Superman: Up in the Sky is very different than other Superman stories that I've ranked highly lately, such as the Earth One series that are performing a modified re-telling of Superman. Up in the Sky is noteworthy to me precisely because it is so classic: even the artwork seems like the quintessential superman. He flies, he champions, he never gives up -- like All Star Superman¹, he represents the best of Superman's uncompromising standards and pathos. The Up in the Sky volume so unapologetically takes up the Superman that has been beloved for decades and bald-facedly takes on the questions that have been asked in the meta-culture: if Superman raced Flash, who would win? Why is Batman great? What if Superman were stuck in an administrative help line for hours and hours? What scares Superman? What if Superman is forced to compromise his standards in order to save a child? It does all this on the way to rescuing a child in need on the other side of the galaxy.

¹ All Star Superman is widely considered one of the best Superman stories of all time, demonstrating "if Superman were dying in three days, how would he spend them, and how would he be remembered?" It has that in common with Up in the Sky: it celebrates the morals that define Superman.