Superman trading cards first appeared in 1940 as a response to the success since his first appearance in Action Comics #1 in 1938.
Superman didn’t always appear as we know him today. Believe it or not, when Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster first created Superman in 1933, they created him as a super-villain, who was bald. Later that same year, he was reinvented as a hero. He is now instantly recognizable for his blue suit, red cape, and red and yellow “S” symbol on his chest.
Superman has been named by many as the best superhero of all time. Many attribute the success of super heroes to Superman.
It’s really no surprise that there have been multiple series of Superman trading cards throughout the years. Some of the early Superman sets are some of the best collectible non-sports trading card sets ever made.
List of Superman Trading Cards
Here is a list of Superman trading cards by set. For investment purposes, I would only consider the 1940 Gum, 1966 Topps, and 1968 A&BC sets. The rest should only be considered for personal enjoyment and collecting.
- 1940 Superman (Gum Inc)
- 1940 Superman (Leader Novelty)
- 1966 Superman (Topps)
- 1966 Superman Card Game (Whitman)
- 1968 Superman in the Jungle (A&BC)
- 1968 Superman Thick Card (Primrose Confectionary)
- 1972 Superman (Primrose Confectionary)
- 1978 Superman – The Movie (Topps)
- 1979 Superman – The Movie Series 2 (Topps)
- 1982 Superman II (Topps)
- 1983 Superman III (Topps)
- 1992 Doomsday: The Death of Superman (SkyBox)
- 1993 The Return of Superman (SkyBox)
- 1994 Superman: Man of Steel (SkyBox)
- 1995 Lois & Clark: Thew New Adventures of Superman (SkyBox)
- 1996 Superman Action Packs (Fleer/SkyBox)
- 1996 Superman Holo Series (Fleer/SkyBox)
- 2006 Superman Returns (Topps)
- 2013 Superman: The Legend (Cryptozoic)
Smallville Trading Card Sets
Here is a list, showing when each Smallville set was released:
- 2002 Smallville: Season 1 Preview (Inkworks)
- 2002 Smallville: Season 1 (Inkworks)
- 2003 Smallville: Season 2 (Inkworks)
- 2004 Smallville: Season 3 (Inkworks)
- 2005 Smallville: Season 4 (Inkworks)
- 2007 Smallville: Season 5 (Inkworks)
- 2008 Smallville: Season 6 (Inkworks)
- 2012 Smallville: Seasons 7-10 (Cryptozoic)
Sets Related to Superman
Here are some other sets that include Superman trading cards or other related characters.
- 1984 Supergirl (Topps)
- 1984 Supergirl (Nabisco)
- 1992 DC Cosmic Cards (Impel)
- 1993 DC Cosmic Team (SkyBox)
- 1993 DC Bloodlines (SkyBox)
- 1994 DC Master Series (SkyBox)
- 1995 DC vs Marvel (Fleer/SkyBox)
- 1995 Pwerchrome: DC Legends ’95 (Fleer/SkyBox)
- 1995 DC Villains: The Dark Judgement (Fleer/SkyBox)
- 1996 Kingdom Come Extra (Fleer/SkyBox)
- 1996 Outburst: DC FirePower (Fleer/SkyBox)
- 1996 Analgam DC/Marvel (Fleer/SkyBox)
- 2003 Justice League (Inkworks)
- 2003 Justice League Promo Cards (Inkworks)
- 2007 DC: Legacy (Rittenhouse)
- 2009 Justice League of America Archives (Rittenhouse)