Superman Confidential

Superman Confidential
Cover of Superman Confidential #1 (Nov. 2006). Art by Tim Sale.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
Schedule	monthly
Publication date(s)	January 2007 - June 2008
No. of issues	14 (as of April 2008)
Main character(s)	Superman, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Perry White
Creative team
Written by	Darwyn Cooke (#1-5,11) Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti (#6-7) Andy Lanning and Dan Abnett (#8-10) B. Clay Moore (#12-14)
Artist(s)	Tim Sale(#1-5,11)
Penciller(s)	Koi Turnbull (#6-7) Chris Batista (#8-10) Phil Hester (#12-14)
Inker(s)	Sandra Hope (#6-7) Cam Smith (#8-10) Prentice Rollins (#9-10) Mike Norton (#11) Ande Parks (#12-14)
Colorist(s)	Richard Starkings (#1-5,11) Jonathan D. Smith (#6-7) Jason Wright (#8-10) Pete Pantazis (#12-14)

Superman Confidential was a monthly comic book series from DC Comics. The series debuted November 1, 2006, and was canceled in April 2008 after 14 issues.

Superman Confidential featured Superman stories set in the early years of the character’s career. The stories illustrated key moments in the character’s past such as first meetings, critical decisions, alliances, confrontations, and events that shaped him into the character he is today. The creative team on the series rotated.

The stories in Confidential are the earliest points of reference in the character's newly established continuity, since (according to former monthly Superman writer Kurt Busiek) the character's origin in this new continuity had yet to be established.

The first story arc by writer Darwyn Cooke and artist Tim Sale features Superman’s first encounter with Kryptonite. The story occurs in issues #1-5 and is concluded with issue 11.

The story begins in a flashback, showing Superman's rocket reaching the Earth, just as depicted in Man of Steel and Birthright, and as it does, a chunk of strange green rock breaks off. Flashing forward to the beginning of Superman's career, in Metropolis, Superman catches a tanker truck and does battle with the Royal Flush Gang. Seeing Superman struggle with the tanker, they attack him, severing the tank and causing an enormous explosion. Superman wonders about his own stamina and mortality, about how he's never sure if anything is going to hurt him, and just what attack will kill him ultimately, landing on the android Royal Flush Gang member in the form of a block of ice.

Later, in the Daily Planet building, Perry White meets with Lois Lane, Clark Kent, and Jimmy Olsen, and gives them their next assignment: The new casino that gangster Tony Gallo has put up in Metropolis. They set up a sting, prepping the audio with Lois and readying their surveillance equipment. Distracted from his current job, Clark watches a volcano eruption on TV, anxious that he can't do anything as Superman without giving away his identity.

Lois calls Gallo, who is about to hang up on her when he sees that she's a reporter, and instead decides to talk to her. When Superman fails to show up for one of their dates, Lois instead calls Gallo who promptly takes her for a night on the town.