Issue Description

Is Superman an angel? A messenger from heaven itself? One woman believes in him with all her heart, but her faith in Superman may lead to disaster.

Superman sits in the Fortress of Solitude thinking about what he's done since getting his powers back. What really sits on his mind is Arion's suggestion that his presence is warping mankind's destiny. He thinks back to one of his earlier encounters in Metropolis.

In Suicide Slum, an elderly woman, Barbara Johnson is nearly run down by some drunk kids. Superman is able to stop the car in time. She believes that the Lord sent down an angel to answer her prayers. At her apartment, she sees live news footage of a train in Chicago about to fall off a bridge. She prays to the Lord to save them and at that moment Superman arrives. This further leads her to believe that he is an angel.

Barbara goes out looking for trouble. She sees an armored truck being robbed. She takes it upon herself to give them a stern lecture about what is right. As they are about to shoot her, Superman arrives once more. He tries to tell her he is not an angel and that he merely heard the explosion of the truck. She continues to believe and Superman is left a little distressed.

Later at a grocery store, Barbara walks in on a robbery with Superman arriving. He has been listening for her voice. This continues with Barbara seeking out crimes. Superman's concern is what happens when she prays for him and he is unable to come.

Barbar gives another attempt at her neighborhood watch committee. She has a bigger turnout and they decide to go after a drug gang. Barbara walks in and prays to the Lord to cleanse the place. Tired of listening to her, the gang leader shoots at her. At this time, Superman is in Antarctica stopping a global disaster. He hears the gunshot and her body hit the ground. He is unable to go to her.

A couple days later he goes to her hospital bed. He tells her how he was unable to be there. She asked him if he's seen the news. It seems that the residents of Suicide Slum were so outraged with Barbara being shot, that they are starting to take action of their own. The police have been recieving numerous calls and tips.

This memory leads Superman to believe that maybe Arion was wrong.

Superman (1939)

Publisher

DC Comics

Volume Description

Superman launched May 18, 1939 with its first issue (that doesn't actually have a #1 on the cover) and although it was a seasonal book for its first five issues, with its sixth it began a bimonthly publishing rate and kept up with said rate until its eighty-fifth. With its eighty-sixth issue Superman began it's mostly consistent monthly publishing rate which it continued using up until 1986 when the series ended at 423 issues, the last issue featuring Alan Moore's acclaimed story "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" After that, the title's numbering was continued through Adventures of Superman which lasted for several decades. It was in 2006 with #650 that the title returned to its original name, kicking off it's new era with the One Year Later storyline co-written by Geoff Johns and Kurt Busiek. After the arc, the series was written by Busiek from 654-675, with James Robinson taking the reigns in 677 and holding them tight until the milestone 700th issue where JMS took over with an arc entitled "Grounded" that would feature Superman walking across America. However, JMS left the book earlier then planned and new writer Chris Roberson worked off of JMS' original notes and plotline. Unfortunately, Roberson never got to prove himself with his own story on the book as with the launch of The New 52 in September 2011, after 72 years and 714 issues (including Adventures of Superman) Superman Vol. 1 came to an end with the final chapter of the Grounded story arc serving as the final issue of the series. Superman will survive as an ongoing series at DC, with the month following the release of Superman #714 serving as the launching point of the third ongoing Superman series in DC history with #1.

For Post Flashpoint volume 3, refer to Superman.

General Notes

Superman #424-649 do not exist, however, the issues that took those numbers can be found on the Adventures of Superman page.

Another ongoing title from DC entitled Superman does exist and was published with its own numbering while Adventures of Superman was in print, thus even though this title began publication in the 30's and lasted until 2011, no two Superman titles were hitting shelves at the same time. The other Superman volume can be found here.

The main star of the series has of course been Superman but from #686-697 Mon-El was the star as Superman was away from Earth and the covers bore the banners "World Without Superman" for the first five and "World Against Superman" for the last six issues of this absence.

Collected EditionsSuperman Chronicles (Collects the earliest issues)Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus vol. 1 (#1-31)Showcase presents: Superman (late 50`s, early 60`s stories)Adventures of Superman: Gil Kane vol. 1 (#367, 372 & 375)Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? (#423, Action Comics #583)Up, Up and Away! (#650-653, Action Comics #837-840 )Camelot Falls Vol. 1 (#654-658)Camelot Falls Vol. 2 (#662-664 & 667, Superman Annual #13)Redemption (#659 & 666, Action Comics #848-849)3-2-1 Action (#665, Action Comics #852-854, Legends of the DC Universe #14)The Third Kryptonian (#668-670, Action Comics #847, Superman Annual #13)Shadows Linger (#671-675)The Coming of Atlas (#677-680)New Krypton Vol. 1 (#681, Action Comics #871, Adventure Comics Special Featuring The Guardian #1, Superman New Krypton Special #1, Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen Special #1)New Krypton Vol. 2 (#682-683, Action Comics #872-873; Supergirl #35-36)Mon-El Vol. 1 (#684-690, Action Comics #874, Action Comics Annual #10)Codename Patriot (#691, Action Comics #880, Supergirl #44, Superman: World of New Krypto #6, Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen Special #2)Mon-El Vol. 2 (#692-697, Adventure Comics #11, Superman Annual #14, Superman: Secret Files 2009 #1)Nightwing and Flamebird Vol. 2 (#696, Action Comics #883-889, Adventure Comics #8-10)Last Stand of New Krypton Vol. 1 (#698, Superman: Last Stand of New Krypton #1-2, Adventure Comics #8-9, Supergirl #51)Last Stand of New Krypton Vol. 2 (#699, Superman: Last Stand of New Krypton #3, Adventure Comics #10-11, Supergirl #52)Superman: War of The Supermen (#700)Grounded Vol. 1 (#700-706)Grounded Vol. 2 (#707-711 & #713-714)

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