Superman is back and this time he deals with multiple bad guys in different stories. Yes, In Superman 3 Stories In 1: Volume 1, the Man of Steel plays saviour once again, but we also get to know how he entered the world as well.

His origin story is placed alongside two adventures in this volume to make the readers understand why Superman loves doing what he does best — save the world and the American way.

So what makes this Superman adventure book a good read? Each adventure is accompanied by full-colour pictures from the Superman Animated Series to double the readers’ joy. These pictures can help young minds imagine the stuff they read in the book.

In the first chapter Last Son Of Krypton, readers are told that Clark Kent is not Superman’s real name, he isn’t from Earth and came from a planet — Krypton — that was far more advanced than his adopted one. Young minds get to know how Krypton was through the illustrations, who were the Man of Steel’s real parents and what was the reason behind the planet’s destruction. If that’s not interesting, his origins on Earth make the chapter more exciting than anything else.

In Museum Monsters, Superman is pitted against an intergalactic villain who doesn’t seem like a villain at all. Yes, Mister Mxyzptlk may not have the face of a bad guy but he has more tricks in his sleeves than many villains combined. Even Superman seems to be helpless against his magic powers until he realises that there is a way to send back the trickster to his home, the Fifth Dimension. The images here enhance the readers’ imagination because this story is all about hallucinations and magic tricks, besides saving the world and the people close to Superman.

And finally, there is Superman’s battle with the Toyman; the two battle it out in Toys of Terror where toys turn deadly during a Christmas Parade. How he manages to take down a villain who seems to be one step ahead all the time is what makes this story worth your time.

Like in all the other stories, this one also is explained in simple narrative with youngsters getting an opportunity to imagine themselves being part of the story. They all are engrossing adventures with the same outcome – Superman making the bad guys pay for disrupting peace in his city. Read it and then discuss it with your friends who might have their own stories to share, of their own favourite superhero!

Published in Dawn, Young World, October 26th, 2019