# AngryJoe's Top 10 BEST SUPERMAN Comics of All Time! Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpnR89I92hk Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/ZpnR89I92hk Generated: 2025-07-17T05:03:38.801+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview AngryJoe's top 10 Superman comics list highlights iconic stories that define the character, ranging from his death and return to explorations of his moral compass and origin. The list emphasizes how these comics showcase Superman's core values, his struggles, and his enduring relevance, with "All-Star Superman" ultimately crowned as the best for distilling his essence. **Key Points:** - "All-Star Superman" is the number one pick, praised for distilling everything about Superman's character, beliefs, and relationships with his villains and allies into a single, impactful story. - "Kingdom Come" (Number 2) and "Superman for All Seasons" (Number 3) are highlighted for their stunning artwork by Alex Ross and their exploration of Superman's character, with both also serving as inspirations for James Gunn's upcoming Superman film. - "What's So Funny About Truth, Justice, and the American Way?" (Number 4) directly challenges Superman's traditional heroism by questioning its relevance in a world with darker, more violent heroes, showcasing a rare "dark side" of Superman. - The list includes diverse narratives, from the epic "Death and Return of Superman" (Number 10), a major 90s event, to the introspective "Superman Up in the Sky" (Number 5), which explores a complex moral dilemma about saving one life versus many. - Several comics, including "Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow," "Superman Birthright," "Superman for All Seasons," "Kingdom Come," and "All-Star Superman," are explicitly mentioned as inspirations for James Gunn's new Superman film, indicating their foundational importance to the character's modern interpretation. **Context:** AngryJoe created this top 10 list of Superman comics to celebrate the release of a new Superman movie, aiming to provide viewers with a curated selection of stories that best represent and define the iconic hero. The list includes a mix of classic and modern tales, exploring various facets of Superman's character, his origins, moral dilemmas, and significant events in his comic book history. ## Detailed Analysis AngryJoe presents his top 10 Superman comics, celebrating the character's enduring legacy and diverse storytelling. The list features pivotal events like "The Death and Return of Superman," a massive 90s event where Superman battles Doomsday to the death, and "Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow," a concise "love letter" by Alan Moore that concludes the Silver/Golden Age era. The collection "Superman: A Celebration of 75 Years" is highlighted for including several key stories, notably "Superman for the Man Who Has Everything," which explores Superman's deepest desires. Alternate reality tales like "Superman Red Son" demonstrate Superman's inherent goodness regardless of his upbringing, while origin retellings such as "Superman Birthright" and "Superman for All Seasons" delve into his formative years and the values instilled by his Smallville upbringing. The list also includes stories that challenge Superman's ideals, like "What's So Funny About Truth, Justice, and the American Way?," which pits his traditional heroism against darker, more violent vigilantes. "Superman Up in the Sky" presents a moral dilemma as Superman embarks on a galactic quest to save one girl, questioning the balance between individual and greater good. Finally, "Kingdom Come" is praised for its stunning Alex Ross artwork and its grand scope, depicting an older Superman returning to a chaotic world, while "All-Star Superman" takes the top spot for its comprehensive distillation of Superman's character, villains, and beliefs as he faces his own mortality. ### Top 10 - The Death and Return of Superman: Huge 90s event where Superman fights Doomsday to the death - Features the "Reign of Superman" with different characters, leading to the return of the long-haired, black-suited Superman - A legitimate death with significant fallout, funeral, and DC allowing the world to deal with his absence, shocking a nation. ### Top 9 - Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow: A concise "love letter" that concludes the old versions of Superman (Silver, Golden, Bronze Age) - Explores what happens when all villains gang up on Superman, and how he interacts with friends like Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane, and Lana Lang - Written by Alan Moore and Curt Swan, it encapsulates the character and is a complete story that allows Superman to enter the modern age. ### Top 8 - Superman for the Man Who Has Everything (from Superman: A Celebration of 75 Years): A collection that includes several best Superman stories, offering great value - Focuses on Superman's birthday gift from Mongol, a creature that feeds him images of his deepest desires (a living Krypton) - Explores Superman's struggle to break free from this control, a surprisingly brutal and favorite story that inspired a cartoon. ### Top 7 - Superman Red Son: An Elseworld story where Superman's rocket lands in Russia, making him a Soviet champion instead of an American one - Demonstrates that Superman's core desire to save people remains constant, rising above initial propaganda to do the right thing - Features alternate designs for Batman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern, and is considered one of the best Elseworld stories, also inspiring an animated movie. ### Top 6 - Superman Birthright: An alternate retelling of Superman's origin story, serving as an inspiration for James Gunn's current Superman film - Covers his early years, including his time in Africa, and his first encounters in Metropolis with Lois and Jimmy - Lex Luthor manipulates the media, painting Superman as an alien threat and faking an invasion to pit Kryptonians against Earthlings. ### Top 5 - Superman Up in the Sky: A new adventure that explores what makes Superman super and his unwavering need to save people - Presents a moral dilemma: should Superman save one kidnapped girl off-planet, potentially sacrificing others on Earth - Involves galactic adventures, confrontations with various villains including Darkseid, and a shocking decision by Superman that deals with moral complexity intelligently. ### Top 4 - What's So Funny About Truth, Justice, and the American Way?: A personal favorite that delves into the core of Superman's character versus darker, more hard-edged superheroes - Questions the relevance of Superman's old-fashioned methods of preserving life in a world where other heroes kill villains - Features a dark side of Superman, is highly recommended in its animated form (Superman vs. The Elite), and is one of the four comics that inspired James Gunn's film. ### Top 3 - Superman for All Seasons: Adored for its beautiful watercolor artwork and its portrayal of Superman as a strong man, inspired by 1930s/40s circus strongmen - A retelling of his origin focusing on his upbringing in Smallville with Ma and Pa Kent, showing how Kansas values inform his character - Emphasizes being raised by good parents, features a unique look for Lex Luthor, and is another comic that inspired James Gunn's film tactics for Lex Luthor.