Eighty-five years after his debut, we still get a thrill when we hear that phrase, all these years later, it continues to inspire hope, offering us the chance to see the perfect hero flying in to save the day. Superman is the first superhero, but he is also a great immigrant story. He is, after all, an alien, in every sense of the word, who has come from across the universe to become the perfect embodiment of the American Dream. Small town boy makes good. It’s the stuff dreams are made of. “The core narrative in Superman has been and continues to be the values and belief about the U.S. experience being strong enough and good enough to address the troubles facing the generation engaged with the character.” With that in mind, and on the 85th anniversary of his birth, over the next 100 pages, we’ll take a deep dive into everything Superman-related, from the comic books that introduced him to the cartoons and TV shows and movies that only added to his legend and continue to make him the greatest hero of all time. So, without any further ado, up, up and away we go!
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO SUPERMAN
UP, UP AND AWAY • THE MAN OF STEEL WAS THE FIRST SUPERHERO… AND IS STILL THE GREATEST
ORIGIN STORY • TWO KIDS FROM THE HEARTLAND CREATED A TRULY AMERICAN ICON
JUST WHAT CAN HE DO?
COMICS’ MOST FAMOUS SMALL TOWN
COMICS BEFORE SUPERMAN
IN THE WEDNESDAY WEEKLIES • FOR 85 YEARS, THE BIG BLUE BOY SCOUT HAS BEEN FLYING HIGH IN THE COMICS
METROPOLIS, THE CITY OF TOMORROW
THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN
SECRET NO MORE
LESS ALTRUISTIC INTERPRETATIONS • While the original Superman has maintained the lion’s share of public attention, various creators have offered other spins on the character, where his behavior is, well, not that of the Big Blue Boy Scout we all know and love. Some fans adore these tales, others not so much. Here are a few of the notable times when Supes broke bad or at least different.
A REAL SUPER WOMAN • FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, LOIS LANE WAS SO MUCH MORE THAN A LOVE INTEREST
NEXT GENERATION • SUPERMAN’S BISEXUAL SON JONATHAN BRINGS HIS OWN SPIN TO THE MANTLE
THE GIRL OF TOMORROW • SUPERGIRL MAY BE KAL-EL’S COUSIN, BUT THEY’RE VERY DIFFERENT HEROES
STORIES TO EXPLORE
SUPPORT SYSTEM • SUPERMAN GETS BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM HIS FRIENDS
HEROIC ROMANCES
KRYPTO THE SUPER DOG!
TRIFECTA OF HEROES • HOW SUPERMAN, BATMAN AND WONDER WOMAN ARE THE BACKBONE OF DC
CLOTHES MAKE THE (SUPER)MAN • THE EVOLUTION OF BIG BLUE’S COSTUME OVER THE DECADES
JON KENT’S COSTUME
MOST FAMOUS ENEMY • LEX LUTHOR HAS ALWAYS BEEN SUPERMAN’S BIGGEST BAD AND A FORMIDABLE FOIL
FORMIDABLE FOES • THE MAN OF STEEL’S VILLAINS KEEP HIM VERY, VERY BUSY!
ALL ABOUT KRYPTONITE
BIZARRO WORLD
THE FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE • THE MAN OF STEEL HAS AN ICY LAIR FULL OF CRAZY KRYPTONIAN SWAG
THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME • CHRISTOPHER REEVE WAS A TRUE SUPER MAN—ON-AND OFF-SCREEN
SMALL SCREEN SUPES • GEORGE REEVES FLEW TO FAME AS TV’S MAN OF STEEL
EVERYONE’S HERO • BRITISH ACTOR HENRY CAVILL LOVED PLAYING THE PART
TV TIME • SUPES HAS BEEN ON THE SMALL SCREEN SINCE THE 1940s
10 YEARS OF SMALLVILLE
WHO WAS MAX FLEISCHER?
BIG BLUE ON THE BIG SCREEN • A LOOK AT ALL SUPERMAN’S MOVIE APPEARANCES
MARGOT KIDDER IS LOIS
WHO’S THE BEST LEX?
FLYING HIGH • HOW VFX TEAMS MADE THE HERO SOAR
LASTING LEGACY • IT’S HARD TO ARGUE SUPES’ HUGE IMPACT ON POP CULTURE
SUPER STUFF • LIVE THE HEROIC LIFE WITH THIS MAN OF TOMORROW MERCH
WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE DCU? • JAMES GUNN AND PETER SAFRAN HAVE GRAND PLANS FOR THE WORLD’S BIGGEST HEROES
THROUGH THE YEARS...
