10 Superman Graphic Novels You Must Read Before You Die
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No! It's the best Superman stories of all time.
Unfairly seen by some sections of fans as nothing more than a Big Blue Boy Scout with an outdated focus on Truth, Justice and the American Way, Superman has seen more than his fair share of battles since he first landed in Kansas.
He has fought Gods and Monsters, humans and fellow heroes, as well as a menagerie of superpowered villains of varying strengths and sizes in his 80-plus years in circulation, but all have been eventually defeated at the hands of the Man of Steel.
However, if you consider yourself a big fan of the Last Son of Krypton, where should you start if you want to take a deeper look into the character's illustrious past, and find the tales that set him head and shoulders above his contemporaries?
Naturally, with Superman being DC's oldest superhero, he's starred in quite a lot of books. Not all have been particularly excellent, but as is the case with the most storied of characters, the sheer breadth of material on offer has meant that today, the Man of Steel boasts a formidable library featuring some of the greatest works in the superhero genre.
Few will be able to read them all, but if they're going to start anywhere, they could do a lot worse than to read the following books...
10. Superman Vs. Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali was the greatest of all time. He transcended his sport and became the most recognizable face on the planet, so it came as no surprise that he teamed up with Superman in 1978 to defend the earth from an alien invasion.
The fact this book existed at all was due to DC previously using celebrities, such as John F. Kennedy and Bob Hope, to help draw some mainstream attention to their work, as during this time DC were far from the powerhouse publishing company that they are today.
Rat'Lar, the leader of the Scrubb race, found himself suitably impressed by Ali and Superman defending the planet when he tried to invade. So much so, that he organized a boxing match between the two on his home planet. This neutralized Superman's powers, meaning he took a hell of a beating at Ali's hands - which in itself makes it worth picking up this comic - and crowned the actual world champion. Ali would then go on to fight the Scrubb's best.
A further team up would see them defeat the remaining forces, leaving Ali to quip - "Superman, we are the greatest"