• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Comic Book Herald

A Comic Book Reading Order Guide For Beginners & Fans

  • Reading Orders
    • Marvel
    • My Marvelous Year
    • DC Comics
    • All Comic Book Publishers
    • Most Recent
  • Beginner Guides
    • Beginner’s Guide To Comics In 2025
    • Marvel 2025: Where to Start?
    • DC 2025: Where to Start?
    • Best of Lists
    • Tablets for Comics
    • Guides for Digital Readers
  • Reviews
    • Marvel Comics
    • DC Comics
    • Comic Book Movies
    • Comic Book TV
    • Video Games
  • Podcasts & Video
    • My Marvelous Year
    • Best Comics Ever (CBH)
    • CBH on Youtube!
  • About Me
    • My Favorite Comics of All Time
    • Columns
    • CBH Email Newsletter
  • Support Comic Book Herald
    • Ways to support
You are here: Home / Reading Orders / DC Comics / The Essential Jimmy Olsen Comic Book Stories

The Essential Jimmy Olsen Comic Book Stories

July 17, 2019 by Dave Leave a Comment

Jimmy Olsen is one of the most recognizable supporting characters in comics, and for my money, the most famous pal in history. The red-headed bow-tie wearing Daily Planet photographer is up there with Archie and Dennis the Menace as fictional presences interwoven in the modern American mythology.

While he’ll always be known as Superman’s Pal, Jimmy has a wide-range of adventures on his own, from Silver Age insanity to frontline of Jack Kirby’s 4th World to investigative journalism to present day critical acclaim. At the heart of his best stories, Jimmy Olsen is a catalyst for pure comic book fun the way Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster intended.

Below you’ll find my picks for the essential Jimmy Olsen comics reading throughout DC’s history, from his origins through today.

Related Reading Orders:

Superman

Lex Luthor

 

Support For Comic Book Herald:

Comic Book Herald is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a qualifying affiliate commission.

Comic Book Herald’s reading orders and guides are also made possible by My Marvelous Year club support on Patreon, and generous reader donations.

Any size contribution will help keep CBH alive and full of new comics guides and content. Support CBH’s My Marvelous Year on Patreon for exclusive rewards, or Donate here! Thank you for reading!

Silver Age Jimmy Olsen and his former identities

Superman: The Amazing Transformations of Jimmy Olsen

Collects: Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #22, 28, 31-33, 41-42, 44, 49, 53, 59, 65, 72, 77, 80, 85, 105, Superman Family #173

While the hardcore Olsen devotees may well recommend reading all of the Silver Age Superman’s Pal series, “The Amazing Transformations” collection does a nice job curating some of the wildest moments in Jimmy Olsen history. Nobody in comics can beat Jimmy’s “Remember that time…” stories, like that time he was a turtle, genie, werewolf, etc.

The series rebrand to Superman Family features the story where Superman and Jimmy take on the identities Nightwing and Flamebird in the Bottle City of Kandor. That’s right; Supes and Jimmy are part of DC’s original Nightwing!

Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen by Jack Kirby

Collects: Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #133-139 and #141-148

I’m not sure Jack Kirby will ever get enough credit for jumping to DC Comics and launching significant chunks of the Fourth World in the pages of Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen. For example, did you know Darkseid’s first appearance is a cameo in Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #134. Darkseid. Lord of Apokolips. In a comic that features the absolutely devastating cover treatment: “Superman’s EX-Pal, Jimmy Olsen.”

I definitely recommend these issues as part of the full Fourth World reading order.

World of Metropolis #4 (1988)

The post Crisis on Infinite Earths origins of Jimmy’s famous Super-watch. I’m stretching the definition of essential here, but I do appreciate the post-Crisis assertions that Jimmy’s own ingenuity is a strong part of the character, rather than super-by-proxy.

Cross dressing Jimmy Olsen in All Star Superman

All Star Superman

Collects: All Star Superman #1 to #12

My favorite single Jimmy Olsen issue for most of my comics-aware life is All-Star Superman #4. In “The Superman/Olsen War” by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely, the issue opens with Jimmy winning “Metropolis’ worst dressed” for a second straight year, and ends with Jimmy turning himself into a Doomsday to help Superman.

It’s the greatest.

Countdown to Final Crisis

Don’t cry because it’s over, cry because it happened.

Countdown to Final Crisis is universally panned as a failed attempt to replicate DC’s 52, but I have to admit it’s compelling that DC at least tried to integrate Jimmy Olsen into this version. I don’t think it really works, but hey, it’s a big moment for Jim (even if the series has since been 1000% ignored).

Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen Special #1

Collects: One-shot

Lead in to Superman: New Krypton Special #1

Superman: Codename Patriot

Collects: Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen Special #2, Superman #691, Supergirl #44, Action Comics #880 & Superman: World Of New Krypton #6

Jimmy Olsen (2011)

Collects: One-shot

This 70 page giant originally ran as Action Comics backups by Nick Spencer and RB Silva. For my money, it’s the best Jimmy Olsen comic since All-Star Superman #4.

Spencer and Silva tap into the best elements of Jimmy, weaving in sad sack breakups (to Smallville’s Chloe Sullivan!!) and alien invasions with the appropriate comedic touch. The series is surprisingly reverential of Jimmy’s past as well, literally pulling Jimmy’s flying newsroom out of mothballs and turning it into a spaceship.

Action Comics by Bendis

Jimmy returns as a comedic Daily Planet regular in the pages of Action Comics and the build up to Event Leviathan. If you’ve ever wanted to see Jimmy go on a date that turns out to be an initiation into Kobra Cult (*raises hand way too fast*), Action Comics is a must.

Jimmy Olsen by Matt Fraction and Steve Lieber

Jimmy Olsen by Matt Fraction and Steve Lieber

One of the most hotly anticipated comics of 2019, and an instant critical darling, Jimmy Olsen (2019) brings superstar creators Matt Fraction and Steve Lieber to DC for a hilarious look at the life of Superman’s pal.

The series technically debuts in the pages of Superman Leviathan Special and it’s clear from jump it has the potential to go down as an all-timer.

Elseworlds Jimmy

JLA: The Nail

Superman: Red Son

Superman Beyond #0

Filed Under: DC Comics, Featured Tagged With: comic books, dc, jimmy olsen, recommendations, Superman

Heroically Support Comic Book Herald!

If you like Comic Book Herald, and are able to donate, any small contribution will help keep CBH alive and full of new comics guides and content. Donate here! Or, support CBH on Patreon for exclusive rewards! Thank you for reading!

Become a Patron!

CBH Newsletter!

About Dave

Dave is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Comic Book Herald, and also the Boss of assigning himself fancy titles. He's a long-time comic book fan, and can be seen most evenings in Batman pajama pants. Contact Dave @comicbookherald on Twitter or via email at dave@comicbookherald.com.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

The My Marvelous Year Podcast!

Apple PodcastsRSS

CBH Newsletter!

My Marvelous Year reading club helps Marvel fans become comic book experts

Recent Posts

  • 2010 Variant Cover E: Thunderbolts Review w/ Tiffany Babb May 12, 2025
  • Extra Issues – Lucifer Pt. 2 (2000) May 8, 2025
  • 2010 Pt. 9: Thor: The Mighty Avenger, Bucky on Trial, & Invincible Iron Man May 5, 2025
  • My Favorite Graphic Novels of April 2025 May 1, 2025
  • 2010 Variant Cover D: Dave Interviewed Donny Cates & Chris Claremont! And Daredevil: Born Again Review! April 27, 2025
  • 2010 Pt. 8: Daredevil: Shadowland April 21, 2025
  • 2010 Pt. 7: Wolverine, Second Coming, & Uncanny X-Force April 14, 2025
  • Extra Issues – Lucifer Pt. 1 (2000) April 7, 2025
  • 2010 Variant Cover C: Marvel Rivals Resurrects the X-Men’s Krakoa, Trivia & Jiggle Physics! April 7, 2025
  • My Favorite Graphic Novels of March 2025 April 7, 2025
  • 2010 Pt. 6: Hickman’s Fantastic Four: Three March 31, 2025
  • 2010 Pt. 5: Realm of Kings & Thanos Imperative March 24, 2025
  • 2010 Variant Cover B: Daredevil Born Again (Again) TV Series Review! March 17, 2025
  • 2010 Pt. 4: Amazing Spider-Man: Big Time & Dave’s Favorite Black Widow Story March 10, 2025
  • My Favorite Graphic Novels of February 2025 March 4, 2025

Popular Articles

DC Rebirth Guide

Batman Reading Order

DC New 52 Reading Order

Marvel Ultimate Universe Guide

Civil War Reading Order

Marvel Cosmic Reading Order

The Best Comics of All Time!

Deadpool Reading Order

Justice League Reading Order

Complete Thanos Reading Order

X-Men Reading Guide (Modern Era)

Age of Apocalypse Reading Order

Modern Marvel Universe in 25 Trades

Best Tablet For Digital Comics

Is Marvel Unlimited Worth It?

Footer

New to Comic Book Herald?

Hey there - my name's Dave and this is my comic book blog. It's my way of sharing my borderline obsessive addiction to the comic book medium, and I hope you like some of what's going on here.

Most people that come here are looking for my (WIP) Marvel reading order guide. You can probably also get a sense if CBH is for you by taking a look at some of my columns.

If you like what you see, let's connect on Facebook or Twitter. Or, leave a comment on the blog here, I'm always looking for new awesome people in the comic book community.

More on Comic Book Herald

  • Home
  • About
  • Support CBH
  • My Marvelous Year
  • Join!
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service

Recent Posts

  • 2010 Variant Cover E: Thunderbolts Review w/ Tiffany Babb
  • Extra Issues – Lucifer Pt. 2 (2000)
  • 2010 Pt. 9: Thor: The Mighty Avenger, Bucky on Trial, & Invincible Iron Man
  • My Favorite Graphic Novels of April 2025
  • 2010 Variant Cover D: Dave Interviewed Donny Cates & Chris Claremont! And Daredevil: Born Again Review!

Copyright © 2025 · Metro Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in