Book picks similar to
Superman Returns by Marv Wolfman


superheroes
science-fiction
fiction
superman

X-Men


Kristine Kathryn Rusch - 2000
    Outcasts from society, the X-MEN are genetic mutants, born with superhuman powers, who harness their special abilities for the greater good. But the human race they fight to protect rejects and fears--even hates--them. Not all mutants seek to protect mankind. One terrorist group--led by the supremely powerful Magneto--seeks to strike first. Battling against prejudice and agents of intolerance, the X-MEN must establish a peaceful coexistence between mutant and mankind or they will surely perish . . .

Batman Begins


Dennis O'Neil - 2005
    The young heir to the Wayne empire disappeared seven years ago. His vast fortune has been given away, and the crime wave that began with the brutal murder of his parents has turned Gotham City into a living hell. The last holdouts against corruption–the cops who can’t be bought, the D.A.s who can’t be intimidated–are outnumbered and outgunned. They need help... fast. A world away, in a dank Himalayan prison, a nameless, hardened man fights every day to survive. He has spent seven years scouring the globe, studying the criminal mind, looking for an answer to the ugly riddle of his childhood. But something has been looking for him, too. Here, in the darkest places of his own anger, Bruce Wayne will discover his destiny–and an ordinary man will become a legend.

Man of Steel


Greg Cox - 2013
    Starring as Clark Kent's adoptive parents, Martha and Jonathan Kent, are Oscar® nominee Diane Lane (Unfaithful) and Academy Award® winner Kevin Costner (Dances with Wolves).   Squaring off against the superhero are two other surviving Kryptonians, the villainous General Zod, played by Oscar® nominee Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road), and Faora, Zod's evil partner, played by Antje Traue. Also from Superman's native Krypton are Lara Lor-Van, Superman's mother, played by Ayelet Zurer, and Superman's father, Jor-El, portrayed by Academy Award® winner Russell Crowe (Gladiator).   Rounding out the cast are Harry Lennix as U.S. military man General Swanwick, as well as Christopher Meloni as Colonel Hardy. Man of Steel is being produced by Charles Roven, Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas and Deborah Snyder. The screenplay was written by David S. Goyer, from a story by Goyer and Nolan, based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Thomas Tull and Lloyd Phillips are serving as executive producers.   Currently in production, Man of Steel is slated for release on June 14, 2013 and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.   TM & © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s12)

Batman Returns


Craig Shaw Gardner - 1992
    This time, the caped crusader facest conniving criminals ever to menace Gotham City: the sleek, seductive, and treacherous Catwoman and the dangerously clever, umbrella-wielding, Penguin.

Superman Last Son of Krypton


Elliot S. Maggin - 1978
    From his childhood in Smallville, to his emergence as Metropolis newsman Clark Kent, through his battles with his arch-enemy Lex Luthor, his story is told anew and as never before, with all the high drama and excitement that have enthralled three generations of fans.

DC Universe: Last Sons


Alan Grant - 2006
    The sole survivors of their home planets, all three are targeted by an artificial life form. Original.

Spider-Man 2


Peter David - 2004
    But it hasn’t gotten any easier. Condemned by the press, tormented by secrets he can never reveal, forced to give up the girl of his dreams—at times the lonely burden of Spider-Man seems almost too great to bear . . . and the temptation to give up grows stronger by the hour.Enter the archfiend Doc Ock, armed with a lethal invention powerful enough to destroy half the city. If Spider-Man tries to stop Doc Ock, he’ll be placing the lives of those closest to him in mortal danger. If he doesn’t, it could be the end of the Big Apple. With millions of lives hanging in the balance, high about Manhattan’s glittering skyline, Spider-Man confronts his destiny, his fiercest enemy, and himself.

Superman: The Never-Ending Battle


Roger Stern - 2005
    Batman. Wonder Woman. The Flash. Green Lantern.They are the world's greatest super heroes, fighting endlessly against corruption and injustice. Each of them alone is a formidable opponent of evil, but banded together their powers are unmatched. Ever ready,they stand united as the --JUSTICE LEAGUE of AMERICAA mysterious super-terrorist has devised a master plan to bring the world to its knees, using the planet's own weather as a weapon against Superman and his teammates in the JLA. But the conflict raises troubling questions for the Man of Steel about authority, justice, power and the price of liberty in a world where the enemies of freedom stand on the brink of victory.

The Last Days of Krypton


Kevin J. Anderson - 2007
    But what led to such a disaster? Now, in The Last Days of Krypton, Kevin J. Anderson presents a sweeping tale of the pomp and grandeur, the intrigue and passion, and the politics and betrayals of a doomed world filled with brave heroes and cruel traitors.Against the spectacular backdrop of Krypton's waning halcyon days, there is the courtship and marriage of Kal-El's parents, the brilliant scientist Jor-El and his historian wife, Lara. Together they fight to convince a stagnant, disbelieving society that their world is about to end. Jor-El's brother, Zor-El, leader of the fabled Argo City, joins the struggle not only to save the planet but also to fight against the menace of the ruthless and cunning General Zod.The diabolical Zod, future archenemy of Superman, avails himself of a golden opportunity to seize power when the android Brainiac captures the capital city of Kandor. As Zod's grip on the populace tightens and his power grows, he too is blind to all the signs that point to the death of the very civilization he is trying to rule.Through all of this, Jor-El and Lara's love for each other, their history, and their son allows for Krypton to live on even as the planet is torn apart around them. For in the escape of their baby lies Krypton's greatest gift--and Earth's greatest hero.The Last Days of Krypton is a timeless, groundbreaking exploration of a world that has never been fully defined, and reveals the extraordinary origins of a legend that has never ceased to amaze and astound generation after generation.

Wayne of Gotham


Tracy Hickman - 2012
    No fan of the Dark Knight will want to miss this one-of-a-kind window into Gotham’s dark protector in this fast-paced thriller from New York Times bestselling fantasy writer Tracy Hickman. Readers of Kevin J. Anderson’s The Last Days of Krypton and Enemies & Allies will know that comic book characters pack a powerful punch when they enter the pages of a novel. Wayne of Gotham is no exception: as the DC Universe’s millionaire playboy journeys into the dark recesses of his own past, his a journey that could spell the end for everything he holds dear—and the end of the hero he has become: the Batman.

Batman: No Man's Land


Greg Rucka - 2000
    Overcrowded, overbuilt, and overshadowed by a continuous air of menace, this gothic nightmare is a breeding ground for the depraved, the indifferent, and the criminally insane. It's also the object of one man's obsession. Witness to the brutal murder of his parents, Bruce Wayne has dedicated his life to protecting this city, taking a form to inspire hope in the innocent...and fear in the guilty. He is the masked vigilante known as the Batman. Now the battlefield has changed. Leveled by a massive earthquake that left thousands dead and millions more wounded, Gotham City has been transformed into a lawless wilderness -- a No Man's Land -- where the survivors are turning against one another, and where the city's protectors are torn by a crisis that may consume them all.

Batman: Dead White


John Shirley - 2006
    With his radical murder machine, the fiendish leader of Gotham’s racist Bavarian Brotherhood can move beyond dealing drugs and hot guns to pursue his real passion: the white supremacist takeover of America. The homegrown terrorists’ first strike–at the heart of our nation’s capitol–is only weeks away. But first they’ll test out their killer toys on Batman, who is hot on the trail of White Eyes and his brutal militia. Ounce for ounce, muscle for muscle, Batman’s no match for the cunning villain and his wicked new firepower. At least, that’s how White Eyes sees it. Batman has other ideas . . .

Superman: Doomsday and Beyond (Death of Superman, The Novel)


Louise Simonson - 1993
    Now all the world is in mourning.What will happen to lois Lane, Ma and Pa Kent, and the rest of humankind? Where is Clark Kent? And what about all the rumors of Superman's retum? Is Superman's body really missing from its tomb in Centennial Park? And who are the four mysterious super-beings, each claiming to be Superman?Here, for the first time, is the complete story. Relive the events leading up to and following Superman's epic battle with Doomsday. And witness, at last, the ultimate fate of the world's greates super-hero.

Batman: Inferno


Alexander C. Irvine - 2006
    But torching the population is small potatoes for the arsonist extraordinaire known as Enfer. The pyromaniac's mad masterpiece is Arkham Asylum, blazing like a Roman candle and engineered to provide the perfect escape for Arkham's most infamous inmate, the Joker. But the dire situation goes from bad to beyond monstrous when the archvillain's path to freedom leads directly to the Dark Knight's cave.The Joker believes in striking while the iron is hot . . . and now it's never been hotter. After all, the diabolical villain has devised the ultimate joke: launch the mother of all crime waves, masquerading as the Caped Crusader himself! With Gotham erupting in flames and its #1 crime fighter fast becoming its #1 enemy, the burning question is: Who's going to get the last laugh?

The Forensic Files of Batman: The World's Greatest Detective


Doug Moench - 2004
    Doug Moench presents two dozen entries from Batman's case files featuring classic villains such as the Joker and Catwoman.