It’s been more than 80 years since Superman flew off the pages of “Action Comics #1,” and introduced readers to the then-described “Champion of the Oppressed.” The hero has gone on thousands of adventures since his 1930s debut — “Action Comics” alone celebrated its thousandth issue in 2018.
James Gunn’s “Superman” feels like some of these comics flew off the page, adapting everything beautiful, inspiring and outright goofy about the Man of Steel. If you left “Superman” wanting more, check out some of these stories that inspired the DCU debut.
This list will have no spoilers for “Superman” (2025). If it wasn’t in a trailer, it won’t be mentioned here.
“All-Star Superman” by Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely
“All-Star Superman” should be thought of as the comic book equivalent of the Christopher Reeve/Richard Donner “Superman” movie: there’s nothing quite like it, and it set an immovable gold standard going forward. This 12-issue series sees Superman grapple with his mortality after Lex Luthor ensnares him in a ploy that leaves him with only a year to live. Taking a page from Hercules’ book, the Last Son of Krypton sets out to complete the “Twelve Labors of Superman” to leave behind a better world.
Gunn established early on that this book had influenced his film, sharing a first look at Krypto that resembles a panel of Superman and his dog sitting on the moon. Through a series of engaging and absurd adventures that celebrate Superman’s history, Morrison repeatedly gets to the heart of what makes this character so special.
“Justice League International” by Keith Giffen, J. M. DeMatteis
By far the longest entry on this list, Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis’ work on “Justice League International” feels like it will serve as a significant inspiration for the DCU going forward. The film introduces audiences to the Justice Gang, a prototypical Justice League-type team led and funded by Maxwell Lord (Sean Gunn). Starting members include Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) and Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi). The team bears a resemblance to the Justice League International, a comic book unit run by Lord with Gardner as a founding member. Both the Justice Gang and the JLI consist of members who aren’t necessarily A-listers like the original Justice League seven, presenting a comparatively comedic incarnation of the team.
With future Leaguer Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan) also present in “Superman,” it seems increasingly like Giffen and DeMatteis’ iconic run will be at least an inspiration for Gunn’s initial handling of the Justice League going forward.
“Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” by Tom King, Bilquis Evely
If you want an idea of where the DCU is headed directly after “Superman,” you should place Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” at the top of your reading list.
The next DCU movie is Craig Gillespie’s “Supergirl,” starring Milly Alcock (previously titled “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow”). The film directly adapts King and Evely’s 2021-2022 comic book adventure starring Kara Zor-El, who starts the book by getting drunk on a planet with a Red Sun (which takes away her powers) to celebrate her 21st birthday.
The book, heavily inspired by “True Grit,” follows Kara and young Ruthye as they travel across the universe to bring Krem of the Yellow Hills to justice after he kills Ruthye’s father and drastically wounds Krypto. Eve Ridley and Matthias Schoenaerts star as Ruthye and Krem, respectively, while Jason Momoa joins the cast as Lobo — a character not present in the comics who slots perfectly into the universe-spanning adventure. It’s a phenomenal book, and one that highlights what makes Supergirl a distinct and unique hero in the DC universe.
“Superman: Birthright” by Mark Waid, Leinil Francis Yu, Gerry Alanguilan
One of the more relevant books on this list, “Superman: Birthright” updates Superman’s origins by focusing on the early days of Clark Kent’s life post-Smallville. The story shows Clark’s first days in Metropolis after traveling the world as a young adult, highlighting his first major conflict with Lex Luthor — and sharing a secret connection between the two. Superman’s Kryptonian heritage plays a big role in both “Superman: Birthright” and James Gunn’s “Superman” (which was previously named “Superman: Legacy”). The 12-issue run breathes new life into Superman’s origin, concluding with a gut-punch ending.
“Superman for All Seasons” by Jeph Loeb, Tim Sale
Another origin story, “Superman for All Seasons,” reunites the “Batman: The Long Halloween” team of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. Each of the comic’s four issues focuses on a different season with a different narrator, highlighting how the world around Clark perceives Superman. Sale’s gorgeous art underscores both the beauty and the loneliness often present in the character’s canon, drawing direct inspiration from Norman Rockwell’s Americana artwork.
Perhaps more than any other, this book provides a perfect starting point for new comic book readers — and an excellent read for established fans of the form.
“Superman: Kryptonite” by Darwyn Cooke, Tim Sale
Though not an origin story, Darwyn Cooke and Tim Sale’s “Superman: Kryptonite” explores an early adventure in Superman’s career as he comes into contact with Kryptonite for the first time. The storyline presents a distinctly human portrayal of the Man of Steel, one full of fear and longing for connection.
Like Gunn’s “Superman,” “Kryptonite” sees the Metropolis Marvel face true defeat for one of the first times, showing what it takes for a bulletproof man to bounce back from failure.
“Superman: Peace on Earth” by Paul Dini, Alex Ross
Longtime Superman fans were surprised when marketing introduced audiences to the Hammer of Boravia, an original character created for the film. The villain represents the interests of his homeland of Boravia, a country attempting to overpower the neighboring nation of Jarhanpur. As Superman attempts to prevent war from breaking out, he is forced to reckon with his place in a world focused more on bureaucracy and politics than righteousness. It’s a theme explored tremendously in Paul Dini and Alex Ross’ short story “Superman: Peace on Earth.” The 64-page one-shot follows the Man of Steel as he attempts, for a single day, to prevent world hunger by feeding every person in need across the globe. It’s a quest that draws the ire of various governments and militaries.
This short story ponders an oft-debated question in the Superman canon: should a man who can do everything act, or should he lead?
“Superman: Secret Identity” by Kurt Busiek, Stuart Immonen
Perhaps the most radical entry on this list, “Superman: Secret Identity” doesn’t follow Clark Kent at all. At least, not the Clark Kent fans are familiar with. Kurt Busiek and Stuart Immonen’s four-issue Elseworld’s tale follows a young boy who lives in a world much like our own: superheroes don’t exist, but “Superman” comics do. With the last name “Kent,” the protagonist’s parents decide to name him “Clark” as a jokey reference to the iconic comic book hero. This name soon becomes a premonition, as Clark wakes up one night with the powers of the Man of Steel.
“Superman: Secret Identity” follows four key moments in Clark’s life, showing how a Superman-like hero would operate and function in the real world. This story interrogates Superman as an icon and a figure, exploring how he fits into the modern landscape in much the same way as Gunn’s film.
“Superman: Up in the Sky” by Tom King, Andy Kubert
A personal favorite, “Superman: Up in the Sky” follows Superman on a quest across the universe as he leaves Earth in search of a little girl, Alice, who was abducted by aliens. The book is comprised of a series of short stories, different legs in Kal-El’s quest as he repeatedly faces seemingly impossible odds.
Tom King and Andy Kubert’s stand-alone story explores themes central to the Man of Steel: that one life is always worth saving, that compassion is just as valuable as strength, that Superman’s true power lies in his unwillingness to give up. Superman is repeatedly knocked down throughout the story, yet he always gets back on his feet. “Up in the Sky” feels tonally of a pair with Gunn’s “Superman,” which frequently shows how the Last Son of Krypton refuses to stay down when an innocent life is on the line.
“Superman: Warworld Saga” by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Grant Morrison, Sami Basri, Adriana Melo, Miguel Mendoca
“Superman” stories often show how Clark inspires the people around him to rise and become better versions of themselves, and Gunn’s film is no different. This idea is brilliantly portrayed in “Superman: The Warworld Saga,” the newest story on this list. In this modern epic, Superman takes a ragtag team of heroes and villains to Warworld, a gladiatorial planet of slaves ruled over by Mongul. Superman enters the situation at a disadvantage, with his powers already weakened before they arrive to the brutal Warworld. As the Man of Steel and his crew attempt to liberate the planet, Superman’s message of “Truth and Justice” spreads across the world like a wildfire.
There aren’t many Superman stories that feel this sweeping, but “Warworld” reads like a blockbuster on the page.
“Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen: Who Killed Jimmy Olsen?” by Matt Fraction, Steve Lieber
Fans of Skyler Gisondo’s hilarious turn as Jimmy Olsen in Gunn’s “Superman” must check out Matt Fraction and Steve Lieber’s phenomenal 12-issue run on the character. The story follows Superman’s pal as he attempts to solve his own murder after a decoy Jimmy Olsen is shot and killed. The laugh-a-page story is one of the funniest DC Comics to date while also exploring the heart and humanity of this iconic “Superman” side character. If that’s not enough to sell you, maybe Jimmy’s prank war with Batman will.
“What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice and the American Way?” by Joe Kelly, Doug Mahnke, Lee Bermejo
While “Superman: Birthright” feels like Gunn’s closest narrative comp, “What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice and the American Way?” was almost certainly a thematic inspiration for 2025’s “Superman.” In this dense single-issue story (printed in “Action Comics #775”), Superman grapples with the thought that the world has moved past his form of heroics. When a new team of violent vigilantes named “The Elite,” led by Manchester Black, comes onto the scene, Superman must reckon with the public’s approval of killer “heroes.”
Kelly’s story reflects the comic book industry’s shift to darker stories and heroes, thematically addressing the increasingly popular notion that Superman’s goodness is outdated or “boring.” Gunn’s film does much the same, a rejection of the ever-growing number of evil Superman stories appearing throughout the 2010s and 2020s.
Another book that expertly addresses these ideas is Mark Waid and Alex Ross’ “Kingdom Come” — the story that inspired Superman’s logo in Gunn’s film.
