Timeline

A comics insider told me what is probably an open secret at DC comics this week: a lot of the writers dont want to work on Superman, because Batman is way easier to write for and often a lot more interesting.

How do you make an invincible, all-powerful alien compelling? Its a challenge the team behind Man of Steel hopes audiences will believe theyve tackled when the movie comes out at midnight. But a character thats been around for 75 years has had more than enough adventures both physical and psychological ones that have given ol Big Blue some depth and layers.

So sure, its not terribly gripping when Superman is knocking down a few low-rent thugs. But what if the thugs are other superheroes? Or even capitalist pig governments?

Check out these five classic Superman tales to get you amped up.

1. Death of Superman

Not only is this collection of issues about Supermans darkest hour one of the best stories in his history, it also had some of the best-selling comic issues of all time. It also kicked off a wave of DC hero death-and-rebirth storylines, most notably the equally awesome Knightfall series that saw Bane unleash all hell on Batman before breaking his back.

The story starts with an unknown monster rampaging across the landscape, leaving a trail of defeated Justice League members in his wake. The creature, later dubbed Doomsday, makes his way to Metropolis where he and Superman have an epic, titan-on-titan, window-shattering slugfest.

The story exposed not only a vulnerable side to Superman, but creators said they wanted to do it because they felt the world had been taking Superman for granted. By the time members of the Justice League (and even Bill and Hillary Clinton) were arriving for the funeral, the real world was mourning the tragedy of his loss just as intensely.

2. Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?

This Alan Moore-penned classic plays off Supermans one true weakness: not Kryptonite, but his human friends. Supermans old foes team up to find torture and kill friends of the Man of Steel to find out his secret identity. It all builds up to an all-out-assault on the Fortress of Solitude led by Braniac, Lex Luthor, Bizarro and others, with many casualties along the way. The 1986 story is told mostly in a

flashback from future 1997 Lois Lane, recounting Supermans last days, and how the final siege weighed on his conscience, leading to the tough decision to drain his powers and walk off into the Arctic forever. Or did he??

3. Red Son

This is one of whats known as an Elseworlds story, a hypothetical storyline thats not part of canon. Red Son considers a simple change of circumstances: What would have happened if Superman had landed in the Soviet Union, instead of Kansas? Instead of embodying truth, justice and the American way, Soviet radio calls Superman the champion of the common worker who fights a never-ending battle for Stalin, socialism and the international expansion of the Warsaw Pact.

Not quite the same ring to it, huh? Long story short: the Cold War wouldve sucked if we were fighting this guy.

The Mark Millar-penned story earned rave reviews when it came out in 2003, and went on to win an Eisner Award (those are like the Oscars of the comics world).

4. Secret Origin

Supermans origin has been reset a number of times in the comics (after all, when he first debuted he couldnt fly and all that Kryptonite stuff was way off), and writer Geoff Johns tells this tale almost entirely from Clark Kents perspective.

Man of Steel writer David S. Goyer borrowed many points from this story for the movies plot: Clark develops his powers almost like some sort of puberty, except with deadly heat vision instead of unsightly body hair.

The story gives some layered depth to Supermans abilities, showing that he had to develop and control them over time, instead of just plopping down on Earth with a full mastery of his body. And that, like any teenage angst story, is where the intrigue lies.

5. Kingdom Come

This isnt a solely Superman story, but this 1996 Elseworlds tale relies a lot on Big Blue for its moral compass. The dramatic and beautiful Alex Ross illustrations certainly inspired some of the aesthetics of Man of Steel, and you can see parallels in the story about Superman trying to find his place in society.

The story is set in the future, when Superman and his generation of Justice League

heroes have been supplanted in the public eye by a new class of more violent, less compassionate heroes. Hes nudged out of hermetic retirement by other heroes and finds himself taking on the awkward role of a world leader.

Some of the antagonists in Kingdom Come were a response to the new comics boom of the mid-90s, where characters and titles were popping up all over the place, some with according to DC Comics folks, at least questionable moral character.

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The Garwood Public Library celebrates its 19th annual Summer Reading Club, this years theme being Dig into Reading. Children can begin logging in their time spent reading on Monday, June 24. Sign up begins on the last day of school, June 19. The program will run until Monday, Aug. 5, which is the last day to log in reading. Not only will there be prizes awarded to the children with the most reading times logged in, there will also be separate awards for middle school children, grades six, seven and eight, who have required reading assigned by the faculty of Lincoln School. They, too, can log in their time, and be rewarded.

The summer reading program is open to all Garwood children, from Pre-K to eighth grade. Parents and caregivers can log in time spent reading to those little ones who do not yet read. There will be other programs scheduled during the summer, both for children and adults. For further information, visit youseemore.com/garwood.

Adults can also get into the act of enjoying summer reading. Each time they visit the library and check out a book, their name will be placed in our random drawing bowl, with three prizes being awarded at the end of the summer. Adults dont have to record their times, just check out a book and read.

In addition to weekly crafts on Tuesdays at 3 pm, there will be movies for children on Thursdays at 2 pm Registration is required for each craft session, as it is limited to 20 children, beginning with those entering third grade in September, through grade five. If attending the movies, children 8 and under must be accompanied by an adult caregiver. If bringing a snack or drink to the movie, the drink must be in a closeable container.

There is no registration required for the movie sessions.

The library is also providing residents attending Arthur L. Johnson High School with books that are on their required summer reading list. The books on the high school reading list will be lent to Garwood residents only, with valid library cards. In order to give all Garwood students a chance to select their book, the books are lent for two weeks only, with no renewals.

The toddler story time held on Wednesdays at 10:30 am, will continue to the end of June and will return on Wednesday, Sept. 11. Movies for adults will end on Friday, June 14, and resume on Friday, Sept. 6.

The library is at the corner of Walnut Street and Third Avenue, at the back of the Lincoln School Complex. Weekly library hours will not change during the summer except for being closed on Saturdays, beginning with June 22.

The library will be closed for business on June 22, however the library will be participating in Garwoods town-wide yard sale on that date. Most items will be priced at $1 with all proceeds benefiting the library. The librarys yard sale will be held on Saturday, June 22, from 9 am to 1 pm