Ten Great Superman Gifts Under $20 for the SuperDad on Father's Day

Billy Obenauer
Buying gifts your dad will actually use is usually rather difficult because dads have a way of liking weird things that moms and kids can't understand. Even when dads like kiddy stuff like comic book characters, they're not looking for the same action figures and animated movies that their kids are. If the important dad in your life is a Superman fan, you're in luck, because you've just stumbled upon ten great Father's Day gifts under $20 for the dad who loves Superman.

1. Superman I-IV 2-Disc Set- This timeless collection starring Christopher Reeve and Gene Hackman is a must-buy for any Superman fan who has yet to convert his collection of movies from VHS to DVD. This item is available for $10.36 with free "Site to Store" shipping on walmart.com via the following link: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10295860.

2. The Death and Life of Superman- When the comic book world was shocked by the death of Superman in 1992, many of us old timers had no clue what had happened. As an active father, you don't always have time to keep up with the weekly comics (especially a storyline like this that followed several different series), and the people at Warner Brothers never made good on their promise to turn it into a live action movie, so what were we to do. Read the novel by Roger Stern, of course. Though this book never truly caught on in popularity, it is a riveting read as it takes you through Superman's epic battle with Doomsday, his death, how the world of superheroes and the world of mortals copes with their loss, and The Man of Steel's return. Though difficult to find in the stores, this book can be purchased from independent sellers through amazon.com for under ten dollars at: http://www.amazon.com/Death-Life-Superman-Roger-Stern/dp/076075439X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244302089&sr=1-3.

3. Superman Logo 18 oz Mug- In today's office, a man is defined by his novelty coffee cup. That's why it's important to make sure that the Superman fan in your life isn't drinking from some lame teal mug that simply states the name of a tropical city where you once took a vacation. You can get your favorite Kryptonian a mug of steel for $16 courtesy of the Warner Brother's Shop at: http://www.wbshop.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-WB-Site/default/Product-Show?pid=SMVAMUGA.

4. Superman Necktie- Okay, let's face it. Any grown man who is looking forward to getting a Superman gift is probably not a guy who gets thrilled about getting all dressed up. It's time to make putting on his Sunday best a little more enjoyable for this overgrown kid by giving him a Superman necktie. Hit or miss in the store, there's always a tie or too available for $15.99 at absoluteties.com through the following link: http://www.absoluteties.com/superman1.html.

5. Superman Lounge Pants- You can't eat, drink, and sleep Superman without a pair of the Man of Tomorrow's PJ's. Often, you can find a pair on the racks at one of the larger discount stores, but right now,Target currently has an unbeatable clearance price of $7.49 through their website at: http://www.target.com/Licensed-Fleece-Superman-Sleep-Pant/dp/B001FXG24Y/sr=1-14/qid=1244303721/ref=sr_1_14/185-2097845-8802601?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=0&pricerange=&index=target&field-browse=1038576&rh=k%3Asuperman&page=2.

6. Superman Returns: The Video Game- We've all wondered how it feels to have freeze breath, heat vision, super speed, and the ability to fly. Well, here's your opportunity to give these abilities to the Superman-loving father in your life. For $19.82, Dad can save Metropolis from a meteor shower, battle Mongul on War World, fight off Metallo and his minions, and even test out what it's like to be Bizarro. Once again, WalMart comes through providing this game for PS2 at: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4872398. It can also be purchased used through gamestop.com.

7. Superman Key Ring- If your dad walks around dreaming of carrying the key to Clark's ship, you'd better make sure that he's got the right key ring to go with it. Now, thanks to the Superman Superstore, there are over a dozen different Superman key rings available for under ten dollars. To check out their selection, visit: http://store.supermansuperstore.com/keyrings.html.

8. Superman Mouse Pad- Whether it's to identify himself as a big kid at the office or to make his computer time at home a little more enjoyable, the Superman mouse pad from Giftopolis will help make your Dad of Steel enjoy his time on the computer a little more. This product is available for $11.95 at: http://www.giftapolis.com/sumopadloonb.html.

9. Superman Returns: The Movie- Though most Superman fans found many faults with this movie, the fact of the matter is, love the plot or hate it, if you love Superman you've got to love the scene where his son throws the piano in this film. Warner Brothers did a poor job with this film from both a writing and casting perspective, but with Best Buy offering it for $4.99, you need to buy Dad the film he can't bring himself to purchase. It is available at: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8038054&type=product&id=1608315.

10. Superman License Plate Frame- Having his license plate encased with black plastic that reads "Joe Schmoe's Auto Store" doesn't say a thing about who your father is, but a Superman license plate frame sure would. Amazon offers a nice chrome style frame for $19.99 through the following link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001EWHWM2/ref=asc_df_B001EWHWM2817782?smid=A2XPKUM17OEL2S&tag=shopzilla_rev_1042-20&linkCode=asn.

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