Superman is the most important character in comic history. While comics existed before the character debuted, it was Superman’s popularity that helped keep comics around. Since then, the Man of Steel has had his ups and downs in popularity, with the last few years making him more of a focus for DC Comics. Over the decades, many of the greatest creators in the history of the comic medium have worked on the hero, and there are many gamechanging moments in his history, ones that have changed comics forever. Superman made superheroes and comics into the cultural force they are today, with the character’s art being especially important to the history of comics.
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Covers have always been one of the most integral parts of the comic medium. These images grab the reader’s attention and get them to the buy book, and Superman has had many of the best covers ever. These ten Superman covers look amazing, and each of them had a huge effect on comics.
10) New York World’s Fair Comics #2
Superman and Batman are the world’s finest team, the two superheroes that showed just what could be done with superhero comics. For close to a hundred years now, readers have gotten many team-ups between the two of them, with their first talking place decades ago. 1940’s New York World’s Fair Comics #2 is the first time they shared a cover (along with Robin), drawn by Jack Burnley, and is the first of many, many comics with the two of them together. Since then, the two of them have shared numerous covers and team-up comics, all because of this one cover.
9) Action Comics #1
Superman’s history is full of amazing moments, but one could make the argument that the most important is the cover to Action Comics #1, by Joe Shuster and Jack Adler. This image introduced readers to the first superhero, and it’s one of the most iconic pieces of art from the 20th century. No one had ever seen anything like this before and it brought in readers by the droves to find out who the man in blue, yellow, and red was. Writer Grant Morrison wrote about what makes this cover so excellent in their book SuperGods, breaking down its composition and what makes it the perfect introduction to the superhero. Just looking at it, though, you can see why it made such a huge splash. It’s a piece of pop culture ephemera that will live forever in fans’ minds.
8) Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #115
In the Silver and early Bronze Age of Comics (a period that lasted from 1956 to the early ’70s), readers got one of the most interesting periods of Superman history: “jerk Superman”. This refers to the many, many covers that showed Superman tormenting, gaslighting, and basically playing mean-spirited tricks on Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane, Lana Lang, and Perry White. There are lots of great ones to choose from, but the best is easily Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #115. This classic covers involves Superman threatening to pour out a pitcher of water as Jimmy and Aquaman struggle towards him. It’s a brilliant composition, which is to be expected from legendary artist Neal Adams. This cover image sums up years of Superman stories in the best possible way, and is the most recognizable “jerk Superman” cover.
7) Superman (Vol. 1) #125
Superman (Vol. 1) #125 is one of those comics that has found its way into the pantheon of most recognizable comic covers ever. The cover, by Curt Swan and Stan Kaye, featured Superman using what the cover tells us is a new power, with the crowd under him exclaiming about it. This cover is basically everything you could want from a Superman cover. It shows the big blue boy scout in his all glory, it’s visually interesting, and will definitely make readers want to see what this issue is all about. It’s a classic cover, one that has become an important part of the history of Superman and that many fans of the character know and love.
6) Action Comics (Vol. 1) #538
Crisis on Infinite Earths changed DC forever, ending the multiverse that the publisher had been building for decades. Writer Alan Moore was given the honor of writing the “last” Superman story, giving readers the all-time great titled “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?”. Action Comics (Vol. 1) #538, with a cover from Curt Swan, Murphy Anderson, and Anthony Tollin, is the last cover featuring the Superman that had been appearing on covers since 1956. It’s one of those covers that is basically perfect, capturing the beauty and sadness of this moment in comic history. It’s an amazing cover with a much deeper meaning to the history of comics than most fans realize.
5) All-Star Superman #10
All-Star Superman is a perfect Superman comic. Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s masterpiece is one of the most beloved comics of the last 20 years, and the covers by Quitely and Jamie Grant are especially good. There are some amazing covers from this 12-issue series, and All-Star Superman #10 has always been one of the best of the bunch. It’s a simple image, just Superman lovingly holding the planet Earth in his hands. However, it says so much about who Superman is. This cover represents everything amazing about the character. It basically told you everything you’d need to know about the character and the issue in one image that speaks volumes.
4) Superman Annual #10
Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons were the team behind Watchmen, a comic that is usually considered the greatest of them all. They had worked together before that book, though, and one of the most beloved of their works came from Superman Annual #11, a story that put the Man of Steel against Mongul and the Black Mercy on his birthday, a poisonous plant that gives you your greatest desires before killing you. This story is one of the most beloved in Superman’s history and this cover, from Dave Gibbons, is one of the most famous. This cover is a masterpiece of composition, and it has always been one of the best covers in the history of comics.
3) Action Comics (Vol. 1) #252
Supergirl is one of the most important characters in DC’s history. She was first introduced to readers in Action Comics (Vol. 1) #252, with a cover by Curt Swan (Swan is the best Silver/Bronze Age Superman artist in my opinion) and Al Plastino. The cover is an awesome composition, introducing the new superheroine with an image that has lived forever. It’s simple, just the two heroes and the rocket, but it gives you everything you need to know right there. Supergirl would be a huge success, and would lead to a whole new generation of female heroes joining the world of cokmics. This cover was the beginning of all that, and will go down in history as one of the best covers ever.
2) Superman (Vol. 2) #75
“Death of Superman” was a gamechanging story, and it was all capped off with the brilliant cover to Superman (Vol. 2) #75, Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding. There are actually two different versions of this cover. There’s the newsstand edition showing Superman’s torn cape swaying in the breeze, with his friends crying in the background and the direct edition from comic stores, which had the bleeding Superman symbol on its polybag, with the actual cover being the hero’s gravestone. Each of these covers are perfect for the event, although the newsstand edition is the one that everyone recognizes the most. It captures everything about this classic Superman moment, and is etched on the hearts of many fans.
1) All-Star Superman #1
All-Star Superman #1’s cover, from Frank Quitely and Jamie Grant, has become one of the most iconic images starring the Man of Steel ever. It’s one of those covers that set a new standard for the hero. It’s become an image that has been used by many people over the years as the perfect Superman image. The hero sitting on a cloud above Metropolis, looking at the viewer, is flawless. There is a part of me that wants to describe why it’s so perfect, but the best way to do that is just look at it. All-Star Superman is many fans’ favorite Superman stories, and this cover has become synonymous with the Last Son of Krypton.
What’s your favorite Superman cover? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
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