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The Greatest Stories Ever Told
The Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told
Superman's career is chronicled in SUPERMAN: THE GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD, a unique collection of some of the Man of Steel's most classic adventures! Reprinted are: Superman's origin (SUPERMAN #1) the story "What if Superman Ended the War?" (Look Magazine) "Three Supermen From Krypton!" (SUPERMAN #65) "The Last Days of Superman" (SUPERMAN #156) "Must There Be a Superman?" (SUPERMAN #247) "The Exile at the Edge of Eternity" (SUPERMAN #400) the modern-day re-telling of Superman's origin (MAN OF STEEL #1) "Return to Krypton" (SUPERMAN #18) and "What's so funny about Truth, Justice and The American Way?" (ACTION COMICS #775)! This volume also features an introduction by Michael Uslan (BATMAN: DETECTIVE No. 27).
343 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1987
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
March 1, 2014
With the exception of perhaps two stories in this book, this is one of the few volumes in the series to live up to the "Greatest Stories Ever Told" hype. This book includes some excellent Superman stories, from the imaginary tales "Lex Luthor, Hero" and "The Story of Superman-Red and Superman-Blue" to Alan Moore's "For the Man Who Has Everything".
The only two stumbles are including the first chapter of Jack Kirby's Fourth World saga (from the pages of Jimmy Olsen) and an issue of John Byrne's Superman reboot. DC didn't let Jack have full reign over the characters, redrawing Superman to meet DC standards at the time instead of letting Kirby's vibrate art encompass the character. And unfortunately, Byrne's reboot wasn't nearly as good as his work on Fantastic Four or She-Hulk, and really doesn't belong in this book.
The rest of the stories are all great classic Superman tales. If your vision of Superman requires Curt Swan or Al Plastino, or even the original work of Siegel and Shuster, then this is worth picking up.
The only two stumbles are including the first chapter of Jack Kirby's Fourth World saga (from the pages of Jimmy Olsen) and an issue of John Byrne's Superman reboot. DC didn't let Jack have full reign over the characters, redrawing Superman to meet DC standards at the time instead of letting Kirby's vibrate art encompass the character. And unfortunately, Byrne's reboot wasn't nearly as good as his work on Fantastic Four or She-Hulk, and really doesn't belong in this book.
The rest of the stories are all great classic Superman tales. If your vision of Superman requires Curt Swan or Al Plastino, or even the original work of Siegel and Shuster, then this is worth picking up.
February 21, 2013
A book with a title like this has a lot to live up to. Whether these are indeed The Greatest Superman stories is tough to say unless you've read every Superman story out there. But this book's title is at least plausible.
The book comes with two introductions and an afterward. The first into by John Byrne gives an overview of the series leading up to Crisis and the reboot. I suppose it could be argued that his intro was a tad self-serving but it was good.
The next intro tells why this book could probably stand as a definitive collection. Superman's most influential creators including Jerry Siegel, Julius Schwartz, and Curt Swann were part of the process of choosing the stories.
The book lives up to its promise with Superman deling Lex Luthor in Superman #4. Superman's first encounter with the mischevious Mr. Myxpitplk in Superman #30, Superboy's first encounter with Bizarro in Superboy #68, and Superman's first meeting with Darkseid in Forever People #1. There were also soaring imaginary stories from the silver like "Superman's Other Life" (a pun on a long forgotten radio show called, 'John's Other Wife," The first, "Death of Superman" story, and the the Utopian "The Amazing Story of Superman Red and Blue."
The final four stories in the book came from the 1970s and 80s and left me with mixed feelings. It fell like DC was trying to give Superman some marvelesque angst, which I don't like. On the other hand, some raised interesting questions such as "Must There be a Superman" from 1972 which portrayed the dangers of people relying too much on Superman to solve problems they really ought to fix themselves. However, all four stories from that era were worthy classics such as the sensational 1985 "For the Man Who Has Everything" which portrays an alien named Mongol immobilizing Superman with a creature that gives him the desire of his heart. The only post-crisis story, "The Secret Revealed" by Byrne left me with mixed feelings due to Byrne's portrayal of Luther as an evil businessman which was, in many ways, more over the top then the old portrayal of Luthor as a mad scientist. This issue is a bit more brutal than earlier Superman stories, buts it inclusion understandable.
In addition to not being as big a fan of the later issues, there was a small point. One thing also may have titled the selection process. According to Robert Greenberger excerpts, some of the newspaper strips that Siegel thought worthy as well as Action Comics #6 couldn't be reproduced in the book. Since then, some high quality prints have come out of both. Had current technology been available, the line up a little altered.
Overall, this is a must-have for Superman fans filled with great stories, no clunkers, and a chance to see the progress of the character. If you can find it used online at a price you can afford, buy it.
The book comes with two introductions and an afterward. The first into by John Byrne gives an overview of the series leading up to Crisis and the reboot. I suppose it could be argued that his intro was a tad self-serving but it was good.
The next intro tells why this book could probably stand as a definitive collection. Superman's most influential creators including Jerry Siegel, Julius Schwartz, and Curt Swann were part of the process of choosing the stories.
The book lives up to its promise with Superman deling Lex Luthor in Superman #4. Superman's first encounter with the mischevious Mr. Myxpitplk in Superman #30, Superboy's first encounter with Bizarro in Superboy #68, and Superman's first meeting with Darkseid in Forever People #1. There were also soaring imaginary stories from the silver like "Superman's Other Life" (a pun on a long forgotten radio show called, 'John's Other Wife," The first, "Death of Superman" story, and the the Utopian "The Amazing Story of Superman Red and Blue."
The final four stories in the book came from the 1970s and 80s and left me with mixed feelings. It fell like DC was trying to give Superman some marvelesque angst, which I don't like. On the other hand, some raised interesting questions such as "Must There be a Superman" from 1972 which portrayed the dangers of people relying too much on Superman to solve problems they really ought to fix themselves. However, all four stories from that era were worthy classics such as the sensational 1985 "For the Man Who Has Everything" which portrays an alien named Mongol immobilizing Superman with a creature that gives him the desire of his heart. The only post-crisis story, "The Secret Revealed" by Byrne left me with mixed feelings due to Byrne's portrayal of Luther as an evil businessman which was, in many ways, more over the top then the old portrayal of Luthor as a mad scientist. This issue is a bit more brutal than earlier Superman stories, buts it inclusion understandable.
In addition to not being as big a fan of the later issues, there was a small point. One thing also may have titled the selection process. According to Robert Greenberger excerpts, some of the newspaper strips that Siegel thought worthy as well as Action Comics #6 couldn't be reproduced in the book. Since then, some high quality prints have come out of both. Had current technology been available, the line up a little altered.
Overall, this is a must-have for Superman fans filled with great stories, no clunkers, and a chance to see the progress of the character. If you can find it used online at a price you can afford, buy it.
January 24, 2016
This book collects eighteen Superman stories, originally published between the 1940s and the 80s. It gives an interesting overview of Superman's history, but several of the stories selected are a bit underwhelming.
The book starts with five stories from the 40s, which are fairly short and are interesting from a historical perspective, even if the writing and art are pretty rudimentary by today's standards. As the book moves into the 50s, the art becomes more detailed, but the stories become longer and less interesting. A few of these stories would be fine, but they wear out their welcome pretty quickly. The clear low point, for me, was "The Girl of Steel," a Supergirl story that is both tedious and unintentionally disturbing.
However, the last few stories from the 70s and 80s completely redeem the book, even if the previous selections left something to be desired. The highlight is Alan Moore's "For the Man Who Has Everything," one of the best single issues in comics history. Other strong points include "The Forever People," "Must There Be a Superman?" and "The Secret Revealed." By the end, I was wishing I could've read more stories like these four.
The end notes mention some of the stories that didn't make the cut, several of which sound fascinating. The books really glosses over the 60s-80s, and pays way too much attention to the 50s. There's some great stuff in here, but you might as well skim past most of the middle section.
The book starts with five stories from the 40s, which are fairly short and are interesting from a historical perspective, even if the writing and art are pretty rudimentary by today's standards. As the book moves into the 50s, the art becomes more detailed, but the stories become longer and less interesting. A few of these stories would be fine, but they wear out their welcome pretty quickly. The clear low point, for me, was "The Girl of Steel," a Supergirl story that is both tedious and unintentionally disturbing.
However, the last few stories from the 70s and 80s completely redeem the book, even if the previous selections left something to be desired. The highlight is Alan Moore's "For the Man Who Has Everything," one of the best single issues in comics history. Other strong points include "The Forever People," "Must There Be a Superman?" and "The Secret Revealed." By the end, I was wishing I could've read more stories like these four.
The end notes mention some of the stories that didn't make the cut, several of which sound fascinating. The books really glosses over the 60s-80s, and pays way too much attention to the 50s. There's some great stuff in here, but you might as well skim past most of the middle section.
December 5, 2013
A veces el cinismo no nos deja ser felices.
Es verdad, el título mueve a engaño. No son las Mejores Historias: varias quedaron fueran, siendo superiores, debido a un criterio de representación cronológica. Es una selección representativa de todas las épocas del Hombre de Acero, pero también es reflejo de su época, que abarca sólo hasta 1986. Pero en ningún caso se puede hablar de un libro obsoleto, pues se trata de la muestra perfecta de los diversos potenciales del personaje en su "época dorada", como podríamos llamar hoy a la era "Pre-Crisis", o más bien "Pre-Watchmen".
Es un libro magnífico porque trasunta amor por el personaje. No oculta sus sinsentidos, tampoco sus ridículos, pero se solaza en su grandeza. Debería llamarse "Las Historias Más Queridas de Superman" y aún así varias quedan fuera. Y hay que ubicarlo en su contexto. Hoy en día, leer la primera aparición de Supergirl o "Para el Hombre que lo Tenia Todo" parece estúpido y trillado, respectivamente. Pero para quien se inicia en el mundo de la fantasía, este libro será un huracán creativo. Hay que reconocerlo, el compilatorio es un tesoro que, perfectamente, podría ser el único libro de Superman que uno pudiese conservar por toda la eternidad.
Es verdad, el título mueve a engaño. No son las Mejores Historias: varias quedaron fueran, siendo superiores, debido a un criterio de representación cronológica. Es una selección representativa de todas las épocas del Hombre de Acero, pero también es reflejo de su época, que abarca sólo hasta 1986. Pero en ningún caso se puede hablar de un libro obsoleto, pues se trata de la muestra perfecta de los diversos potenciales del personaje en su "época dorada", como podríamos llamar hoy a la era "Pre-Crisis", o más bien "Pre-Watchmen".
Es un libro magnífico porque trasunta amor por el personaje. No oculta sus sinsentidos, tampoco sus ridículos, pero se solaza en su grandeza. Debería llamarse "Las Historias Más Queridas de Superman" y aún así varias quedan fuera. Y hay que ubicarlo en su contexto. Hoy en día, leer la primera aparición de Supergirl o "Para el Hombre que lo Tenia Todo" parece estúpido y trillado, respectivamente. Pero para quien se inicia en el mundo de la fantasía, este libro será un huracán creativo. Hay que reconocerlo, el compilatorio es un tesoro que, perfectamente, podría ser el único libro de Superman que uno pudiese conservar por toda la eternidad.
May 11, 2020
Most of the stories included are from a far away era, where comics most certainly weren't considered art at all. As the book goes on and the stories become more recent, they slowly shed the children's book esque writing and adopt something more sophisticated, albeit still something that seemed to be experiencing growing pains in an attempt to find the best way to use the medium's strengths. The particular stand out of this era is "The Girl From Superman's Past", which I found myself enjoying quite a bit despite myself. I particularly enjoyed the final exchange between Clark and Lois, which exemplified how strong the character dynamics are. The third to last story, "The Forever People" felt very uninteresting until Superman arrived, and it ended with a profound moment of character development unseen in the earlier stories presented in the book. This was the lead in to the final two stories, "For the Man Who Has Everything" and "The Secret Revealed", which obliterated everything that came before in the collection, and finally helped me understand why people loved the character of Superman. I would heartily reccomend those two final stories, and the entire collection if you're interested in early comics and Superman.
April 22, 2023
A collection of stories starring the Man of Steel ranging from his early comics days in 1940 all the way up to his post-Crisis reinvention in 1986. Among these stories are significant moments such as the revelation of Superman's origin on Krypton and the introduction of characters like Mr. Mxyztplk, Supergirl (albeit as a magic wish-based love interest) and Bizarro.
This book is mostly content from the Gold and Silver Ages of comics and that, frankly, is mostly terrible.
The plotting is obvious, albeit with plot-holes you could pass New Krypton through, the dialogue is cheesy and the stories are wildly inconsistent, both with each other and with established Superman lore (for example, one story opens with Superman sleeping through his alarm and being awoken by the phone, which he can telepathically tell is Perry White calling - no explanation of how someone with super-hearing could sleep through an alarm and never any mention again of Superman's telepathic caller ID powers).
The latter handful of stories, in particular those by Alan Moore and John Byrne, are a huge step up in terms of quality but they are much, much too little too late to make this book anything more than a tedious slog to get through.
The only other thing of interest is seeing how many of the bonkers early stories got revamped for use in the Modern Age of comics (not least the idea of Superman being split into a Red version and a Blue version).
There's a YouTube channel called Casually Comics in which the host, Sasha Wood, dives into Gold and Silver Age comics (including some of those featured here) with wit, insight and charm. Go and watch some of those videos instead of forcing yourself to read this. Unless you're a big fan of the Gold and Silver Ages, in which case there's no hope for you.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *
This book is mostly content from the Gold and Silver Ages of comics and that, frankly, is mostly terrible.
The plotting is obvious, albeit with plot-holes you could pass New Krypton through, the dialogue is cheesy and the stories are wildly inconsistent, both with each other and with established Superman lore (for example, one story opens with Superman sleeping through his alarm and being awoken by the phone, which he can telepathically tell is Perry White calling - no explanation of how someone with super-hearing could sleep through an alarm and never any mention again of Superman's telepathic caller ID powers).
The latter handful of stories, in particular those by Alan Moore and John Byrne, are a huge step up in terms of quality but they are much, much too little too late to make this book anything more than a tedious slog to get through.
The only other thing of interest is seeing how many of the bonkers early stories got revamped for use in the Modern Age of comics (not least the idea of Superman being split into a Red version and a Blue version).
There's a YouTube channel called Casually Comics in which the host, Sasha Wood, dives into Gold and Silver Age comics (including some of those featured here) with wit, insight and charm. Go and watch some of those videos instead of forcing yourself to read this. Unless you're a big fan of the Gold and Silver Ages, in which case there's no hope for you.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *
June 14, 2022
I really do try with Superman, but he's not my guy. He's just too magic/indestructible/perfect. I like my heroes with dirt and grime under their nails. I like my heroes to have a little bad in them and be haunted by the thin line that they walk. Superman is not that guy. Superman is pretty much Jesus flying around and saving everyone.
The title of the book is a misnomer, but you should be used to that by this point with these. There are some pretty good ones in here, but if you're a modern comic reader only, you're going to hate all the Golden Age stuff.
There are some great Superman stories out there that I've enjoyed, but they are pretty few and far between. All in all, I'm glad I read this. Like some of the other DC trades I've gotten my hands on lately, it's a great overview on the character and how he's changed over the years.
What I most find interesting though, is how Superman shapes the rest of the DC universe. Batman and Superman are the two DC bigs that tend to set the tone for the rest of the DC Universe. When Superman is in the lead, the DC universe is a bit more light-hearted and grand in scale. When Batman is the lead, the universe takes a dark and gritty turn.
Best story in this collection is the Alan Moore's "For the Man Who Has Everything" by far and is actually one of the stories that you can easily point to as one of the greatest Superman stories ever told.
The title of the book is a misnomer, but you should be used to that by this point with these. There are some pretty good ones in here, but if you're a modern comic reader only, you're going to hate all the Golden Age stuff.
There are some great Superman stories out there that I've enjoyed, but they are pretty few and far between. All in all, I'm glad I read this. Like some of the other DC trades I've gotten my hands on lately, it's a great overview on the character and how he's changed over the years.
What I most find interesting though, is how Superman shapes the rest of the DC universe. Batman and Superman are the two DC bigs that tend to set the tone for the rest of the DC Universe. When Superman is in the lead, the DC universe is a bit more light-hearted and grand in scale. When Batman is the lead, the universe takes a dark and gritty turn.
Best story in this collection is the Alan Moore's "For the Man Who Has Everything" by far and is actually one of the stories that you can easily point to as one of the greatest Superman stories ever told.
April 19, 2021
Tomado de la misma descripción de esta página:
Libro recopilatorio a cargo de Mike Gold, con una selección de las mejores historas de Superman hasta 1987. Incluye introducción de John Byrne y otra de Mike Gold más un artículo, "Notas Finales", por Robert Greenberger.
Contenido:
"Superman contra Luthor" (SUPERMAN NO.4, 1940)
"Superman contra el Arquero" (SUPERMAN NO.13, 1941)
"¿Y si Superman terminase la guerra?" (Revista LOOK de 1943)
"El misterioso Mr. Mxyzptlk" ((SUPERMAN NO.30, 1944)
"El origen de Superman" (SUPERMAN NO.53, 1948)
"La chica de Acero" (SUPERMAN NO.123, 1958)
"Clark Kent en la escuela" (SUPERMAN NO.125, 1958)
"La superllave de Fort Superman" (ACTION COMICS NO.241, 1958)
"La batalla con Bizarro" (SUPERBOY NO.68, 1958)
"La chica del pasado de Superman" (SUPERMAN NO.129, 1959)
"La otra vida de Superman" (SUPERMAN 132, 1959)
"La noche del 31 de Marzo"(SUPERMAN NO.145, 1961)
"La muerte de Superman" (SUPERMAN NO.149, 1961)
"La asombrosa historia de Superman.Rojo y Superman-Azul" (SUPERMAN NO.162, 1963)
"La gente sempiterna" (FOREVER PEOPLE NO.1, 1970)
"¿Tiene que haber un Superman?" (SUPERMAN NO.247, 1972)
"Para el hombre que lo tiene todo" (SUPERMAN ANNUAL NO.11, 1985)
"El secreto revelado" (SUPERMAN NO.2, 1986)
Libro recopilatorio a cargo de Mike Gold, con una selección de las mejores historas de Superman hasta 1987. Incluye introducción de John Byrne y otra de Mike Gold más un artículo, "Notas Finales", por Robert Greenberger.
Contenido:
"Superman contra Luthor" (SUPERMAN NO.4, 1940)
"Superman contra el Arquero" (SUPERMAN NO.13, 1941)
"¿Y si Superman terminase la guerra?" (Revista LOOK de 1943)
"El misterioso Mr. Mxyzptlk" ((SUPERMAN NO.30, 1944)
"El origen de Superman" (SUPERMAN NO.53, 1948)
"La chica de Acero" (SUPERMAN NO.123, 1958)
"Clark Kent en la escuela" (SUPERMAN NO.125, 1958)
"La superllave de Fort Superman" (ACTION COMICS NO.241, 1958)
"La batalla con Bizarro" (SUPERBOY NO.68, 1958)
"La chica del pasado de Superman" (SUPERMAN NO.129, 1959)
"La otra vida de Superman" (SUPERMAN 132, 1959)
"La noche del 31 de Marzo"(SUPERMAN NO.145, 1961)
"La muerte de Superman" (SUPERMAN NO.149, 1961)
"La asombrosa historia de Superman.Rojo y Superman-Azul" (SUPERMAN NO.162, 1963)
"La gente sempiterna" (FOREVER PEOPLE NO.1, 1970)
"¿Tiene que haber un Superman?" (SUPERMAN NO.247, 1972)
"Para el hombre que lo tiene todo" (SUPERMAN ANNUAL NO.11, 1985)
"El secreto revelado" (SUPERMAN NO.2, 1986)
March 28, 2024
I had this book as a young boy and read it cover-to-cover many times. After recently reading a few Superman comic compilations that didn't impress me, I wanted to see if this one lived up to its titular billing. In short: it did!
Compiled here is a collection of excellent Superman tales. Until the last couple of comics--which are "just okay" more because they are outside the "Golden Age" in which Superman thrived--every story held my attention. A few examples...
-The introduction of Green Archer to Superman lore.
-Lori Lemaris--Superman's mermaid love!
-A reformed Lex Luthor?
-Superman getting the opportunity to see a future in which Krypton did not perish
-Superboy's college professor endeavors to prove the link to Clark Kent
-Supes split into a Red & Blue version--perhaps the best single Superman comic ever produced (IMHO)
Like I said, I've read similar collections and come away disappointed, so it's not as if all Superman artwork and storytelling is immaculate. No--this is simply a careful curated collection of the Man of Steel's finest print tales. Highly recommended for superhero fans young and old--I enjoyed it both ways!
Compiled here is a collection of excellent Superman tales. Until the last couple of comics--which are "just okay" more because they are outside the "Golden Age" in which Superman thrived--every story held my attention. A few examples...
-The introduction of Green Archer to Superman lore.
-Lori Lemaris--Superman's mermaid love!
-A reformed Lex Luthor?
-Superman getting the opportunity to see a future in which Krypton did not perish
-Superboy's college professor endeavors to prove the link to Clark Kent
-Supes split into a Red & Blue version--perhaps the best single Superman comic ever produced (IMHO)
Like I said, I've read similar collections and come away disappointed, so it's not as if all Superman artwork and storytelling is immaculate. No--this is simply a careful curated collection of the Man of Steel's finest print tales. Highly recommended for superhero fans young and old--I enjoyed it both ways!
August 10, 2025
Maybe a little exhausting, trying to read all of these stories in one sitting. But there's no denying what a well-curated and comprehensive collection this is. My favorite stories were Superman #13, those pages from Look Magazine, and Forever People #1. That FP issue in particular was a delight. People knock Jack Kirby's writing, but I think it's awesome:
"Where all of natural law shifts, and bends, and changes-- where the answer to gravity is anti-gravity-- and simply done! "
And I really liked that panel of Big Bear and Mark Moonrider on pg. 236. They're so cute! It's such a shame about the hatchet job that editorial did to Kirby's art after he'd submitted it. Every Superman he drew has been drawn over in a very Curt Swan DC-house-style way. Would love to have read this issue without these so-called "corrections"!
"Where all of natural law shifts, and bends, and changes-- where the answer to gravity is anti-gravity-- and simply done! "
And I really liked that panel of Big Bear and Mark Moonrider on pg. 236. They're so cute! It's such a shame about the hatchet job that editorial did to Kirby's art after he'd submitted it. Every Superman he drew has been drawn over in a very Curt Swan DC-house-style way. Would love to have read this issue without these so-called "corrections"!
December 30, 2019
This probably is the best of Superman out there but it does little more than prove to me that Supes is inherently a boring character, all powerful in cape and bland as anything as Clark. At least the earlier stories have a charm to them, but I suspect I will only enjoy Superman when something dopey like Bizarro is about
November 27, 2025
This was a fun collection, though the stories vary quite a bit on quality. Some were good, some were forgettable, a couple were great. The ones at the beginning tended to be more basic and forgettable, the ones at the end were especially good. Overall a good time!
January 27, 2022
Colección de pequenas aventuras autoconclusivas de Superman. Entretidas e inocentes, boas para coñecer o lore do superhéroe.
August 3, 2022
One of my favorite heroes and this time, little stories from the beginnings.. it's a privilege to read this evolution and know more about all that is Superman ^^
Want to read
January 5, 2024Las mejores historias de Superman jamás contadas hasta aquel entonces.
July 16, 2025
Man the first half of this collection were a slog to get through but overall still a solid collection of Superman stories because of the second half
June 22, 2013
Well, the title does say "Greatest Superman Stories," so I guess within the subset of Superman stories some are great and some are worse without reference to WAR AND PEACE, HAMLET, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, and other stories that are greater. Why do I make such an absurd comparison? Mainly to explain to myself why these greatest stories were so disappointing. For me, the use of the word greatest sold the book, but the contents have trouble living up to the expectation created by the word.
I would have chosen a few of these stories for a greatest Superman collection, not others, but these things are subjective and the compilers are entitled to an opinion. There are certainly stories just as good that did not make the cut, and I think the editor would agree. At least he and his advisers did not stack the stories in favor of the recent, as other Superman collections do.
It was hard to pinpoint why these stories do not come across better today. It isn't my age, for I enjoyed rereading several of these in recent years in the original comics. When I realized that, I had my explanation. In the original comics, the stories were not under pressure to be the greatest. There were just that month's comic. Regarding them as great stories was up to me. Besides, old comic books are just cooler than the new books that reprint them. From the original covers, to the ads, the filler and text pages, even their feel and smell, they give an entirely different reading experience than reading the same stories in this collection. For me, it was a better experience. I suppose the stories reprinted are technically just as good, but the experience is not. We can argue if these are the best Superman stories, but for me they do not deliver the best experience of them.
I would have chosen a few of these stories for a greatest Superman collection, not others, but these things are subjective and the compilers are entitled to an opinion. There are certainly stories just as good that did not make the cut, and I think the editor would agree. At least he and his advisers did not stack the stories in favor of the recent, as other Superman collections do.
It was hard to pinpoint why these stories do not come across better today. It isn't my age, for I enjoyed rereading several of these in recent years in the original comics. When I realized that, I had my explanation. In the original comics, the stories were not under pressure to be the greatest. There were just that month's comic. Regarding them as great stories was up to me. Besides, old comic books are just cooler than the new books that reprint them. From the original covers, to the ads, the filler and text pages, even their feel and smell, they give an entirely different reading experience than reading the same stories in this collection. For me, it was a better experience. I suppose the stories reprinted are technically just as good, but the experience is not. We can argue if these are the best Superman stories, but for me they do not deliver the best experience of them.
August 12, 2014
I’ve been remarkably deficient in my reading lately, but I did make it through these comics, which were astonishingly mediocre for a “best of” collection. One or two stories were good, most were so-so, and the rest were just abysmal. I’ve been told it’s not a good sampling of the truly good Superman tales out there, which is reassuring. I’m not much of a comic fan under the best of circumstances, but I was about to give up altogether halfway through this one.
April 1, 2019
The title may be overselling it a bit. I wouldn't classify these as the greatest Superman stories, but it it is a good overview from his early beginnings through the John Byrne era. Hit and miss, but enjoyable as a whole.
We discuss favorite Superman stories in a special episode of the All the Books Show Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/ep...
We discuss favorite Superman stories in a special episode of the All the Books Show Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/ep...
July 3, 2014
What redeemed the naming of this collection of stories somewhat was Alan Moore's "For the Man who has Everything." It is the penultimate story in the collection, and is certainly one of Superman's best. It is all Pre-Crisis, so one has to be prepared for that. The other stories were a little less than impressive.
May 26, 2010
Nostalgia -- Superman -- some episodes I remembered; some were published after I stopped reading them. Some of the bad guys were familiar. It was fun to have Batman and Robin, and Wonder Woman, in some of the episodes. A good break from "real" books.
March 11, 2016
50th birthday compilation of Superman comics. Stories were selected by a committee at DC Comics. Contains 18 episodes from 1940 to 1986. Superman's career is chronicled in SUPERMAN: THE GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD, a unique collection of some of the Man of Steel's most classic adventures!
February 14, 2011
Not really...some were good...newer ones are forgettable.
January 5, 2013
Excellent collection, but I just don't like Superman. I read this trying to get an appreciation for the character, but my gosh, he's just boring.
December 28, 2015
Note to self: This is the one with Lori Lemaris!
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews