With the launch of SUPERMAN & LOIS on the CW this month, the seventh spin-off series in the Arrowverse, there’s a lot of buzz around the Man of Steel again.
The setup for the show sees Clark Kent/Superman (Tyler Hoechin) and Lois Lane (Bitsie Tulloch) returning to Smallville, and learning to juggle their working lives while raising their two young boys. Wait, what?
Yes, some big changes have happened to to the Arrowverse since the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event last year. After bringing several of the shows together on the same world, the Metropolis established in Supergirl is now a part of the same Earth as The Flash, Black Lightning, Batwoman and Legends of Tomorrow.
While Lois and Clark are new to this world, the relationship between Superman and Lois Lane is as old as comic books. It has weathered multiple reboots and remains (mostly) constant across the Multiverse, continuing to adapt to whatever crisis the world throws at it. So, join us as we take a dive into some of the comics that will help you get in the mood for the show.
Superman: Lois and Clark
From everything we’ve seen so far, much of the basic setup for this show is taken from this 8-issue comic series. Like his TV counterpart, this series sees Superman and Lois settling into a freshly minted world in the wake of a Crisis-level event (in this case, Convergence). In this case, the main couple are refugees from an older version of Earth. They are raising their son on a farm, content in the knowledge that the new Earth’s Superman is doing what needs to be done. Of course, no Man of Steel can stay in retirement for long. If you dig on a bearded Superman and that black suit, this is the book for you.
Single issues: Superman: Lois and Clark #1 – 8 (2015-2016) Collected edition: Superman: Lois and Clark (2016)
Superman: Son of Superman
A direct follow-up to the above in the wake of the DC Rebirth event, Peter J. Tomasi and artist by Patrick Gleason run with the concept of Clark and Lois as parents. In the wake of a global tragedy, this Superman must step up and become a new hero. One suspects that some of the stories from the new show will be loosely based on this setup.
Single issues: Superman: Rebirth #1, Superman (Vol. 4) #1-6 (2016)
Collected edition: Superman – Vol. 1: Son of Superman (DC Universe Rebirth)
Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?
Crafted as an “imaginary story” – the kind that the legendary and tyrannical Mort Weisinger concocted during his lengthy editorial run – this is Alan’s Moore pre-Crisis coda. Using the framing device of an older Lois Lane being interviewed, Clark Kent is outed as Superman. His various enemies gathering to work against him and his allies rush to help him face his ‘final’ fate. Before Watchmen put the final word on heroics, here’s Moore having fun with history. It’s all here: the goofy characters Krypto, the tragi-comic Bizarro, the light sci-fi of the Legion, Lana Lang and Jimmy Olsen. Yet Moore infuses Curt Swan’s lovingly rendered imagines with an incredibly heart-breaking significance and a knowing wink.
Single issues: Superman (Vol. 1) # 423 + Action Comics (Vol.1) #583
Collected editions: Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? or DC Universe: The Stories of Alan Moore
Lois Lane: Enemy of the People
Greg Rucka puts Lois into full investigator mode when a White House press conference leads her to a secret that will rock the foundations of the world and impact on Superman’s life. Its sort-of-ripped-from-the-headlines leanings had certain corners of the web up in arms, but it showcases Rucka’s innate knowledge of Lane as a character.
Single issues: Lois Lane (Vol. 2) # 1-12
Collected editions: Lois Lane: Enemy of the People
Superman for All Seasons
If you know Jeph Loeb and artist Tim Sale’s work (Batman: The Long Halloween, Spider-Man: Blue), then you’ll be aware they love two things: classic takes on characters and seasonal snapshots. Filled with Norman Rockwell inspired art, this acts a parallel origin story told from the perspective of Jonathan Kent, Lex Luthor, Lois Lane and Lana Lang. Lois’s narration of summer is particularly apt for our reading here, as it reflects on the impact Superman’s appearance has on her journalism career. A beautiful book.
Single issues: Superman for All Seasons # 1-4
Collected editions: Superman for All Seasons: Deluxe Edition
Lois Lane: When It Rains, God is Crying
While the lofty title is typical of the mid-80s melodrama (think: Chris Claremont’s God Loves, Man Kills or Jon J. Muth’s Dracula: A Symphony in Moonlight & Nightmares), the subject matter is a little more serious. Originally released as two extra large sized issues (coming to about 100 pages of story in total), Mindy Newell crafts a Lois-centric where Clark is a background character. The rather dark story, brilliantly illustrated by Gray Morrow (Tarzan, Green Arrow: The Wonder Year) is about child abduction and murder – including some hitherto hidden secrets about Lana Lang’s past.
Single issues: Lois Lane (Vol. 1) #1 + 2 (1986)
All-Star Superman
This is not at the bottom of this list because of any ranking system. It’s down here because it’s the ultimate Superman story. The last Superman story that we might ever need. Written by Grant Morrison and drawn by Frank Quitely. With a year left to live, Superman reveals his identity to Lois to spend his remaining time with her. One of the more touching moments is when Clark imbues Lois with powers for a day, and she gets to see what it is like to be a Superwoman through his eyes. Arguably the greatest Superman story ever told.
Single issues: All-Star Superman #1 – 12 (2005-2008)
Collected editions: Absolute All-Star Superman or All-Star Superman (DC Black Label Edition)
Further reading
The Man of Steel (1986)
One of those classic tales that is also very much of its time and place. If Alan Moore and Curt Swan’s Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? was the final word on Superman in a pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths world, this John Byrne led mini-series was a declaration of what the Man of Steel would be going forward. It was the official origin — at least up until the universe got rebooted again. Dated, but a good yarn in and of itself.
Kingdom Come (1996)
One of the more notorious Elseworlds stories, it deals with an alternate future tension between out-of-touch traditional heroes and their edgier and largely amoral children. While it’s a great story about the restoration of the hope Superman represents, it’s less successful for Lois, and is an example of the notorious mid-90s habit of ‘fridging’ heroines to spur on the male hero. This story has been referenced in the Arrowverse as well, with Brandon Routh returning to play a future version of his Superman Returns character during the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover.
Superman: Last Son of Krypton (2006-2008)
Not to be confused with Elliot S! Maggin’s tie-in novel for Superman: The Movie, this arc (also known simple as Last Son) combines the talents of writers Geoff Johns and director Richard Donner. Influenced by the latter’s films, it introduces Christopher Kent, the adopted son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane who is in fact the biological son of General Zod and Ursa. There’s parallels with the newer books at the top of this list.
