Today is the release of Superman: The Triangle Era Omnibus Volume 3! With this volume, every Superman comic from the start of Post-Crisis in 1986 up to early 1994 has been collected. The first two and a half years of that period is the John Byrne material that’s currently out of print, but can easily be picked up on the secondary market.
This post today is focused on the Superman stories immediately Post-Byrne, which starts with ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #445, released June 1988. Thanks to today’s release and this summer’s release of the BRAINIAC REBORN Omnibus, there’s now 7 years and change worth of material that has been recently collected in accessible Omnibus volumes.
To me, they represent the peak era of Superman, and certainly the essential stories to get if you’re into Post-Crisis Superman.
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Superman: Exile and Other Stories
Collects THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #445-459, SUPERMAN #23-27, ACTION COMICS #643-646 and ACTION COMICS ANNUAL #2.
This volume starts with the material immediately after John Byrne’s departure, so there’s about a six-month leadup to EXILE IN SPACE. Following EXILE are a lot of standalone stories with serialized elements that start putting a lot of stories into place for later volumes, particularly the Eradicator and Brainiac plotlines as well as some problems for Jimmy Olsen.
This volume collects Superman #38-48; Adventures of Superman #461-471; Action Comics #647-658; Lex Luthor: The Unauthorized Biography #1; L.E.G.I.O.N. Annual #1; Superman Special #1; Adventures of Superman Annual #2; Superman: “” Under a Yellow Sun”
In terms of stories, this is THE BRAINIAC TRILOGY, THE DAY OF THE KRYPTON MAN, DARK KNIGHT OVER METROPOLIS, SOUL SEARCH, THE SINBAD TRILOGY and the crossover with L.E.G.I.O.N. in the annuals.
Superman: The Triangle Era Vol. 1
This volume collects Superman #49-64; Adventures of Superman #472-486; Action Comics #659-673; Superman: The Man of Steel #1-8.
This collection starts just ahead of the actual triangles on the cover, with KRISIS OF THE KRIMSON KRYPTONITE, the story that ends with Clark and Lois getting engaged. It also includes TIME AND TIME AGAIN, THE RED GLASS TRILOGY, REVENGE OF THE KRYPTON MAN, and BLACKOUT, as well as the issues where Clark reveals to Lois he’s Superman and her reaction to it.
Superman: The Triangle Era Vol. 2
This volume collects Superman #64-77; Adventures of Superman #487-499; Action Comics #674-686; Superman: The Man of Steel #9-21; Justice League America #69; Superman: Legacy of Superman #1; Supergirl/Team Luthor Special #1; and Newstime: The Life and Death of Superman #1.
In storyline terms, this is PANIC IN THE SKY, The Superman/Robin teamup, THE BLAZE/SATANUS WAR, CRISIS AT HAND, THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN, FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND and everything in between. It also includes the Christmas story, “Metropolis Mailbag,” one of my all time favorites.
Superman: The Triangle Era. Vol 3
Superman: The Triangle Era Omnibus Vol. 3 collects Action Comics #687-697, Action Comics Annual #5 and # 500-510, Adventures of Superman Annual #5, Superman #78-88, Superman Annual #5, Superman: The Man of Steel #22-32, Superman: The Man of Steel Annual #2, and Green Lantern #46, plus the Superman/Doomsday: Hunter/Prey miniseries written and illustrated by Dan Jurgens.
Translated into storylines, this is REIGN OF THE SUPERMEN, SPILLED BLOOD, SUPERMAN IN SPACE, SUPERMAN/DOOMSDAY: HUNTER/PREY, BIZARRO’S WORLD, and everything in between. The last issue is the final part of BIZARRO’S WORLD.
The inclusion of THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN, FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND, and REIGN OF THE SUPERMEN within the Triangle Era volumes makes The Death and Return of Superman Omnibus something of a redundant collection, but I’m listing it here for completeness.
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