When a character's been around as long as Superman, it's hard even to continue to think of them as a single character—changing cultural and media landscapes make for a kaleidoscopic range of iterations. Still, even among those, there are always a handful that endure and stand out as definitive—even if that, itself, is a subjective concept.
Here, we've collected our ten favorite versions of Superman, from the comics page to the silver screen: two movies, a handful of comics, a novel, a song, and more. If you need an antidote to the
relentlessly grim Man of Steel, just click through, up, and away.
Justice League and Justice League Unlimited
While Bruce Timm's DC Animated Universe does have a very good Superman-specific show,
Justice League and
Justice League Unlimited are even better—and available for streaming on Netflix-- giving you a look at Superman in context of his fellow heroes as the heart and moral compass of the Justice League.
For the best Superman moments, check out the explorations of ethical event horizons in "A Better World" and "Divided We Fall" (best watched in that order); the heartbreaking "For the Man Who Has Everything" (adapted from the Alan Moore / Dave Gibbons story of the same name); and the feel-good holiday special "Comfort and Joy," in which Superman decides to take fellow alien Martian Manhunter home to the Kents for Christmas.
—Rachel Edidin
