Wondering which Superman comics to read before James Gunn’s upcoming DC Universe film? With the Man of Steel returning to the big screen in a rebooted storyline, DC has confirmed several iconic titles that directly influenced the tone, visuals, and characters in the movie. From Lex Luthor’s worldview to Superman’s early days in Smallville, these stories shaped the foundation of what audiences will see next.
Here’s a breakdown of the key Superman comics to read before the new movie hits theaters.
Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo’s Lex Luthor: Man of Steel is a five-issue limited series told entirely from Lex Luthor’s perspective. In the comic, Lex repeatedly refers to Superman as “it,” a line reflected in the film where Nicholas Hoult’s Lex says, “He’s not a man.” Lex states, “It isn’t natural,” and claims the name “Superman” was “an attempt to humanize him, as pointless as naming a hurricane.”
Lex builds a lab-grown android called Hope as a scientific answer to Superman. This concept reportedly inspired María Gabriela de Faría’s character Angela Spica, also known as the Engineer, in Superman.
Superman For All Seasons is a four-part series by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, with each issue narrated from the perspective of a different character: Pa Kent, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, and Lana Lang. It follows Clark Kent’s growth from a Kansas farm boy to a hero in Metropolis.
The series emphasizes that Superman’s strength lies in his character rather than his powers. The movie draws on this emotional foundation, framing Superman as a human figure rather than a distant alien. For All Seasons also appears in The Superman Box Set, alongside Kingdom Come and Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?
Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s 12-issue miniseries All-Star Superman is the most significant inspiration for the new film. It features elements like Superman Robots, Krypto the Superdog, Lex Luthor, and a monster attack on Metropolis.
James Gunn said, “All-Star Superman is the thing that we borrow the most heavily from.” Although the plot differs, Gunn noted the comic’s aesthetics and sci-fi tone heavily influenced the movie, describing Luthor’s role as “mad science sorcerer” and referencing the comic’s Silver Age style filtered through a modern lens.