Rare Superman recommendations?

I've read almost every Superman story post-Infinite Crisis, most of the earlier classics like Birthright, Red Son or Man of Steel, and most of the Byrne era
What are some very good Superman stories that rarely get mentioned?
Might be Silver Age or elseworlds or intercompany crossovers or whatever

Superman Inc. is really good.

Ending Battle is underrated.

gonna check it out, thx

I've been meaning to track it down
anything else from that pre-IC era?
it seems like there were some interesting series, but it all looks very interconnected

>Elseworlds
Superman's Metropolis, I cannot recommend this enough.
Also read the other two that go with it.

Then just check out the rest of the Elseworlds, about half of them are about Superman.

I'll be honest. I think Red Son is overrated by most crowds. It's not exactly bad, but I'd hardly call it good, especially as a Superman book. The initial concept as executed by the first few pages were about all it took to really get what you could out of the whole thing. Everything else was just kind of there for the sake of finishing a mediocre story. I swear, the "Supes is boring/overpowered" and "What if Supes was bad" crowds have ruined a lot of the good things about him and his writers over the years.

Russian Bats was fucking dumb. Why was he even in the goddamn book?

Everything by Elliot S. Maggin

Superman's Tragic Marriage, Superman #215 (1969)
The Most Dangerous Door in the World, Superman #213 (1969)
The Last Days of Superman, Superman #156 (1962)
Superman's First Exploit, Superman Annual #1 (1960)
The Secret Life of Clark Kent, Action Comics #324 (1965)
The Son of Bizarro, Superman #140 (1960)
Mr Mxyzplk Mayor of Metropolis, Superman #96 (1955) The Girl who Didn't Believe in Superman Superman Vol 1 #96
The Exile At the Edge of Eternity, Superman #400 (1984)
Who Took The Super Out Of Superman, Superman #296 (1976)
Superman Breaks Loose, Superman #233 (1971)

The Jungle Line, DC Comics Presents #85 (1985) Elliot S. Maggin novels Superman: Miracle Monday and Superman: Last Son of Krypton
Action Comics #800 (2003)
Superman #600
Man of Steel #129
Adventures of Superman #613-624 by Casey
Adventures of Superman Vol 2 #16 by Keatinge

The Phantom Zone by Gerber is another good one.

I agree. Especially the horrible "EVERY WOMAN LOVES SUPES" shipping shit.

But then again, I think Mark Millar is mostly shit. Look at the parallels between Wanted/Old Man Logan (supervillans team up and take over the world). OML was probably the better of the two.

Superman v1 300 (Superman Under the Red Sun, the basis for that one Justice League Unlimited episode)

Superman prominently features in Jack Kirby's Fourth World. It's all been digitalized by now except for the Jimmy Olsen issues, which are actually pretty good so it's kind of sad they haven't done it yet (good thing I own the omnis)

Superman/Batman is pretty good through-out. It usually doesn't tie into any events so you can read each arc separately if you like, but starting from the beginning isn't so bad. The first 20+ or so issues were written by Loeb, but it's surprisingly very consistent and doesn't crap on established lore at all, they even bring Supergirl back (the one that got her own series in 2004, it's Vol 5 I believe, Kara Zor-El)

That one Hitman issue where they meet.

Elseworlds Superman - Kal, Superman's rocket came to earth in the middle ages.

Millar has some really good shit though, his Superman Adventures run is amazingly comfy and some of the original stuff he's written (original like in not affiliated with DC or Marvel) is really solid. Superior is fucking great, if that was a Captain Marvel story it'd be one of the best of all time and Starlight - The Return of Duke McQueen is such a fucking great story, there is nothing in the genre (pulp heroes) that comes close.
Millar gets shat upon for his bad stuff all the time, but people completely ignore the good stuff he's written.

Kesel's Batman/Superman is good too
also Emperor Joker


Jupiter's Legacy/Circle/Hitch/Superior/MPH/Starlight/Empress are all fucking excellent books

Read Superman Exile

It's a great TPB collecting the issues after Superman killed three evil Kryptonians (including Zod). After breaking his no killing rule he feels guilty and leaves Earth on a self imposed exile. He then has some rad space adventures and !spoilers! cool stuff happens when he comes back to Earth. A great read.

Some of the Elseworlds are really interesting. Besides Superman, Inc., I would also second () checking out Metropolis (it's hard to find because of the name) - it's a one issue elseworld. It's not on CMX, but if you dig around you can find a decent scan of it. If you make a post about it later today (assuming this thread dies), I can find it in my external and up it for you to Zippy.

Elseworlds Finest (not the Supergirl/Batgirl book, but the two parter that features Bruce and Clark). These were just digitized, have really distinct, turn of the century art that differentiates them from standard cape comics, and you can find them for sale on line. Your LCS should be able to order them for you.

Secret Identity is a great, non-canon, not really "superman" four parter that it a good read.

As this user points out, there are a lot of good stories pre-COIE that are stand-alone stories. There are something like 3 or 4 Greatest Superman stories trades I've read from a friend, from a library or something like that. You should check out what your local library might have.

>Superman - Kal

I'm with you on everything else you said, but find Kal to be one too many (like Speeding Bullets) of the 'what if the rocket landed ....' stories. Especially how the treated Lois in that it's just not that great a read.

Millennium Giants
Superman Forever/Dominus Effect

thanks lads

>Superman/Batman is pretty good through-out
have to agree, reread it recently
I really liked that it wasn't concerned much by continuity, just told some fun adventures
the Green/Johnson stories were genuinely great
pic very much related
also, that story where Batman fucks Orion's wife

Kryptonite by Darwyne Cooke is criminally underrated.

>There are something like 3 or 4 Greatest Superman stories trades I've read from a friend, from a library or something like that. You should check out what your local library might have.

I have this one, I've literally reread it dozens of times, a really great collection

Not really, it gets recommended all the time

>Red Son
You know I am at the beginning of this and it is odd that they don't try to cash in on the negative Donald Trump and Fascism every where scare leftists are going on about these days, and they don't make one about either Batman or Superman joining the Nazis or something.
I enjoy reading Red Son so far with those old school 50s and 60s American accents in my head.

It's post-Infinite Crisis but I never see it talked about, Back in Action (the arc of Action Comics directly after Up, Up and away!) is fucking great.

Rucka's run pre-IC is really underrated
I never, ever see it even mentioned here

Read Morrison's Mastermen.

I agree. It was fucking dumb. Every character except for Superman felt lifeless and existed for just a cameo.

>Scott McCloud's Superman adventures and Superman strength.
>Mark Millar's Superman adventures
I find most of Mark Millar work meh. Even his acclaimed modern work. But this run is GOAT for Superman as well as Millar.
>Alan Moore's Supreme
This might be the best Superman run of all time.
>Silver age Superman comics
I don't remember the issue numbers, but my favorites were final showdown between Luthor and Superman, the delusion of Clark Kent. Silver age Superman was more fun than any other era.

>this Superman "knows his entire society, though it looks utopian, was built on the bones of the dead. Ultimately it's wrong and it must be destroyed.
>A fantasy brought from real life to comics
where it belongs.
I'll check it out after Red Son. Thanks

>Alan Moore's Supreme
>This might be the best Superman run of all time.

Non-meme answers please

who are you quoting
22 Stories in a Single bound is my favorite DC issue
Moore's Supreme is great, but the Big Chill is his best Superman story

Strength is McCloud's best story

>Wally is just Flash

Superman and Batman World's Funnest
Superman #400
DC Comics Presents #85
most of the Jeph Loeb run
DC Comics Presents #10
DC Comics Presents #26
DC Comics Presents #47
DC Comics Presents #59
DC Comics Presents #67
DC Comics Presents #85
Phantom Zone #1-4 (concludes in DC Comics Presents #97)
just DC Comics Presents in general really
Superman Adventures (ALL of it, but if you only read 1 issues then read #41)
Superman Villains Secret Files and Origins #1
Superman #292
Superman #416
Superman #417
Superman #297-299
Superman #300
Superman/Madman: Hullabaloo! #1-3
Action Comics #554
Action Comics #300
Action Comics #560
Action Comics #563
Action Comics #565
Action Comics #579
Superman #199 (Superman's Race With the Flash)
Action Comics #800

>Superman and Batman World's Funnest
This is more of a Mxy/Bat-Mite story desu, still good shit.

anything Kesel wrote is really fun

That was by Dorkin tho.

oh I confused it with Batman and Superman: World's Finest #6

Meme would be to think that there has been a decent Superman run produced by DC since 1985.

Emperor Joker though

There was nothing Superman about Majestic. It was also a straight adaptation of Asimov's the last question.
Supreme is compared to Superman because it was straight up Moore's version of a post crisis Superman revamp.

if we are going to include pastiches, also check out Joe Casey's Mr Majestic, OP

Why would you rec that boring piece of shit to anyone? Maybe if they have insomnia.

I found Joe Casey's run on Majestic as well as Superman to be boring. He is average when writing pre existing properties, except for wild cats; Even which had his own twist.

Wildcats 3.0 was boring as shit too. The only "entertaining" part was watching that trainwreck that was Wax, and even that got old when it became obvious Casey wasn't interested in actually exploring the moral ramifications of his actions.

They already have Injustice and they're doing another fascism au with Dick soon.

night lantern, so night light?

Now that's a meme post.

Yeah, you're right, Superman comics haven't been good since 1945.

Siegel and Shuster ruined Superman, the only good runs came before them

If it hasn't been recommended yet.

Superman Secret Identity.
>Best Superman Story without Superman.

Name a great run then.

Why? You'll just say "durrr that's not a good run/that run ruined Superman because of xyz reason"

any comics where brainiac or lex luthor are actually as smart as the writers would have you believe? the only comic where i was blown away by luthor and brainiac's intelligence is red son and i was wondering if there's any other out there.

BUMP

I really enjoy Earth One, the story isnt the greatest but I love the elements and the feeling of the story.

absolute madman, that's a "read it if you're curious" book at best not something you recommend to other people with a straight face

While I wouldn't go that far, don't forget that the group editor of the Superman titles since like 2000 has been Eddie Berganza, who is responsible for editing some of the worst comics ever
Oh, and he is also a sexual predator
He must have serious dirt on someone at DC to still avoid being fired

I would recommend it for anyone who isnt MUH REEVE, MUH SUPERMAN CARTOON, MUH CHILDHOOD SUPERMAN.

It is a very human superman, with flaws too, I like that.

Lois & Clark is the best Superman

I think with the Superbooks linewide the biggest thing you can blame him on is the big crossovers that they tend to do occasionally for like a full year just to force the sales. Like they don't want to let the Triangle Years go.

The way it was talked about last time his name came up was that he's probably still at DC because they have to go through WB's HR program when shit gets reported and he can't be fired after being disciplined. But I guess that wouldn't explain if/when they extend his deal.

best Clark Kent not best Superman

>star canary
muh dick

same guy

Not the point, the superpowers looked dumb and the costume was rough. Reporter stuff was far more enjoyable than fighting villains.

his mom made that costume

The costumers should have made a better costume for his mother to make for him, that's all. The issue was construction not design.