Volume 1: Legion of Three Worlds (3007-3009)
Justice League of America #8
Justice Society of America #5
Justice League of America #9
Justice Society of America #6
Justice League of America #10
Action Comics #858-864
Final Crisis:  Legion of Three Worlds #1-5

Volume 2: The Battle of Brainiac (or Last Stand of New Krypton) (3009-3010)
Adventure Comics #1-4/504-507 ( backups)
Adventure Comics #8/511
Last Stand of New Krypton #1
Supergirl #51
Superman #698
Adventure Comics #9/512
LSoNK #2
Adventure Comics #10/513
Supergirl #52
Superman #699
LSoNK #3
Adventure Comics #11/514

This volume caused a conundrum for me, as I already have a five volume New Krypton set with my Superman collection.  There really is no way to condense LSoNK down to just extract the Legion parts.  Ultimately, I realized that I already have some double dipping going on in other parts of my collection, especially with the Final Night in the reboot era, and even the Superman and the Legion arc in the previous volume.  This volume does allow me a book to just focus on the Legion, and keep reading their adventures straight through.  Some people will want to include more of the Mon-El storyline, but I think that will start cluttering up this set.

Volume 3:  Secret History (3010-3012)
Legion: Secret Origin #1-6
Adventure Comics #517
Superman: Secret Origin #2
Legion (volume 7) #0
Adventure Comics #12/515
Supergirl Annual #2
Adventure Comics #518-520
Brave and the Bold #33-34
Adventure Comics #516

Except for Adventure #516, all of this volume is flashback stories with no “present day” framing material.  I debated as to whether to make it a volume 0 or not, but I think it’s best to start with the team being reintroduced, heading to New Krypton, and then getting a history lesson before continuing with their 31st century adventures.  If it were to be a volume 0, then Adventure #516 would need to be moved to one of the surrounding volumes.

Volume 4:  Choices (3010-3011)
Legion (volume 6) #1-6
Legion (volume 6) Annual #1
Legion (volume 6) #7
Adventure Comics #521
Legion (volume 6) #8
Adventure Comics #522
Legion (volume 6) #9-10
Legion of Super Villains #1
Legion (volume 6) #11-16
Adventure Comics #523-529

Starting with #521, Adventure Comics started telling stories concurrent with the Legion series.  I determined that the best reading order for #521-522 was in publication order, while the Legion Academy arc that started in #523 fit best at the end.  The Annual is moved a little prior to publication, due to some character continuity, namely the leadership of the Legion and Dawnstar.

Volume 5:  The Last Stand (or Long Live the Legion) (3011-3013)
Legion (volume 7) #1-23

I did not see a need to follow the adventures of the team stranded in the 21st century in the Legion Lost series.

Chronology
Classic Era
Glorithverse
Reboot Era
Prime Era
Retro Era

The complete shield numbering list:

Green numbers
1 – New Krypton #1
2 – Superman #681
3 – Guardian Special #1
4 – Action Comics #871
5 – Supergirl #35
6 – Superman #682
7 – Action Comics #872
8 – Supergirl #36
9 – Superman #683
10 – Action Comics #873
11 – Supergirl #37 (no number)
12 – Superman #684
13 – Action Comics #874
14 – Supergirl #38
15 – Superman #685 (no number)
16 – World of New Krypton #1
17 – Action Comics #875
18 – Supergirl #39
19 – Superman #686
20 – World of New Krypton #2
21 – Action Comics #876
22 – Supergirl #40
23 – Superman #687
24 – World of New Krypton #3
25 – Action Comics #877
26 – Supergirl #41
27 – Superman #688
28 – World of New Krypton #4
29 – Action Comics #878
30 – Supergirl #42
31 – Superman #689
32 – World of New Krypton #5
33 – Action Comics #879
34 – Supergirl #43
35 – Superman #690

Red numbers
0—Superman Secret Files 2009
1 – World of New Krypton #6
2 – Action Comics #880
3 – Supergirl #44
4 – Superman #691
5 – Jimmy Olsen #2
6 – World of New Krypton #7
7 – Action Comics #881
8 – Supergirl #45
9 – Superman #692
10 – World of New Krypton #8
11 – Action Comics #882
12 – Supergirl #46
13 – Superman #693
14 – World of New Krypton #9
15 –Action Comics #883
16 – Supergirl #47
17 – Superman #694
18 – World of New Krypton #10
19 – Action Comics #884
20 – Supergirl #48
21 – Superman #695
22 – World of New Krypton #11
23 – Action Comics #885
24 – Supergirl #49
25 – Superman #696
26 – World of New Krypton #12
27 – Action Comics #886
28 – Supergirl #50
29 – Superman #697
30 – Adventure Comics #8
31 – Last Stand of Krypton #1
32 – Action Comics #887
33 – Supergirl #51
34 – Superman #698
35 – Adventure Comics #9
36 – Last Stand of New Krypton #2
37 – Action Comics #888
38 – Adventure Comics #10
39 – Supergirl #52
40 – Superman #699
41 – Last Stand of Krypton #3
42 – Action Comics #889
43 – Adventure Comics #11

So, no big deal, because they’re so easily numbered, you can just pick good breaking points and go, right?  Wrong.  Very rarely does the storyline actually go week to week through the various series.  The World of New Krypton series actually causes a few headaches, because the majority of the issues continue directly into one another, not allowing for any good break points to jump back to the action on Earth.  So, ultimately, the shield numbers really only help to make sure that you’ve obtained all of the necessary issues.  But I have finally been able to work out a 6 volume set.

The map itself can be found here:  http://comicbinding.com/mapping/superman-2006-2011

I do use several official TPB/HC releases, because it was cheaper than binding.

Up, Up, and Away
Superman #650
Action Comics #837
Superman #651
Action Comics #838
Superman #652
Action Comics #839
Superman #653
Action Comics #840
Action #841-843
Superman #712
Action #850
Superman #666
Action Annual #10

Last Son [TPB]
Action Comics #844-846, 851
Action Comics Annual #11

Camelot Falls 1 [HC]
Superman #654-658

Camelot Falls 2 [HC]
Superman #662-664, 667
Superman Annual #13 (first story)

I ended up cutting out much of Busiek’s run. There were a few continuity issues, mainly due to the delays in the Last Son arc, but also because I wasn’t that interested when going back and looking over the issues. The few one-off stories I liked ended up in the first volume above.

Legion of Super-Heroes [HC]
Action Comics #858-863

In a perfect world, they would have also included 864, the epilogue in here.

Atlas [HC]
Superman #677-680

Brainiac [HC]
Action Comics #866-870

Since both of those arcs are short, I opted for individual trades/hardcovers. Otherwise, I might have opted for a New Krypton prelude volume with Action 858-870, Superman #677-680, Supergirl #34, Jimmy Olsen #1, and the Legion features from Adventure Comics #1-4.

Now, we move into the New Krypton era.  To try to help readers, DC brought back a version of the “triangle” or “shield” numbers.  However, instead of basing them on year, they just started them with New Krypton #1 – colored in green – and then restarted the numbering using red shields with the Codename Patriot crossover.   However, the numbers do not actually indicate the flow of the storyline, instead just showing what order issues were released.  I find the best use for those shield numbers is as a checklist.

A list showing the New Krypton comics in shield order is here:  http://comicbinding.com/mapping/superman-new-krypton

New Krypton 1
Supergirl #34
Jimmy Olsen #1
New Krypton #1
Superman #681
Guardian Special (Adventure Comics)
Action Comics #871
Supergirl #35
Superman #682
Action Comics #872
Supergirl #36
Superman #683
Action Comics #873
Superman #684
Action Comics #874
Superman #685
World of New Krypton #1

I would have moved the Origins and Omens back ups completely to the back, but they end up sharing pages with the main story, so I’m leaving them where they are.

New Krypton 2:  World Without Superman
Supergirl #37-42
Superman #686-688
Action Comics #875-879
Superman #689-690
Superman Annual #14
Supergirl #43
Adventure Comics #0 (backup), #1-3, 5 (backup), 6 [Superboy story]
Action Comics Annual #12
Superman SF 2009

New Krypton 3:  Codename Patriot
WoNK #2-6
Action Comics #880
Supergirl #44
Superman #691
Jimmy Olsen #2
Action Comics #881
Supergirl #45
Action Comics #882
Supergirl #46
WoNK #7
Supergirl #47
WoNK #8-12
Supergirl Annual #1
Adventure Comics #1-4 (backups – Legion)

Since there is about a week gap in WoNK #7, I placed it after the Action/Supergirl crossover, even though both pick up directly from the end of Superman #691.  The story break between WoNK #7 and 8 isn’t perfect, but it works well enough to insert Supergirl #47, which has to go there.

New Krypton 4:  World Against Superman
Superman #692-693 (minus last two pages)
Supergirl #48-49
Action Comics #883-884
Superman #693 (last two pages)
Superman #694-695
Action Comics #885
Superman #696-697
Supergirl #50
Action Comics #886-889
Adventure Comics #8-10 (backups)
Action Comics #879-889 (Captain Atom features)

Supergirl #49 seems to end in a way where #50 would pick up directly on it.  However, in #50, it’s mentioned that a couple of days have passed, hence splitting those issues.  Also, there’s really not any good place for the Captain Atom feature, so I put it here, even though the last chapter sort of spoils an element of the ending of the next book.  And yes, the Action issues go here, because they are not a part of the Last Stand crossover, regardless of what the cover says.

New Krypton 5:  Last Stand of New Krypton
Adventure Comics #8
Last Stand of New Krypton #1
Supergirl #51
Superman #698
Adventure Comics #9
LSoNK #2
Adventure Comics #10
Supergirl #52
Superman #699
LSoNK #3
Adventure Comics #11
War of the Supermen #0-4
Superman #700

The middle story of Superman #700 by Dan Jurgens, will go in a Batman volume about Robin’s early years.  I did not care for Grounded, so I skipped it, but that volume would have gone right here.

Lex Luthor:  The Black Ring
Action Comics #890-896
Secret Six #29
Action Comics #897-900
Action Comics Annual #13
Jimmy Olsen #1

The Jimmy Olsen one-shot isn’t part of the Lex story, but since it contains the backups originally planned for this run, I opted to include it as a backup feature in this book. I’ll also toss the Superboy backup from #892 at the end, since I don’t plan on binding that Superboy series.

Reign of Doomsday
Steel #1
Outsiders #37
JLA #54
Superman/Batman Annual #5
Superboy #6
Action #900-904

This is the only easy way I could figure out to deal with these two separate but slightly connected stories.  Action #900 will appear in both books.  However, I would only put the backups in the Lex book.  If you’re not interested in the Doomsday lead up, you could just put #901-904 in the last book following #900. As it is, I could not find the Steel issue, so I got the Return of Doomsday trade and bound that at the front of this volume.

For a while, this looked like the end of this version of Superman, until he made a return leading into DC Rebirth.