With Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice about to arrive in theaters on March 25, many fans are wondering what comics they should check out featuring the “Man of Steel.” Superman appeared almost 80 years ago, and he’s popped up in thousands of comics books, so we put together a list of some of the best Superman stories that you need to check out.

Want to find some great Batman stories? Check out our essential Batman reads list.

All-Star Superman (2006)

Written by Grant Morrison

Art by Frank Quitely

All-Star Superman is widely considered to be the best Superman adventure to date. It’s a story that pays homage to the past, existing in its own canon. Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely strip the character down to his basics to tell a story where Superman has a year left to live. There are many Silver Age elements to the story, as Superman completes 12 feats before his death, deals with robots, gives Lois super-powers, and a few other iconic moments that make All-Star Superman a perfect celebration of the character.

Birthright (2003)

Written by Mark Waid

Art by Leinil Francis Yu

Superman’s origin has been told and retold since his invention almost 80 years ago. What the 12-issue series Birthright did was streamline and update just who and what Kal-El truly is. The book is about Kal coming into his own and learning who he wants to be. His journey from Kryptonian orphan to the Man of Steel is not an easy one. Like every human on the planet, sometimes Superman will make mistakes and not even he is perfect. While there are many stories that explain where Kal-El came from, this story explains how he became the man he is now and the bumps he had along the way.

American Alien (2015)

Written by Max Landis

Art by Nick Dragotta, Tommy Lee Edwards, Joelle Jones, Jae Lee, Francis Manapul, Jonathan Case, and Jock

While Birthright gives readers insight into Superman’s origins, American Alien explores the lost years of Clark Kent. Writer Max Landis is joined by a different artist on each issue to highlight a pivotal moment in the life of Kent, from a boy in Smallville to an early hero in Metropolis. Each issue is about “firsts” for the character: from the first time learned to fly in his hometown to the first time he met Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor to the first time he wore the House of El symbol while trying to be a hero. While the series has not finished yet, it has quickly become a story that defines Clark’s internal growth.

Red Son (2003)

Written by Mark Millar

Art by Dave Johnson

Most comic book fans in their 30s and 40s grew up starting to read comics during the end of the Soviet communist regime. Writer Mark Miller plays with that piece of history and has Kal-El land in communist Russia as a child. What readers get is a Superman like no one has ever seen. He’s cold and brutal. There are many other familiar faces from DC here as well, creating an interesting dynamic between characters fans have never seen before.

The Death of Superman (1993)

Written by Dan Jurgens

Art by Jurgens, Brett Breeding

It’s impossible to talk about must-read Superman stories without talking about the epic battle that took place between Superman and Doomsday, which resulted in Superman “dying.” The Death of Superman story arc may have seemed like a big gimmick, but in hindsight, it reminds the reader that nothing is permanent and even the strongest hero in the DC Universe can be defeated. Dan Jurgens did something unheard of for that time and made each page of the final issue a “splash page,” a page consisting of only one panel. It gave the book a dramatic and epic feel as these two behemoths battled on the streets of Metropolis.

Brainiac (2008)

Written by Geoff Johns

Art by Gary Frank

One of Superman’s greatest villains is Brainiac, who has a knack for miniaturizing and bottling cities. He takes on the Man of Steel in this storyline from 2008. While Superman has battled the villain in the past, none of those people were actually Brainiac. Superman has defeated them in the past but finds that the real Brainiac is tougher than his look-alike counterparts. Once again, Brainiac wants to shrink and bottle a city, and this time, Metropolis is his next target. The story also features the death of an important character in Superman’s life.

Kingdom Come (1996)

Written by Mark Waid

Art by Alex Ross

Kingdom Come is just as much of a story dissecting over-the-top ’90s comics as it is a story defining what it means to be a hero. Superman, the hero of the old, takes on Magog, the hero of now. Both have the same endgame goal, but the way they go about achieving the goals couldn’t be more different. The story asks the age old question “is it ok for a hero to kill?” The 4-issue series is beautifully painted by Alex Ross, and writer Mark Waid layers this book with themes and ideals that peel back the layers of superhero comics.

Last Son of Krypton (2008)

Written by Geoff Johns and Richard Donner

Art by Gary Frank & Adam Kubert

The director behind the films Superman and Superman II joined writer Geoff Johns for this story about a Kryptonian boy who crash lands on Earth. Superman decides it is his duty to watch over the boy and protect him from the government and General Zod, who has just escaped from the Phantom Zone. The story captures everything great about Donner’s work on the original Superman films while telling a contemporary story with some fantastic art from Gary Frank and Adam Kubert.

Speeding Bullets (1993)

Written by J.M. DeMatteis

Art by Eduardo Barreto

In this Elseworlds story, DeMatteis asks the question “What if Superman became Batman?” Kal-El’s rocket lands in Gotham City, and he’s found by the Waynes. Kal-El is raised as Bruce Wayne and he gains his Kryptonian powers after witnessing Joe Chill murder his parents. Speeding Bullets is a really cool mixture of both Batman’s and Superman’s mythologies, and one of Elseworlds’ coolest stories.

Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? (1986)

Written by Alan Moore

Art by Curt Swan

While there are a ton of great Superman stories prior to Infinite Crisis, this one-shot Alan Moore story truly stands the test of time. Prior to the reboot of the DC Universe, Moore told a Superman tale through the eyes of Lois Lane, as she recounted the hero’s final journey, ten years after his death. The issue wraps up a few dangling plot threads and pays homage to the Silver Age era of comics.

There are lots more fantastic Superman stories aside from the ten listed here. If you’re looking for a little something more, we recommend checking out Secret Identity, For All Seasons, and Secret Origin.