So I have been reading Comics and Graphic Novels galore this year. Pretty much all from the DC Universe (with the exception being Walking Dead). The result has been a full immersion into the DC mythology and universe. And while I am mostly involved in the universe's current reboot (dubbed as the "New 52") I am also reading into the wider world including the old canon and the non-canonical stuff. And so I thought I would share some of the gems I have read from the pre-New 52 graphic novels.
Note: I should say I did not include here Alan Moore's masterpiece The Watchmen. It is not because I think less of it, but because that features characters and a world totally disconnected and alternate from the rest of the DC universe I just felt I would focus on the mainline universe (even if much of what I lift up also is not official canon, per se, but it at least features characters of the canon).
- Dark Knight Returns: Whenever there are discussions around the best graphic novels of all time, Frank Miller's masterpiece inevitably comes up. Taking place years in the future after Batman retires, the Dark Knight finally decides he cannot stay away. This comic has well earned its reputation. If most of the story didn't win you over, the famed standoff between him and Superman at its conclusion will. If you have read any of the Buzz that came when Zack Snyder teased fans at Comic-Con of the upcoming Batman v. Superman movie, the man reason was because it was the clip teased the stand-off from this graphic novel (and that is not all that Snyder has done to hint that Miller's story will be a key source material for his upcoming film. It isn't the best artwork, but somehow it fits the tone well enough that you just don't care.
- Death and Return of Superman: This is the reason I still read comics today. One of the best selling comics of all time, I remember when the world was caught by the storm of news that DC killed its first superhero. Dan Jurgens gets major credit in my book for this one. The first graphic novel I ever owned was the middle one of the three volume set World Without a Superman. The other two: Death of Superman and Return of Superman were really the jewels of the story though. The final pages of Death of Superman was very well written. I remember actually having chills when I read it (and I still do sometimes). This story does not get as much credit as most, but for me this is the story that kept me in comics. It is the first continuous comic story I followed as a child, and even after losing my first copies of the graphic novels I remembered enjoying them so much that in college I repurchased them and have essentially read them every year since. While the death story had the weight of it, The Return of Superman was a fun way to come back, introducing four supermen at the time of the disappearance of Superman's body and his father Jonathan Kent having a near-death experience where he believed he brought his son back from the grave (final issues of World Without a Superman). The story teases as to who is the real Superman (or if none are, who should take up the mantle of Superman as Jean Paul Valley did of Batman in the Knightfall saga). I remember debating that very thing with my brother. That is what was so fun about it. This story also introduces us to two new heroes (Superboy and Steel) who return in the New-52 in a similar shape to their conception in this story. If I only could recommend one, it probably would be the first chapter: The Death of Superman. The battle against Doomsday is certainly the most memorable and historically significant in the storyline. And it packs the emotional punch. Luckily I no longer have to only recommend one, since you can actually get a single volume piece that includes both the Death and Return stories (with key portions of the World Without a Superman story) in one.
- Injustice God's Among Us: It seemed so unlikely that a comic that began as a video game would be listed here, and maybe it shouldn't since it is not technically "pre" new-52, but I did since it is not a part of the new-52 mythology. I was stunned actually at how much I enjoyed reading this. The story basically divides the Justice League between two approaches to the role of heroes in the world. After the Joker manufactures a tragedy in Metropolis, Superman leads the league in taking a more active role in governing the World, whereas Batman opposes his hard stance. Along with an interesting premise, the story has superb dialogue and excellent art. The comic actually outshines the game it was based on in my mind.
- All Star Superman: This is perhaps the best graphic novel I have ever read. I had heard the praise Grant Morrison was regularly given for this work and always read that it was among the best Superman stories. I had been resistant for a while because when I first read a synopsis and first gazed upon the art work I simply was not interested. I didn't like what they did with Superman's physique (at times reminding me of Mr. Incredible, much like the old Superman cartoons). But eventually the rave was too great to ignore the story. And I am glad I caved. While I still never really warmed up to the physique, the artwork as a whole is quite good, particularly due to some stunning coloring. But the strength of this is the story. It is so well done to where at every moment it just feels like it was done right. It may not be in the canon, but it is the best Superman story I have ever come across. The quick of it is that Superman ends up getting poisoned by the sun's radiation thanks to a plot unleashed by Lex Luthor, slowly killing him. The story unfolds as Superman faces this race against time and his life.
- War of the Green Lanterns: Geoff Johns quite successfully ushered the return of green lantern Hal Jordan. This GN collects the conclusion to his story with GL and Jordan's return. An ancient enemy of the Guardians of the Universe takes over the corp by using the entities of the various color spectrum to possess the guardians and uses Parallax to corrupt the Green battery on OA which in turn affects all those using the green power ring. Now a few lanterns must find a way to save the corp without using their rings. The story is interesting, the artwork is fantastic, and the ending is unexpected. Between his work with Aquaman and Green Lantern, I have been really impressed with Johns who is second only to Scott Snyder and Grant Morrison among the current DC staff. Anyone looking to get into the New 52 DC universe will want to read this GN as well as this was one of the story runs that actually was continued in the universe reboot.
