After you have done enough reading from all of the suggestions listed above, you really have to check out Kingdom Come. It is one of my favorite stories of all time that has Superman in it. It may not be exclusively a Superman story, but he is one of the central characters - not to mention the fact that the writing is solid and the artwork is gorgeous. Kingdom Come should be on any Superman fan's "must read" list.

LOL! He read it....it's what prompted his desire to seek out more Superman material.

D'OH!!! Talk about coming full circle... Well, in that case: read it again, darnit.

Ouch, really? Well, I know you're a huge Superman fan, so I can't really recommend it enough. Aside from online sources I'm not sure how you'd be able to track it down, but it's totally worth the effort. I think DC reprinted it a year ago or so, so maybe your comic shop can find you a copy that's hidden under some boxes at a warehouse.

You kids rock. I've got about $50.00 for fun money the next couple of weeks. Since no Heroclix sets are due out, I'll probably spend it all on some TBP Supes stuff.

Offhand, does anyone know that Superman quote about something like, "There is right and there is wrong and the distinction is easy to make." I'm probably totally butchering that, but it was that quote that inspired my interest in the Boy Scout.

Alan Moore did a Superman bit? Nice. From the acme of moral absolutism to horny Disney characters. That guy gets around.

Took care of it. I got it ordered, should be here in about two weeks.

On a side note, I did score Superman #22 written by Byrne, while I was there!

that comic is controvertial. but I like it.

from that comes the plot about not kill in Superman Aliens.

Cool, I hope you enjoy it.

I suspect it is from Action Comics 775.

Consider getting the 3 things I mentioned for $50 (SHowcase Presents Superman vol 1, Superman Returns 2pack w/Justice League and a free comic from Wal-Mart, and DK book's "Ultimate Guide to the Man of Steel"). While only one of those is a trade (and the other gets a free reprint comic in the movie) you get a nice range of diversity for Superman.

Or get some SUperman/Batman comics, those are really nice and fun.

Red Son is amazing...but partly if you know the actual story. Elseworlds are at their best when they are well written, AND you have an understanding of what they are 're-writing'. That being said, I enjoyed it more than most other Supes stories I've read.

GOODNESS freakin' yes! Red Son is def a must read, especially if youre into alternate universe stuff.

Personally, I think that Superman: Red Son was one of the best elseworlds made. It was such a great TPB. Read that.

And for recommended viewing:

*Superman: The Movie
*Superman Returns

Superman II is a fun movie and Superman Returns may have some confusing bits if you haven't seen it but there's a reason I recommend the other two - they really showcase who Superman is and how despite his power, he's more about personality than people realize. Personally, I -like- the fact that Superman isn't doing knockdown drag-out fights despite his powers...it demonstrates responsibility and a reverence for life that despite his awesome abilities he never once considers just using heat vision on Lex.

Speaking of Lex - my favourite villain out there - check out the "Superman" and "Justice League" animated series (the Dini-verse ones). Not only great fun showcasing Superman but Lex continually shows just why he's so gosh-darn-awesome. Lex is also great in "Smallville" and is one of the best reasons to watch the show even through the slumps (though I liked it more when he was struggling against being so dark).

I also enjoyed the documentary "Look! Up in the Sky!" (narrated by Kevin Spacey). Great background on the character and shows the dilemmas they've had shaping him over the years and how he's managed to persevere through it all. It comes with the new "The Ultimate Superman Collection" DVD set which I highly recommend for more Superman than you know how to handle.

I'm just a casual Superman reader - I pick up trades and special stories, but don't follow Superman in his own title or JLA. Darth Sabre has a great list (folks should definitely rep him for that). If I had to pick just one of those titles for a Superman neonate to read, it would be Birthright.

Secret Identity is very cool, but it's an Elseworlds story; Birthright is better for showing how Clark became Superman in the DCU.