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Superman/Action Comics New 52 Reading Order (with also Superman/Wonder Woman and Batman/Superman)

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A new Superman for a new era! Following the events of Flashpoint, the DC Universe was relaunched as the New 52 to provide new entry points for readers. While this is not an entirely clean slate ( something that DC seems unable to achieve), several changes have been made to offer fresh perspectives on familiar characters and attract new readers.

What does this mean for Superman? The Man of Steel from the modern age has been replaced by a younger, more brash version of the character. The New 52 Superman is not married to Lois Lane, and his adoptive parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent, have died. He is a founding member of the Justice League and has made headlines for his relationship with Wonder Woman. He is also a widely criticized and unpopular version of the character among fans.

Looking at the long list of writers who worked on the Superman titles during New 52, there is no doubt this was a messy era for the Man of Steel. Grant Morrison (Action Comics, George Perez (Superman), Scott Lobdell (Superman), Greg Pak (Batman/Superman, Action Comics), Charles Soule, and Peter Tomasi (Superman/Wonder Woman), as well as Keith Giffen, Dan Jurgens, Fabian Nicieza, George Perez, Frank Hannah, Mike Johnson, and Gene Luen Yang wrote stories during those years.

Today, we are looking at the good, the bad, and the ugly of the Superman New 52 comics with our Updated Reading Guide!

Superman/Action Comics New 52 Reading Order

The history of Clark Kent’s early days. Grant Morrison’s Action Comics, which began at the start of the New 52 era, is one of the most popular and celebrated runs for the character. The writer of All-Star Superman returned to the Superman mythos to tell a new origin story, establishing the character’s history in the Prime Earth continuity. The stories are filled with action and adventure, shocking secrets, parallel Earths, deadly encounters with the Anti-Superman Army, Brainiac, Metal-Zero, and much more!

Justice League

Superman Team-Up. Writer Geoff Johns reimagines the first-ever meeting of the Justice League, of which Superman is part of. You can start reading about the team’s adventures here, although Superman only appears as a supporting character, and their adventures have no impact on his own. The Justice League New 52 comics can be read on its own.

Before founding the Justice League, Superman met and teamed up with Batman. Their first encounter was published a little bit later, as the first story in the Batman/Superman title by Greg Pak and Jae Lee.

★ Grant Morrison’s run from this era is the only one that can be found in Omnibus in: Superman by Grant Morrison Omnibus

Superman in the Present day. Comic Legend George Perez and artist Jesus Merino kick-started the new adventures of Superman in the New 52 era (this story, set in present day, was published at the same time as Morrison’s Action Comics). Perez was the first of a long line of writers on this book, as he was quickly followed by Giffen and Jurgens, and more!

H’El has come to Earth! Spanning across Superman, Superboy and Supergirl, this is the first Superman crossover that puts the superheroes face to face with the maniacal alien, H’el. The whole event has been collected in one book:

Wonder Woman Icon

Superman and Wonder Woman’s relationship takes a turn at the end of Justice League #12. From there, the couple is seen in romantic relationships on occasion before being at the center of their own book. In all cases, if you want to follow their relationship chronologically, catch up on Justice League Vol. 2: The Villain’s Journey and Vol. 3: Throne of Atlantis here.

  • Superman: Action Comics Vol. 4: Hybrid
    Collects Action Comics Vol. 2 #18–24, stories from Young Romance: A New 52 Valentine’s Day Special #1 and Superman Annual Vol. 3 #2
  • Superman Unchained
    Collects Superman Unchained #1–9. By Scott Snyder and Jim Lee comes one of the most celebrated Superman story of this era.

    • While there are a few references to past events, this is mostly a stand-alone story.
    • This story has also been collected in a Deluxe Edition.
  • Superman Vol. 4: Psi-War
    Collects Superman Vol. 3 #18–24, Superman Annual Vol. 3 #2. Taking place at the same time as Action Comics Vol. 4.

Krypton Returns is another crossover between Superman, Superboy, and Supergirl and a follow-up to Hel’on Earth, in which the Super team must travel through time and Krypton’s history to prevent H’el from dooming the entire universe.

Superman: Doomed. It’s Superman vs. Doomsday, but the battle is just the beginning! When the Man of Steel becomes infected with Doomsday’s powers and traits, the world and all those he cares about are put at risk in this crossover between several Superman titles.

Note: You will find in some collected editions a few Futures End tie-ins, an eleven-month weekly comic book miniseries set five years in The New 52’s future. It is distinct from the main continuity. If you want to know more about that particular event, you can consult our reading order. The conclusion ties into Convergence (see below), but it’s more than optional.

The Truth. Superman loses his powers after using a solar flare in a battle, draining his powers. If it wasn’t enough, his secret identity was revealed to the world, forcing him to confront the consequences of his double life and the impact it had on his loved ones and the people of Earth. This is all explored in the different Superman titles, and culminates in another event, Savage Dawn.

What happens to worlds when they die? While DC Comics put their regular line of comics on hold to move their offices from New York City to Burbank, California, they published Convergence instead. In this series, heroes and villains from dozens of worlds battle each other for their very existence.

One of the characters was Superman Pre-Flashpoint, fighting for the survival of Lois and their son. Following this event, their adventures continued in Superman: Lois and Clark, a prelude to the Rebirth era.

★ It’s worth noting that those stories have also been collected in Superman: Action Comics by Dan Jurgens Omnibus Vol. 1.

The Final Days of Superman. This is New 52 Superman’s last story. Before going in, you can read, though optional, the Darkseid War event, as the end leads directly into those final days. Also, events from Justice League of America: Power and Glory are referenced in Final Days.

Note: All the issues collected in Superman: Action Comics Vol. 9: Last Rites can be found in other trades indicated above. So, skip this one!

The Story continues in Superman Rebirth.

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