Superman Confidential

Superman Confidential was a monthly comic book series from DC Comics. The series debuted November 1, 2006, and was canceled in April 2008 after 14 issues.[1]

Superman Confidential
Cover of Superman Confidential #1 (Nov. 2006). Art by Tim Sale.
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
Schedulemonthly
Publication dateJanuary 2007 - June 2008
No. of issues14 (as of April 2008)
Main character(s)Superman, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Perry White
Creative team
Written byDarwyn Cooke (#1-5,11)
Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti (#6-7)
Andy Lanning and Dan Abnett (#8-10)
B. Clay Moore (#12-14)
Artist(s)Tim Sale(#1-5,11)
Penciller(s)Koi Turnbull (#6-7)
Chris Batista (#8-10)
Phil Hester (#12-14)
Inker(s)Sandra Hope (#6-7)
Cam Smith (#8-10)
Prentice Rollins (#9-10)
Mike Norton (#11)
Ande Parks (#12-14)
Colorist(s)Richard Starkings (#1-5,11)
Jonathan D. Smith (#6-7)
Jason Wright (#8-10)
Pete Pantazis (#12-14)

Superman Confidential featured Superman stories set in the early years of the character’s career. The stories illustrated key moments in the character’s past such as first meetings, critical decisions, alliances, confrontations, and events that shaped him into the character he is today. The creative team on the series rotated.[2]

The stories in Confidential are the earliest points of reference in the character's newly established continuity, since (according to former monthly Superman writer Kurt Busiek) the character's origin in this new continuity had yet to be established.[3] One unpublished story was completed prior to the series getting canceled, Man and Superman, which was released over a decade later in 2019 as a 100-page comic book one-shot written by Marv Wolfman and drawn by Claudio Castellini, which was a retelling of Superman's origin story. [4][5]

Plot Summaries

Kryptonite!
Main article: Kryptonite (story arc)

The first story arc by writer Darwyn Cooke and artist Tim Sale features Superman’s first encounter with Kryptonite.[6] The story occurs in issues #1-5 and is concluded with issue 11.

The story begins in a flashback, showing Superman's rocket reaching the Earth, just as depicted in Man of Steel and Birthright, and as it does, a chunk of strange green rock breaks off. Flashing forward to the beginning of Superman's career, in Metropolis, Superman catches a tanker truck and does battle with the Royal Flush Gang. Seeing Superman struggle with the tanker, they attack him, severing the tank and causing an enormous explosion. Superman wonders about his own stamina and mortality, about how he's never sure if anything is going to hurt him, and just what attack will kill him ultimately, landing on the android Royal Flush Gang member in the form of a block of ice.

Later, in the Daily Planet building, Perry White meets with Lois Lane, Clark Kent, and Jimmy Olsen, and gives them their next assignment: The new casino that gangster Tony Gallo has put up in Metropolis. They set up a sting, prepping the audio with Lois and readying their surveillance equipment. Distracted from his current job, Clark watches a volcano eruption on TV, anxious that he can't do anything as Superman without giving away his identity.

Lois calls Gallo, who is about to hang up on her when he sees that she's a reporter, and instead decides to talk to her. When Superman fails to show up for one of their dates, Lois instead calls Gallo who promptly takes her for a night on the town.

Superman confronts Lois about Gallo, and she tells him that a relationship between the two of them could never work. Superman re-commits himself to Metropolis by crashing a party the villainous Lex Luthor throws for sick children and presents instead a massive cake. When an armored-car robbery is attempted, Superman rushes to save the day. However, Gallo uses kryptonite radiation to blast Superman from afar and he falls, unconscious, to the ground.

Welcome to Mer-Tropolis

This is a two issue story by writer Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti and penciler Koi Turnbull that occurred over issues 6 and 7. It focused on the Lori Lemaris and Metropolis being brought underwater.

The Edge of Forever/Supertown/Anti-Life

This is a three issue arc that by writer Andy Lanning and Dan Abnett and penciller Chris Batista that occurred during issues 8-10. It focused on Superman's first encounter with the gods of New Genesis and Darkseid.

Signal To Noise

This is the final three issue arc by writer B. Clay Moore and penciller Phil Hester that occurred during issues 12-14. It focused on Superman's first encounter with the Toyman, and Jimmy Olsen's first signal watch.

Collected editions

This series has been collected in the following trade paperback:

TitleMaterial collectedISBN
Superman: Kryptonite Superman: Confidential #1-5 and 11 Hardcover: ISBN 1-4012-1464-9
gollark: He ordered H2O, too. Clearly the waiter is just evil.
gollark: They should have known better than to ask for some. Did you know DHMO has been found in *100%* of cancers?
gollark: Dihydrogen monoxide *has* been found to be extremely dangerous.
gollark: Or SSL.
gollark: I see. Troubling.

See also

References
  1. Superman Confidential issue #14, Cover Date June 2008(c) DC Comics
  2. Brady, Matt (2006-06-12). "Tim Sale on Superman Confidential". Newsarama.
  3. Bailey, Neal (April 2007). "Byrne is Dead... Long Live... YOD!". Superman Homepage.
  4. "Man and Superman #1 Sets a New Standard for Superhero Origin Stories". CBR. 2019-02-12. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
  5. "A True Masterpiece - Man and Superman #1 - Review". ComicBook Debate. 2019-02-08. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
  6. Cowsill, Alan; Dolan, Hannah, ed. (2010). "2000s". DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. Dorling Kindersley. p. 328. ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9. Writer Darwyn Cooke and artist Tim Sale began [the series] with 'Kryptonite', a six-part tale of Superman's first contact with the energy-sapping green element.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
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