The Long Cold Winter; The Promise of Spring
The final installment of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's Superman for All Seasons may be the crowning achievement of the Superman comics of the 1990s. It deftly summarizes who Superman is, and what makes him great.
This issue is narrated by Lana Lang. After his inability to save Metropolis and especially the chemist named Toxin, Superman suffers from a feeling of lack of control over life's uncertainties. So he goes home to Smallville. That's where he is once again reunited with Lana - who's spent her life traveling the world trying to deal with the same issue. As the two reconnect with their roots, they come to accept that life does not always go as you planned, and even the worst weather serves a purpose in the cycle of nature.
Just like life, Superman for All Seasons is as bittersweet as it is powerful, and it reminds us that through weather fair and foul, being true to ourselves is being the best we can be. By the time he utters his final words, "Folks call me 'Superman'.", we all know exactly why.