5) Superman: American Alien
At first glance, this is the latest in a sea of Superman origin stories. The character’s beginnings have been explored more times than any other hero in comics. But I promise this is unlike any Superman origin that’s ever been told before. Max Landis is a terrific writer, but all too often when screenwriters take on comics, they wind up writing what feels like a comic adaptation of a movie nobody gets to see.
Landis understands the differences between the mediums. He writes a comic book, and it’s a great one. Each issue feels complete but fits perfectly into a larger whole. Most importantly, his undying passion for the character is clear on every single page. That, above all, is what makes American Alien great. This is not yet another story about updating Superman to make him accessible to younger audiences, this is about getting at the core of what already makes him a great character and explaining it in a way we haven’t seen before.