from an adventure that, after going awry, resulted in him being lost for twenty years – though, on Earth, it was considerably shorter.
Suprman Lost explores the darker side of being a cosmic superhero, following the hero as he navigates the far reaches of space on his quest home. The limited series serves as a character study, space-based adventure and examination of psychology all in one, standing as one of the best-written stories of the 2020s – and one of Priest’s best comics.
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2Batman/Superman: World’s Finest
Mark Waid and Dan Mora
The creative team of Mark Waid and Dan Mora has quickly become a modern fan-favorite, thanks to their revival of theWorld’s Finesttitle. Following Batman and Superman earlier on in their career, the series explores their fights with villains like the Devil Nezha, Doom-Mite and Magog. Blending a Silver Age story style with unabashed fan service, the series quickly delivered a slew of fan-favorite moments, such as the merger of the two heroes to form SuperBat.
World’s Finestis a great series for new readers of either Batman or Superman, while also continuing to deliver for older fans of both heroes. The highlight of the series is the return to the world ofKingdom Come, exploring the origins of Magog as the Boy Thunder, as the duo fight to stave off the apocalypse.
1The Warworld Saga
Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Daniel Sampere, Mikel Janin, Ricardo Federici and Rafa Sandoval
The crowning jewel in the post-Rebirth Superman era, Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s “Warworld Saga” stands out as the hero’s most epic adventure arguably in decades. The story follows the Man of Steel and the Authority heading to Warworld to confront Mongul II, a villain whose cruel practise of slavery is rivaled only by his violent aspirations of imperialism. However, weakened by the planet’s red sun, as well as from a recent cosmic event, Kal-El is forced to fight in the planet’s gladiator games – but secretly orchestrates a rebellion.
“The Warworld Saga” is everything a Superman epic should be, drawing on elements of high fantasy, pulp adventure and the hero’s hopeful nature to inspire those around him. The event isn’t just the best Man of Steel tale in years, it’s firmly among the greatest DC stories of all time. For readers under the misapprehension that the world of Superman is made dull by the hero’s Boy Scout persona, this story is required reading.
