The summer of 2025 has seen blockbuster movies in many genres — the season’s highest-grossing films thus far include Lilo and Stitch, Jurassic World: Rebirth, and How to Train Your Dragon. Amid this variety, one branch of movies that has seen repeat success in recent months is the superhero movie. Most notably, Superman, directed by James Gunn, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, from director Matt Shakman, have made waves since their respective July 11th and 25th releases. Superman marks the newest release from DC studios, while The Fantastic Four is the latest from Marvel studios, two giants in the world of TV and film. Before those names were known for movie productions, however, they were recognized as essential figures in comic book publishing. This means both of these summer superhero releases contain a history beginning on the thin pages of a comic.
How James Gunn Got Super Inspired
With the wealth of Superman stories in the world, James Gunn highlights four graphic novels that were of particular influence on his version of the Man of Steel. This quartet includes Grant Morrison’s All-Star Superman and Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s Superman for All Seasons, as well as Alan Moore and Curtis Swan’s collaboration on Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? and Mark Waid and Alex Ross’s book Kingdom Come. The four series date from 2005-2008, 1998, 1986, and 1996, respectively, spanning many decades and versions of the iconic character. Gunn’s selections have also been made into a box set, available to all comic-book fans as soon as August 19th.
All-Star Superman
Grant Morrison’s take on Kal-El consists of a twelve-issue series published by DC Comics, illustrated by Frank Quitely. The narrative imagines a Superman who is as all-powerful as we know him to be, yet faced with a fatal incompatibility with the human world that brings him slowly towards death. The journey of his many endeavors in the face of this fate struck a chord with readers, making it a highly successful and well-renowned series.
Superman for All Seasons
Superman for All Seasons was the second comic collaboration between Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, consisting of four issues revolving around a seasonal theme. Though Superman is the focus and heart of each of the stories, Loeb chose to approach the hero through the eyes of a selection of other characters in the series, including Superman’s father, Jonathon Kent, and his arch-enemy, Lex Luthor. Published over four months in late 1998, Superman for All Seasons was met with high praise and served as inspiration for the television series Smallville in addition to Gunn’s latest project.
Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?
While Superman is a pillar of the DC Universe canon, some comics imagine worlds and stories outside of a literary world’s single reality. One well-loved example of such alternate histories, often called imaginary stories, is Alan Moore’s Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? Working together with artist Curt Swan, these comics trace Superman’s rich history in the Silver Age, a period of revitalization for the medium in the first two decades post-WWII. With a Man of Steel reboot on the horizon that would reset the continuity of Superman’s stories from this era, Moore and Swan’s work paid tribute to the many issues of the passing age.
Kingdom Come
Imaginary stories appear again with Mark Waid and artist Alex Ross’s creative process on Kingdom Come. In an imagined future of the DC Universe canon, the series envisions a new generation of heroes plagued by corruption and recklessness, serving as a call to action for the original Justice League. In their stories, we see a Superman reemerging from retirement, facing not only battles of brawn but the emotional toll of a changed world.
Footprints to Follow: The Fantastic Four Comics
When it comes to this summer’s other superhero smash hit, Shakman lists The Fantastic Four volumes 1 and 48 through 50 as leading influences in his directorial work in a ComicBook.com article. Under the direction of magazine and comic book publisher Martin Goodman, Stan Lee was given the assignment of creating a set of superheroes for a new series, with the hopes that it would sell as well as the Justice League of America issues that also featured an ensemble of supers. The resulting Fantastic Four series surprised everyone with the depth of its success, and readers became well-acquainted with Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and The Thing. When it comes to Shakman’s specific selections, the same ComicBook.com piece describes them as the foundations for key aesthetics, villains, and plot points in the 2025 film.
With so many successful stories that set the stage for this summer’s Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps releases, it’s no surprise they’ve drawn plenty of viewers. Both films feature some of today’s biggest movie stars, but for many audiences, the reputation and history of the comics and their characters are a source of star power as much as the actors who play them.
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