All throughout April, we’re crowdsourcing a coronavirus comics reading list. Each weekday for a month, we’ll post a new recommendation from someone in the comics industry to help folks get through the quarantine. It’ll be a crowdsourced list of recommended reading from writers, artists, letterers, editors, comics journalists, publicists, and more…all paired with a local shop that’s currently selling the books via mail order.

Today’s selection comes from Superman expert Adam…enjoy!

The first memory I have of Superman is my older brother explaining why Superman is boring because nothing can hurt him. It was the prevailing opinion of the time. Cool kids liked stories about the people who can be physically hurt, and hurt others. The late great Darwyn Cooke had this very issue in mind when asked to write the debut arc for a new monthly series, Superman: Confidential. The theme of the series being an exploration of firsts in the career of the Man of Steel. First visit to Metropolis, first use of Jimmy’s signal watch, and — in this case — first exposure to Kryptonite.

When pondering how to tackle the “problem” of Superman and his weaknesses, it occurred to Cooke that Superman wouldn’t have always known that he was invincible. A Superman two months into his career wouldn’t know which thing will end up being his weakness. He wouldn’t know if his insides are as sturdy as his steel-like skin. In his line of work this would be terrifying. Every emotion is extra potent in this story thanks to the art of Tim Sale, which is timeless and exceptionally atmospheric. It’s a showcase of different varieties of weakness for every character involved, including Clark, the Kents, Lois Lane, and Lex Luthor. It’s a story that takes advantage of one of the strongest supporting casts in comics. Superman: Kryptonite is an exploration of vulnerability, and it’s not just about a green rock. -Adam

Adam runs the Talking Superman Twitter feed, which features daily discussions, great moments, and general fun things about Superman and DC Comics. You can find him on Twitter here.

Superman: Kryptonite
Writer: Darwyn Cooke
Main Artist: Tim Sale
Publisher: DC Comics
Legendary, award-winning creator Darwyn Cooke (DC: THE NEW FRONTIER) joins forces with acclaimed artist Tim Sale (BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN) for this edition of SUPERMAN: KRYPTONITE DELUXE EDITION! This classic graphic novel features an unforgettable story of Superman's first encounter with Kryptonite, the radioactive chunks of his home planet which can kill him and how it changed his life forever! And even if the Man of Steel can survive, will he be able to save Lois Lane from the clutches of a mysterious stranger? This deluxe hardcover graphic novel features covers, behind-the-scenes sketches and scripts from Cooke and Sale. SUPERMAN: KRYPTONITE DELUXE EDITION collects SUPERMAN CONFIDENTIAL #1-5 and #11.

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Click here for the full coronavirus reading list!