[New to DCU] How to get into Superman Rebirth Comics

General Discussion Comic Books
1

Superman is the pinnacle of DC. Being its first true Superhero, everything that Superman is about is hope, justice, and American ideals. However, New 52 Superman forgot a lot of that. Rebirth is a return to form. However, starting Rebirth Superman is a little confusing because there are so many different series in the Superman world.

There are three different options getting into Superman in order of least to most reading to catch up:

  1. Bendis’s Run

  2. Tomasi and Jurgens Run into Bendis’s Run

  3. All of Superman Rebirth.

  4. Bendis’s Run. Brian Michael Bendis joined DC and started by taking on Superman. Bendis’s core tenets are a focus on a Superman who doesn’t have anything in his control, the asking and answering of questions, and discovering the conspiracy of Krypton’s demise. Bendis’s run and its tie-in series are the most together and organized and heading into year 2 (for those buying outside of DC Universe), the titles which expand still make an active effort to connect back in still.

Man of Steel
Man of Steel #1-6

The Man of Steel Comic kicks off Bendis’s Run. From there, Bendis breaks off into three different series.

Superman: The Story of Superman
Action Comics: The story of Clark Kent (Of course he’s still Superman a little)
Supergirl: The Story of learning Krypton’s past

Superman: The Unity Saga: Phantom Earth (#1 available 7/16)
Superman (2018) #1-6

Action Comics: Invisible Mafia (#1001 available 7/30)
Action Comics #1001-1006

Supergirl: The Killers of Krypton (#21 available 8/13)
Supergirl #21-26

Year 2 Spinoffs:
Event Leviathan
Lois Lane
Jimmy Olsen
Legion of Superheroes

  1. Tomasi and Jurgens Run. Viewed as a return of the small town Superman, the run introduces big characters including Jonathan Samuel Kent and Mr. Oz.

    Road to Rebirth:

    Superman: Lois and Clark
    Superman: Lois and Clark #1-8

Read Justice League #52 (New 52) (Don’t worry about past continuity, just focus on Luthor’s section.)

Rebirth:
DC Universe #1

Superman: Son of Superman
	Superman: Rebirth #1
	Superman #1-6

Action Comics: Path of Doom
	Action Comics #957 - 962


Action Comics: Welcome to the Planet
	Action Comics #963 - #966
	(Includes a part of Justice League #52 in the trade)

Superman: Trials of the Supersons
	Superman #7-13

Action Comics: Men of Steel
	Action Comics #967 - 972


Superman: Multiplicity
	Superman #14-17

Superman Annual #1

Superman: Black Dawn (doesn’t mention Reborn’s events)
Superman #20 - 26

EVENT: SUPERMAN REBORN at this point the New 52 continuity and rebirth continuity come together. At this point Last Days of isn’t all that helpful

Road to Reborn: Action Comics #973-974
Reborn:

Superman #18
Action Comics #975
Superman #19
Action Comics #976

REBORN AFTERMATH:
	
Action Comics: The New World ← The new continuity explained
	Action Comics #977 - 984

Supersons: When I Grow Up
Supersons #1-5

Superman: Hopes and Fears
Superman #27-32

EVENT: OZ EFFECT (okay not quite an event but two really important series!)

Action Comics #985-992

Detective Comics: A Lonely Place of Living (An Oz Effect sort of tie-in)
#963 - 668

Action Comics: Booster Shot (OZ Effect: Aftermath) //Last Volume of run
Action Comics #993 - 999
Action Comics Special #1

Supersons: Planet of the Capes
Supersons #6-10

Superman: Imperius Lex
Superman #33-36
Superman #39-41

EVENT: SUPERSONS OF TOMORROW
Superman #37
Supersons #11
Teen Titans #15
Superman #38
Supersons #12
Superman: Bizarroverse //Last Volume
Superman #42-43
Superman #44-45
Superman Special #1

Supersons: Parent Trap //Last Volume
Supersons #13-16
Supersons Annual #1

The Adventures of the Supersons
Adventures of the Supersons #1-12

Action Comics #1000

Then read Bendis’s Run (Section 1)

  1. Everything Superman Rebirth. This run is every Superman Rebirth title and series tie in. This read includes Tomasi and Jurgens run as well as Bendis and

New Super-man (Score: 9/10)
Supergirl (Score: 7/10)
Superwoman (Score: 5/10)
Tritnity (Score: 4/10)

Road to Rebirth:

Superman: Lois and Clark 
Superman: Lois and Clark #1-8

Last Days of Superman
	Superman #51 (New 52)
	Batman/Superman #31
	Action Comics #51 (New 52)
	Superman/Wonder Woman #28
	Batman/Superman #32
	Action Comics #52 (New 52)
	Superman #52 (New 52)

Read Justice League #52 (New 52) (Don’t worry about past continuity, just focus on Luthor’s section.)
Rebirth:
*DC Universe #1

New Super-man: Made in China
	New Superman #1-6

*Superman: Son of Superman
	Superman: Rebirth #1
	Superman #1-6

*Action Comics: Path of Doom
	Action Comics #957 - 962

Supergirl: Reign of the Cyborg Supermen
	Supergirl: Rebirth #1
	Supegirl #1-6

Superwoman: Who is Superwoman?
	Superwoman #1-7

Trinity: Better Together
	Trinity #1-6

*Action Comics: Welcome to the Planet
	Action Comics #963 - #966
	(Includes a part of Justice League #52 in the trade)

*Superman: Trials of the Supersons
	Superman #7-13

New Super-man: Coming to America
	New Super-man #7-12

*Action Comics: Men of Steel
	Action Comics #967 - 972


Superman: Multiplicity
	Superman #14-17

Superman Annual #1

Superman: Black Dawn (doesn’t mention Reborn’s events)
Superman #20 - 26

*EVENT: SUPERMAN REBORN at this point the New 52 continuity and rebirth continuity come together. At this point Last Days of isn’t all that helpful

Road to Reborn: Action Comics #973-974
Reborn:

Superman #18
Action Comics #975
Superwoman #8(Tie in)
Superman #19
Action Comics #976

REBORN AFTERMATH:
	
*Action Comics: The New World ← The new continuity explained
	Action Comics #977 - 984

*Supersons: When I Grow Up
Supersons #1-5

Superwoman: Rediscovery
Superwoman #8-12

Supergirl: Escape from the Phantom Zone

Supergirl #7-8
Batgirl Annual #1
Supergirl #9-11

Superman: Hopes and Fears
Superman #27-32

New Super-man: Equilibrium
New Super-man #13-19

*EVENT: OZ EFFECT (okay not quite an event but two really important series!)

Action Comics #985-992

*Detective Comics: A Lonely Place of Living (An Oz Effect sort of tie-in)
#963 - 668

*Action Comics: Booster Shot (OZ Effect: Aftermath) //Last Volume of run
Action Comics #993 - 999
Action Comics Special #1

Supersons: Planet of the Capes
Supersons #6-10

Superwoman: The Midnight Hour //Last volume
Superwoman #13-18

Supergirl: Girl of No Tomorrow
Supergirl #12-14
Supergirl Annual #1

Supergirl: Plain Sight //Last Volume of Run
Supergirl #15-20

Superman: Imperius Lex
Superman #33-36
Superman #39-41

*EVENT: SUPERSONS OF TOMORROW
Superman #37
Supersons #11
Teen Titans #15
Superman #38
Supersons #12

New Super-man and the Justice League of China \Last Volume
New Super-man #20-23
New Super-man #24

*Superman: Bizarroverse //Last Volume
Superman #42-43
Superman #44-45
Superman Special #1

Supersons: Parent Trap //Last Volume
Supersons #13-16
Supersons Annual #1

*Action Comics #1000

Then read Bendis’s Run (Section 1)
I hope this was helpful! Please if you have any questions PLEASE let me know! And if you want my entire Rebirth Reading Order with many different sections click this link

https://docs.google.com/document/d/17dpDIP4Fi4wGjv37vxxFhnaMZ8BQGmbJ-ic2fX7QkH8/edit

4759521.jpg
4759521.jpg600×927 119 KB

4 Likes
2

Fantastic break down! I’ll be using this in the near future

2 Likes
3

Great work! This is definitely helpful for anyone looking to get into Rebirth Superman Comics.

2 Likes
4

Who was that masked man?

5

Don-El are you referring to my profile pic?

6

@don-el Mr. Oz?

7

AquamonC137, no I recognize Rocketeer, I have a large poster of the guy in my home office!

Nathan.Payson, nah. I meant YOU, you are doing superhero-level volunteer service with this very helpful Rebirth reading order post!

2 Likes
8

Don-El thats awesome if its the Movie poster I had that in my room as a kid and it was the first thing I saw when I woke up. Also I would have been very surprised if you did not recognize The Rocketeer!
And Yes Super great work done by Nathan.Payson I am a lil ashamed that one of use in the WoS group did not do this earlier.

2 Likes
9

If you want even better work, all of this is already in my Rebirth Reading Order. I’m doing one a week

3 Likes
10

Dang. I didn’t like Trinity much either, but rating it lower than Superwoman? That’s harsh.

1 Like
11

I mean to each their own. Superwoman gets points for fleshing out Super-Lex. Trinity literally doesn’t work like ever.

2 Likes
12

For the Bendis run section, I would include the Bendis stories from Action Comics #1000 and DC Nation #0 to be read before Man of Steel (if I remember correctly). Great list and thanks for putting up so many great posts, Nathan! You are a real asset to this site.

1 Like
13

You are right!!! However, DC Nation #0 shows up directly in Man of Steel #2 and Action Comics #1000 shows up from a different perspective in Man of Steel #4. So it doesn’t really add much.

14

True. To each their own. For my money, Trinity struck me as generic and sloppy. Superwoman struck me as vastly incompetent, incoherent and boring.

15

Who is your favorite major Superman writer of Rebirth?

16

Tomasi by far. Tomasi is why I read Bendis. I care too much about Jon and Lois and Clark to stop reading even when I hate the direction. Hate Bendis but read everything he writes.

17

I’m almost to the end of 2016 in Action Comics and Superman, and thus far, I prefer Jurgens. I think Tomasi hits some ridiculously high highs, but then he has some stories that don’t do anything for me. Jurgens feels more consistent to me, but I think both arcs have been great thus far, and more people seem to agree with you.

I know a lot of people disliked Bendis’ work. Are you enjoying it?

1 Like
18

No, but I care about the characters too much to stop reading it… I am enjoying his Naomi and Young Justice though