Question for comicbook fans (specifically Superman and Captain America)

[Morbis Meh]

Good day ladies and gents today I have an odd request: I would like you to recommend me the best graphic novel available for each of the aformentioned super heroes. Reason being that I wish to give said novel to my wife and those two characters happen to be her favorite. Now she isn't a comic book fan, does not read them usually but she does enjoy super heroes so if you could recommend something that would be enjoyable for someone who isn't a massive comic book fan that would be great. At the moment I have heard great things regarding Superman: Red Son and moderately good things about Captain America: Winter Soldier. Thank you very much for your time and suggestions!

[Bitter]

Superman Red Son is good, but it's an Elseworlds so it's a completely different take on the character. Whether that matters to your wife I don't know, but if she wouldn't like Superman as a relatively benevolent Soviet dictator in a cold war with the USA then don't get it.

All-Star Superman is a great book which combines good characterisation, story and plot with silver-age silliness.

Superman for All Seasons is a more classic take on the character.

For Captain America it's a bit harder, but Ed Brubaker's is the definitive modern run. Get the start of his run or as much of it as you can. It's a bit confusing about which TPB to get, but The Captain America: Winter Soldier Ultimate Collection TPB might be a good one as it covers the start of his run, which is also the one the upcoming film will be based on, and is relatively cheap.

You could go with The Ultimates, vol 1, set in alternate world where things have more ATTITUDE. The Avengers movie and the tone of the Marvel Cinematic Universe drew from it a bit.

I've heard good things about Man Out of Time but can't vouch for it personally.

[BWR]

"Red Son" was good, and I'm a big fan of "Kingdom Come" which is quite probably the most detailed and realistically drawn comic book ever made (barring "Justice" by the same artist). Even my gf who is not really interested in superheroes, especially Superman, liked it a lot.

[Closet_Skeleton]

Kingdom Come felt like it needed you to be a general fan of the universe. I only really liked Bruce Wayne in it, which makes me wonder why Bruce Wayne is only interesting in alternate futures where he's aged up a lot.

All Star Superman is a lot better with both volumes then it is with just the first half. I think you might be able to get it complete in one volume now. I'm not a great fan of the colouring though.

[Eldan]

Kingdom Come was really weird. For some reason, I thought I'd read it, despite not knowing anything about Superhero comics. What I got was Batman, Superman and two dozen people I've never heard of doing...something.

[BWR]

I suppose that's a fair assessment. Thinking things over if you know no one but Bats and Supes there will be some stuff in KC that doesn't make a lot of sense. Still, my gf didn't really know much about the DC universe and liked it. She could recognize (and little else) about half a dozen characters and that was enough.

[Eldan]

I did recognize a few more by their costumes since I'd seen pictures before but that's about it. Flash, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, that's about it. No idea about their backstories, though. I have no idea who Wonder Woman is, really, or what her powers are. Aquaman can apparently swim and talk to sea animals and Flash is quick. That's literally all I know about them.

[Bitter]

Kingdom Come loses quite a lot if you you don't know much about DC. It probably still holds together alight as a story if you're happy to just accept whatever weird characters are presented to you, but a lot will go over your head and some moments that should be meaningful will likely fall a bit flat.

It's kind of hard to judge as someone who is a comic book fan and gets a load of those references exactly how someone who isn't would read it, which is why I didn't recommend it.

[Metahuman1]

Captain America: The End, is perhaps the single most beautiful Epilog you could have given that character and absolutely blows the entire Civil War events death story arc for him out of existence.

The Story arc with Winter Solider wasn't bad, It probably would have been excellent if they had not tied it so heavily into the build up for Civil War.



As for Superman

Red Son and All Star Superman are both solid.

The new Krypton story arc wasn't bad but it felt like it could have been stronger.

Death of Superman is basically considered essential reading, and it is a Powerful Story if you've never read it, more so once you think about the normal context of a Superman Story arc.

What ever happened to the Man of Tomorrow is also pretty good, but it goes in some Dark directions. It's form the guy who wrote Watchmen and V for Vendetta the graphic novels.

And then there's "What's Wrong with Truth, Justice and The American Way?" and it's sequel which I forget the name of. Both do some really interesting stuff with the character that explain a lot about him.

[Bitter]

I'll back up "What's Wrong with Truth, Justice and The American Way" as being great.

Wouldn't recommend Death of Superman though. Basically Doomsday punches a load of superheroes and then punches Superman and Superman punches back but his punches don't hurt Doomsday but then he punches Doomsday just right and they both die.

[Jonzac]

The best part of the Death of Superman is less the fight but the aftermath with the actions of the heros left behind and the speculation of the four alternate Supermen and their stories.

[Metahuman1]

Consider this, the traditional story for a superman adventure is bad guy comes up with high tech thingy and insanely complex/convoluted plan and threatens people, superman shows up, breaks it, rescuing people, and he's a hero, and usually isn't in much danger personally.


Death of Superman: Doomsday shows up, no history, no reason, no plan, hell he doesn't even talk. He starts killing things, everything he crosses paths with. Other supers try to fight him and get blown out of the water. Superman tries to fight him. And he takes it, and takes it, and takes it, giving as good as he gets and cutting a swath of destruction on sheet brute force that is so utterly tremendous it's actually injuring superman. And finally the battle climaxes in Metropolis with Superman Digging his heels in and saying "this far, no farther." and they stand there, too tired to dodge, Superman too hell bent on stopping the carnage to run or fall back or give up, doomsday, you don't know why but he will NOT stop coming, not for anything or anyone even now that it's the tenth round. And they hit each other and hit each other and hit each other, both pounding away like it's there last hope until finally, they both fall, beaten to death.

Superman. Dead. Form being beaten to death by something at the time you don't even think could understand the concept of a plan. Superman, sacrificing himself to protect his adopted planet, his friends and loved ones from something no one else could stop, something that could do what so very few in the universe could. Could hurt him with out a dirty trick like a glowing space rock.

Is it the single most intelligent story ever written? No. Is it emotionally powerful? Yes. And yes, the stuff that came next were they explored what the DCU was like with out him around was good, and so was the storyline for bringing him back splitting into like 4 different directions with varying degrees of success.

[Raimun]

Can't go wrong with Winter Soldier. It's a solid story with links to Cap's past.

I think the Death of Captain America is interesting too. And Civil War offers some context for that since it happens before that, though Cap's not a boy scout in that story arc. Plus you get to see him beat Iron Man... who has the suit on. :smallbiggrin:

Of course, he doesn't stay dead and gets resurrected but that story is not so good, even if it there is some closure. It was more like: "All right! We are taking Norman Osborn down! ... And Cap's here too, I guess?"

[Finn Solomon]

I loved Superman: Birthright.

For Cap, anything by Brubaker will be good.

[pita]

It's a Bird! is about a writer bring hired to write Superman while confronting his own mortality. One of the most emotionally intense books I've read. Highly recommend, but it's not exactly a superhero comic...

[Prime32]

Superman: Secret Identity is an interesting story about a guy in the "real world" who was named Clark Kent by geeky parents. He's bullied for it as a kid, but then he develops actual superpowers...

[Morbis Meh]

Wow thanks for all the responses everyone! I have looked into all of the mentioned novels and I think I will go with Superman: Birthright (My wife loved smallville as well as the new superman movie) and Captain America: Winter Soldier. Thank you for all of your suggestion!

[Dienekes]

Man Out of Time is basically the example of what a Captain America comic should be. It goes through his origin again (I know that stuff gets old), but it really focuses on how the golden boy of WWII has to deal with the fact everything has changed. He both loves and is disgusted with what America has become and has to choose whether to embrace the new world or keep holding onto his fallen dreams. I really like it. I also believe Waid wrote Operation Rebirth, which I have never read. But if it's anything like Man of Time it'll be great.

Avengers: Under Siege is a good one as well. Very simple, Baron Zemo attacks Avenger's mansion. But it's great, and what he does to Steve is frankly the saddest thing.

War and Remembrance is basically just the run of Roger Stern on the character. A lot of vignette stories and they're great. Batroc the Leaper makes a great showing, and Steve thinking about running for president is a good one.

Captain America No More, Cap gets asked to support the US government in something he finds morally wrong. And as a result is forced into retirement. It's awesome.

Death of Captain America. Just a well written goodbye for the character. When they killed him "for good."

Ultimates 1. I, ehhh, I don't know about this one. On the one hand, Ultimates 1 is pretty good. On the other, it's not main continuity Cap and he's kind of a jerk. Still cool, but a bit of a prick. Because everyone is a bit of a prick. EVERYONE. Which I think hurts it on rereads.

On Superman.

Red Son is good, but it's more Superman gone bad than just a good Superman story.

Lex Luthor: Man of Steel. Read it, Lex is more interesting than Supes anyway. Also gets points because it let's you see Superman as Lex sees him; alien, without humanity. It at the same time tricks you into seeing how Lex justifies his behavior while once you analyze his actions you understand just how evil he really is.

All-Star Superman is basically a love letter to Silver Age Superman. It's good, though honestly I think the ending of the animated movie is better. Everything else in the actual comic is better, except that ending.

Hitman #34 has Superman talk on top of a building to an assassin who he doesn't know is an assassin. About life, death, and what it means to be Superman. It's really good. Had to nerf the Man of Steel a bit for this to work, but honestly I think the character should be hit with a nerf hammer repeatedly anyway. Google it. The whole thing is online.

Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? and For the Man Who Has Everything. Alan Moore writes Superman stories. That is all you need to know.

Superman for All Seasons depictions of Superman's life narrated by his closest loved ones and enemies. Very interesting read.

What's So Funny About Truth Justice and the American Way? People say Superman and his morals are outdated and boring. This comic tells those people to shut up and enjoy this good comic.

Superman vs Muhammad Ali. Superman has a boxing match with Muhammad Ali. How have you not gone out to get this comic yet?

I have also heard good things about Superman: Birthright again by Mark Waid, but I have not actually read it.

[jedipotter]

I can't comment on the current Comics for Captain America, but for some older ones:

1. Captain America: The Captain. Where Captain America is forced to give up the role and gets replaced. Very notable for showing the hard time the replacement has filling the shoes of the original. And the climax is great.

2. Captain America: Streets of Poison. Cap vs drugs. This is a great story as Cap wonders if the drugs are all that make him special (Remember Tony's line in the Avengers when he says to Cap ''everything special about you came from a bottle'')

3. The issue of Marvel Super-Heroes #3 - Fall Special has a great story in it about young Steve Rogers.

[McStabbington]

Cannot recommend "What's So Funny About Truth, Justice and the American Way", "All-Star Superman" and "For The Man Who Has Everything" enough, although in the last case as a matter of personal taste I like the version they did in Justice League Unlimited better. To give you some idea, it's the one adaptation of Alan Moore's work that Hollywood ever did that Alan Moore approved of.