With a new trailer released earlier this month, it's safe to say that James Gunn's Superman is entering its final stretch. The Man of Steel will once again take to the skies, this time played by David Corenswet. A film that will begin a new story for DC's heroes in cinema, overseen by Gunn himself and Peter Safran.
And while the father of Guardians of the Galaxy has already shared his literary inspirations for bringing Kal-El back to life, notably All-Star Superman – which we told you about on Superman Day, as well as Red Son – we wanted to go further.
Superman For All Seasons
Reissue 2023, Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale, published in France by Urban Comics
When the authors of Batman: The Long Halloween take on the man in the red briefs, it inevitably results in a work to have in your hands at least once. Superman For All Seasons is a coming-of-age story divided into four seasons, returning to Clark Kent / Kal-El, not from his point of view, but from that of four people who know him: Jonathan Kent, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor and Lana Lang.
A unique perspective that separates the man and the superhero, makes them coexist, puts them in competition. An album where feeling predominates over action, where we connect this extraordinary being to the strength given to him by those close to him, even his worst enemy. Far from shaking the idol, we can say that this story is a distillation of all the positive values embodied by Superman. A little cheesy? Not really, since we see it above all as a symbol of hope. The same symbol that Gunn promises with his film and which is doing a lot of good these days.
Kingdom Come
2012, Mark Waid & Alex Ross, published in France by Urban Comics
A radical change of atmosphere with Kingdom Come. Here, Superman isn't the only one on stage, and almost all the DC heroes make an appearance. However, the story doesn't fit into any particular timeline and doesn't require in-depth knowledge of the house mythology. Especially since Waid's script is clear enough that you don't feel lost while reading. And what about Ross's drawings, known for his pictorial style?
Kingdom Come is an invitation to question the responsibility of superhumans when humanity seems to rely solely on them to survive, and what would happen if a new generation of heroes had no use for this responsibility. Similar, but in a very different process from Injustice (to name just one), Kal-El will also be at the origin of a totalitarian regime, thus allying against him Batman and… Lex Luthor!
Besides the presence of other heroes in the next dedicated feature film, we wanted to talk about this comic with this desire to point out the danger of too much human passivity. A population that could easily reproach a farmer's son for not being a God, with the consequences. An idea supported by certain scenes from the new Superman.
Superman Lost
2024, Christopher Priest, Carlo Pagulayan & Lee Weeks, published in France by Urban Comics
The plan is to send Superman to the depths of space and bring him back a few hours later... or twenty years later for him. An opportunity to tackle a delicate subject that even a Kryptonian's powers can do nothing to combat: post-traumatic stress.
Superman finds himself haunted by lives he couldn't save and his own existence that he sacrificed. Lost confronts him with his limits, not through the prism of his weaknesses, but through that of his psyche. How do you overcome failure? How do you still embody hope when you no longer believe in it? This comic makes the weight of the cape very heavy, imposing duty before love or the will of a people.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
2022, Tom King & Bilquis Evely, published in France by Urban Comics
We're cheating a little by opening the scope of our advice to the future of the DC Universe after Superman. Because next year, it's Kal-El's cousin who will be arriving on the big screen, and it's not out of the question that she'll already be waving a little hello next July. No need to talk about distant inspiration here, since the film Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow has the same name as the comic book by Tom King and Bilquis Evely.
How can you tell two Kryptonians dressed in red and blue apart from their gender? This story propels Kara Danvers into the middle of a vengeful quest across space, showing us everything that makes Supergirl NOT Superman with impressive depth. A story about grief with a host of existential questions and the search for optimism, always, even in the most seedy corners of the galaxy. If the film is as successful as the comic, Supergirl could very quickly bury Superman in people's hearts. At least on the big screen.
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