A brand-new Superman movie starring David Corenswet (Twisters) as the Man of Steel and directed by James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad) premieres in theaters on July 11, and the film looks like it’ll be a radical departure from the somber and overly dramatic era of the Snyderverse. If it’s inspiring you to pick up some reading material before or after the movie flies into theaters, then there’s a lot to choose from.

So, where do you start? We’ve taken a look at some of the best Superman graphic novels from across multiple eras, and we’ve listed them all below, in case you’re looking to brush up on all things Kryptonian before the new Superman movie arrives.

If you’re looking for other DC comic recommendations, but sure to check our list of the best Batman graphic novels, as well as some suggestions for Penguin books to check out if you enjoyed the recent HBO series. There’s also the recent Hellblazer Omnibus collection that’s on sale for anyone who wants to read some of the best stories featuring the DC universe’s occult investigator.

Superman director James Gunn has cited several of the comic stories that inspired the new movie, a few of which are appearing in the upcoming Superman: The Legacy omnibus.

The 800-page graphic novel contains some of the best-ever Superman stories in a single hardcover volume, including All-Star Superman, Superman: For All Seasons, and Kingdom Come. Superman: The Legacy launches on June 25 for $85, and preorders are available now.

Still regarded as the definitive Superman story–20 years after it was first published–this 12-issue series chronicles the final days of the Metropolis marvel. Overloaded with solar radiation and with time running out, Superman takes on Herculean labors of strength, clashes with several of his greatest enemies, and pushes himself to the limit in this epic saga.

• All-Star Superman (Hardcover) — $68 ($125)
• All-Star Superman (Paperback) — $20.51 ($30)

An older graphic novel–but still an essential one–this collection of stories charts the course of four seasons in the Man of Steel’s adolescent life, showcasing how it’s the person, not the powers, that makes Superman a hero. With the late Tim Sale bringing his A-game to this tale and Mark Waid penning a touching coming-of-age story, For All Seasons is an absorbing look at how a country boy evolved into the world’s greatest hero.

• Superman: For All Seasons (Hardcover) — $68.75 ($100)
• Superman: For All Seasons (Paperback) — $17 ($20)

From comic book legends Curt Swan and Alan Moore, this is a Superman story that caps off the Silver Age adventures of the Man of Steel. Facing off against his greatest foes and revealing his final battle with the combined forces of Brainiac and Lex Luthor, this graphic novel also includes the classic story “For the Man who has Everything” from Superman Annual #11 in which Batman, Robin and Wonder Woman fight the evil warlord Mongul to save Superman. Capping things off is a reprint of DC Comics Presents #85, in which Superman meets Swamp Thing.

It’s almost 30 years old, but Kingdom Come is still as relevant as ever. A riveting story set in the future, Kingdom Come pits the old guard of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and their peers against a new and violent generation of heroes in the final war to determine the planet’s fate. The Absolute Edition of Kingdom Come is brilliant, as not only does the artwork of Alex Ross shine in this oversized format, but it’s loaded with a ton of extra content that shows you just how this mini-series was developed.

• Kingdome Come (Hardcover) — $62 ($100)
• Kingdome Come (Paperback) — $11.24 ($20)

Hailed as the definitive origin story of Superman for the 21st century, Secret Origin focuses on Clark Kent’s journey from the cornfields of Smallville to the skyscrapers of Metropolis as he encounters familiar foes for the first time.

Just what did Superman get up to in the years when he left Smallville and arrived in Metropolis as the Man of Tomorrow? Birthright tells a story of self-discovery, following Clark Kent as he searches for his purpose in life, masters his powers, and learns to balance his life as forms crucial bonds that help shape him into the Man of Steel.

• Superman: Birthright (Paperback) — $9.29
• Superman: Birthright (Hardcover) — $28.49 ($50)

While this isn’t a graphic novel, this 400-page encyclopedia looks to be the most comprehensive resource on Superman’s engrossing history. It covers 85 years of Superman’s history in radio, TV, film, animation, computer games, PSAs, advertising, merchandise, and, of course, comic books.

The 1990s saw DC take on an ambitious new direction for the character with four concurrent runs–Superman, Adventures of Superman, Action Comics, and Superman: The Man of Steel–all linked into one overarching storyline that saw the hero team up with various other DC characters. The first part of this era, dubbed The Triangle Era, has now been collected into a massive collection spanning nearly 1,400 pages.

The first Triangle Era book is a massive slice of Superman’s ’90s adventures, and the second volume continues that look at the Man of Steel’s unified era across almost 1,500 pages. Combining another year of stories from Superman, Adventures of Superman, Action Comics, and Superman: The Man of Steel, this volume focuses on the cataclysmic battle against Doomsday across the infamous “Death of Superman” storyline.

The New 52 eventually came to an end, and in its place came a tonal reset of DC Comics that was referred to as the Rebirth Era. With the original Superman back in the DCU, legendary artist and writer Dan Jurgens returned to Action Comics, and his stories saw Superman take on old enemies and interact with a new breed of younger and angrier heroes–including a whole new Superman.

Joined by an art team that included Patrick Zircher and Tyler Kirkham, this gigantic omnibus collects Action Comics #957-976, Superman: Lois and Clark #1-8, Superman #18-19, Justice League #52, Convergence: Superman #1-2, Superman: Rebirth #1, and DC Universe: Rebirth #1.

Superman has had multiple reboots over the years, but leave it to veteran comic book writer Grant Morrison to put a fascinating spin on the Man of Steel. With the launch of the New 52 in the 2010s–a massive reset for DC Comics at the time–Action Comics then charted Clark Kent’s journey as he grew into the role of Superman. Young, untested, and clad in nothing but jeans and a T-shirt, this series saw Superman take on familiar foes for the very first time, with Morrison’s writing brought to life by an all-star roster of artists like Andy Kubert, Rags Morales, and Brad Walker. This first omnibus edition collects Action Comics #0-18 and Action Comics Annual #1.

One of the earliest reboots for Superman came out in the aftermath of the legendary mini-series Crisis on Infinite Earths. Writer-artist John Byrne stripped Superman back to his core in 1986, reinventing him for a new audience at the time. Lex Luthor was reimagined as a slick–and ruthless–business tycoon, Clark Kent had to juggle a social life with his superhero duties, and Metropolis had a growing supervillain problem for Superman to constantly deal with. This omnibus collects Man of Steel #1-6, Superman #1-4, Action Comics #584-587, Adventures of Superman #424-428, and profiles from Who’s Who: Update ’87.

Back in the ’90s, the impossible happened: Superman died. It was the storyline that rocked the world of comic books, as the Man of Steel met his match in the form of Doomsday, a seemingly unstoppable engine of destruction driven to kill all life. While the ending was shocking, the events leading up to Superman’s main event bout with Doomsday make for an action-packed epic. While the saga has been released in various trade paperbacks over the years, the 2025 edition might be the best one yet as it addresses numerous errors from those reprints.

The Absolute Universe from DC Comics promised an all-new take on familiar faces, and it more than delivered with a radically different version of Superman. Not only does the book examine Superman as a refugee–who crash-lands on Earth as an adult instead of a baby–but we also get to see him learn to master new powers, travel the globe, and fight the good fight in this fascinating reinvention of the character.

Superman: Space Age featured a titanic team-up for the ages, as legendary artists Mike and Laura Allred joined critically acclaimed writer Mark Russell to deliver a sweeping Superman saga. Unfolding across multiple decades, this beautifully illustrated Superman adventure follows the hero as he tackles new dangers and struggles to save his adopted homeworld from the path of self-destruction.

Writer Geoff Johns and artist Gary Frank had a legendary run on Superman, and one of the best stories from the team saw longtime villain Brainiac upgraded into a major threat. More than just a great slugfest between Superman and the super-genius, the Brainiac storyline celebrates the gloriously silly Silver Age of comics, as it re-introduced the bottled city of Kandor and gave Supergirl a well-deserved starring role.

Superman’s origin usually sees him crash-land in Kansas, but what if his rocket was a tiny bit off course? You’d get a Superman who was raised by the Russian state during the height of the Cold War, a symbol of the Soviet Union dedicated to its people and ideologies. Superman: Red Son is a fascinating look at the Man of Steel as he champions Communism and clashes with new versions of Batman, Lex Luthor, and world powers, but at his core, this hero is still a symbol for all people.

The 1978 Superman movie is still considered to be one of the best live-action interpretations of the character, and decades later, the Last Son of Krypton from this universe flew back into action in a new digital comic book series. Superman ’78 has action, heart, and crisp art, as the world’s greatest hero faced off against villains like Brainiac and Lex Luthor with his trademark charm and grit.