I used to LOVE Brian Cronin’s comic book lists at CBR. Every few months we had a new list of rankings voted on by the fans about artists, writers, storylines, runs, etc. It was great fun, and I remember voting in many of them.
For Superman’s 75th anniversary in 2013, a list of the greatest Superman stories of all time was compiled, voted on by hundreds of Superman fans. It was a fun list with many great stories from over the years represented. Like all great lists, it warms your heart to see some of your favorites shared by other fans, and also gives you some recommendations for stuff you haven’t read.
And leaves you scratching your head for several, as well… but that’s expected and part of the fun!
I encourage you to check out the entire list, but for our purposes here, the top three Superman stories were:
1. Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow
2. For the Man Who Has Everything
3. All-Star Superman
#2 is for sure in my top ten as well, as I love that story and have read it many times.
The other two are well-written, yet bonkers love letters to Silver Age Superman which fans just can’t get enough of. I respect both as additions to the mythos, and can’t fault anyone who enjoys them. As I’ve said before however, Silver Age zaniness is not my cup of tea.
As far as status quos for Superman go, long time readers have by now probably gotten tired of hearing me talk about how much I love the Byrne/Triangle Era. Superman’s powers were manageable enough to still be interesting, with just a bit more speed, strength, vision, etc than the Fleischer cartoons. The supporting cast was very prominent, and much of the stories focused on Clark Kent, his parents, and Clark & Lois.
I can read a story with this setup between now and the day I die and will be happy.
Too “Marvel,” you say? Yes, there was much cross-pollination between the companies in those years, and it’s no secret that DC was trying to emulate a lot of Marvel’s strengths, post-Crisis.
And it worked! Some of the greatest DC comics ever came out of that era- Grell’s Green Arrow, Perez’s Wonder Woman, Legends of the Dark Knight and the monthly Bat-books curated by Denny O’Neil, Ostrander’s Suicide Squad, and much more. All of the aforementioned books had respectful nods to DC’s past, but were very human, grounded, and still a lot of fun.
Good Superman stories don’t necessarily need the character to be de-powered to Byrne’s level (Kurt Busiek’s run springs to mind), by they need to have those three qualities- human, grounded, and fun.
James Gunn’s movies do have all these qualities as well, to be sure. The films of his that I have seen are heavy on the human and fun, and I would say are his greatest strengths.
Let’s be honest though, grounded? That’s definitely his weakest point of the three.
While I’m thrilled with much of his casting and his choices for source material so far, I am still a bit uneasy about how grounded this movie is going to be. Are we going to get something close to the Fleischer cartoons, Chris Reeve and Dan Jurgens? Or are we going to go full blown All-Star Superman adapted in live action?
Gunn did list For All Seasons as an inspiration he was drawing from for his Superman, and he has talked extensively about seeing Superman ‘78 with his father and feeling bonded to him throughout his life because of it. All this fills me with hope, but is Gunn going to channel an entire film this direction?
Not that he has to, mind you. The Silver Age is perhaps the most beloved period for Superman comics overall to this day. And I am definitely not a fan who feels that every Superman adaptation for all time needs to be Richard Donner. There are many valid takes to the character, and everyone has their favorites they’d like to use.
I’m just hoping the Gunn is not so far in the Grant Morrison direction that we’re basically getting Star-Lord with glasses and a press pass… fighting imps from five different dimensions. With super pets. While changing shapes.
My gut tells me that he won’t, as this film is not just a Superman adaptation but also a launching point for an entire universe, which obviously cannot be all zany. Given his love of a variety of different stories, “Doesn’t James have enough sense to go a different direction than The Suicide Squad,” I ask myself. His stated intention to include the Authority gives me hope that he does (even if I would have preferred them to be in a later film).
Gunn recently posted a shot of himself with cast and crew announcing that they had finished filming. Everyone was all smiles. Will we be, as fans?
Nothing will stop me from going to this film on opening day, and I am ecstatic that we’re getting a solo Superman film again, despite how everything transpired with Henry Cavill. I want to love this film like you wouldn’t believe! I hope I look back on 2024 and my unfounded fears one day and laugh.
I mean hey, it worked out with Michael Keaton, right? Here’s hoping things work out with Gunn as well.
I think I’m going to stay cautiously optimistic for a little while though. That said, I can’t wait for July 11, 2025!
Niko's Superman Page 