No need to be sorry for the long post- likewise, there’s so much to unpack! One thing we can both agree on: Superboy’s jeans & t-shirt look is ICONIC. You reminded me that I have seen some Death Metal reading order suggestions around these parts:
Hopefully this helps! The moderation team is looking to create more robust reading lists and “where to start” topics, and this sounds like a great one to include. Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback, and especially your lovely and sometimes heartbreaking memories of your time “in the books”!