(Part 2) Top products from r/superman

I really enjoyed the Kingdom Come graphic novel as well as Superman: Peace On Earth. Although Peace on Earth is a Christmas story it is still really well done, and anything done by Alex Ross is worth picking up. Both show Superman pitted against his greatest enemy: the darker aspects of human nature.

Superman: Red Son is an interesting twist on the Superman story line, where Superman is raised in Russia instead of on the Kent farm.

The Superman: Man of Steel volume set by John Byrne is a nice introduction, but I personally feel it is really short and lacking in a lot of detail.

The Death of Superman is quite good too, and I would highly recommend picking it up; the final pages are really hard for me to get through, but that might just be me.

Superman: Secret Identity isn't technically about Superman, since it takes place on Earth-prime (a world where superheroes exist only in comics, kind of like our world), but I love how this graphic novel portrays humanity...

I hope that helps. If I can think of any more graphic novels I'll be sure to list them in an edit. Good choice on Birthright though, you won't be disappointed.

Also, I know you had mentioned that you wanted to steer away from the new 52 for now, but they are going to be coming out with volume sets here soon, so if you wanted to you could start off with Action Comics Volume 1. This way you could experience Superman as he becomes the greatest hero the world has ever known.

In addition to the ones suggested by others. The following are origin stories and each are pretty good in their own right.

• Secret Identity - Brilliant story about a real life guy named Clark Kent who is sick of the comparison.
  
• Man of Steel Byrne remake - This is the Superman I grew up with. Super relatable. Limited power set.
  
• Birthright - Mark Waid's stab at updating and combining the origins of the silver age & byrne reboot.
  
• Earth One vol 1 and 2 Cool other universe story. Shane Davis is fantastic.
  
• Secret Origin Geoff Johns's attempt at a soft reboot a few years after Waid's Birthright.
  
  The following are pretty good at diving into what makes the character great
  
  
• Kingdom Come - This is an awesome Mark Waid Elseworlds / What If kinda story that has a lot of different themes going on in it. Alex Ross at his best.
  
• Search for Krypronite - This gives a good example of the dynamic between Supes and Bats and Shane Davis's art is amazing.
  
• 'Til Death Do Us Part - Story's a little cheesy and the art is an acquired taste but this shows a nice peek into the Lois / Clark relationship
  
• Critical Condition - The first half of this book is awesome as Batman helps a sickly Superman find a missing Lois. Beautiful characterization. The second half is kinda lame.
  
  

To coincide with the release of the movie, DC published a 4-part prequel miniseries mostly taking place during Superman's 5-year absence from Earth, but it also included some scenes from Superman: The Movie.

Issue #1 was basically all the Krypton stuff from the 78 film up to when the Kents find him in his ship. Issue #2 is about Martha's life on the farm leading up to his return at the beginning of Returns. Issue #3 is Lex's plan to get out of jail, how he met Kitty, and a flashback to the 78 movie scene where Otis offers to take his cape. Issue #4 is Lois's story, how she met Richard, and putting her feelings for Superman behind her.

They're pretty good, if you ask me. Adam Hughes did the covers, Bryan Singer and his Returns writers are credited for the story while DC regulars wrote the final scripts (including Marc Andreyko, Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti). You can pick a copy up pretty cheap on Amazon, but sadly not in digital.

Humberto Ramos drew possibly my favorite Wolverine illustration. I also have a Batman book by Darwyn Cooke waiting to be read. His style reminds me of Bruce Timm (in a good way). No problem if you don't get to those scans. I have a Ross book at my parents house that I'll be perusing when I can, to get a better idea of his methods. I think sometimes I just like that "ol' Americana," Norman Rockwell style. Cooke did the theme well with New Frontier, too.

Some standalones:

• Action Comics #775 ("What's so funny about truth, justice, and the American way?")
  
• Kingdom Come
  
• Red Son
  
• Secret Identity
  
• Trinity
  
• Superman For All Seasons

I also have these novels, but haven't had a the chance to read them yet.

Superman: The High-Flying History of America's Most Enduring Hero by Larry Tye

It's Superman! by Tom De Haven

There's a book called Superman: The Never-Ending Battle. It's part of a series of Justice League novels. There was a book for the team, and an individual one for most of the members. The team is still there, but one stands out. The one I linked is, obviously, the Superman-centric book.

I have a copy that I'll almost certainly never read again. If you'd like, you could have it for no cost. Or you could order it on Amazon for a penny + shipping.

They even have audiobooks (though those are about $10).

Perhaps a bit more reputable (if dated) was a Gallup poll cited in Larry Tye's Superman history book, Chapter 10:

"A Gallup poll taken around the time of the death stories showed that just 25 percent of respondents saw him as passé, compared to 60 percent who wanted him brought back to life. The nationwide survey, which included people age eighteen and older, showed Superman to be more popular than all the other superheroes combined— with 44 percent picking him as their favorite, 8 percent liking Batman, and just 5
percent choosing Spider-Man. Thirty-nine percent knew Superman came from Krypton and 66 percent said Lois Lane was his girlfriend. By comparison, just 13 percent of Americans knew that Delaware was the first state and only 34 percent recognized John Adams as the second president, according to another Gallup survey done a year earlier."

Looks like Amazon has it for $36.

I haven't yet. I'm currently reading The Death and Life of Superman by Roger Stern. But as soon as I'm done with that, I have All-Star Superman, The Death of Superman saga and Red Son waiting for me. I've also started reading the most recent run of Superman. There are only 2 issues out, but I've enjoyed it thus far.

http://www.amazon.com/Showcase-Presents-Superman-Vol-4/dp/1401218474/ref=pd_sim_14_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1VD0YWFR9S0W8ND2WKAB

This is one of the ones I own. I have several from this series.

Naw, I'm talking about the BDSM art book. Erotic spankings, whippings, etc. Here's an article on the book. You can find more images online, I suppose.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Science-Superman-Mark-Wolverton/dp/0743452739

http://www.amazon.com/Man-Steel-Official-Movie-Novelization/dp/1781165998/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396836289&sr=8-1&keywords=man+of+steel+novel

Backing up /u/VicariousVandal with Superboy:The Boy of Steel but there is also this, I don't know how good it is but it's Conner being raised by the Kent's and he has a near full Krytonian skill set

It's Superman is a good one, The Death and Life of Superman that /u/ddub74012 mentioned is also a possibility. You could try the novelization of Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and Elliot Maggin too.

There is also Enemies and Allies by Kevin J. Anderson, about the meeting of Superman and Batman for the first time in the Cold War.

If you read the novelization (which includes deleted scenes, such as Clark crying as a baby and breaking all the glass in Smallville), the whales that surround him after the oil rig incident lift him to the surface of the water.
EDIT: Holy crap lets just leave it alone. It was in the novelization which is written before any scenes are cut. It was there, now it's not. No it's not cannon. I know. I never said it was, I was just bringing something different to the table besides "Yes" and "No". Read it, it's good.

Try "The Death and Life of Superman", a non-graphic novelization of the Death of Superman story arc from 1992/93 - http://www.amazon.com/The-Death-Life-Superman-Novel/dp/055309582X