Back in 1992 DC comics published a storyline about the death (and SPOILERS, the eventual return of Superman). Shockingly titled “The Death of Superman” The plot followed the Man of Steel as he faced the seemingly unbeatable Doomsday. As their brutal battle intensified, the world watched in shock and horror witnessing the Man of Steel fall in battle.
Conceived by a team of writers and artists, including Dan Jurgens, Roger Stern, Louise Simonson, and Jerry Ordway as a response to the declining popularity of Superman in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The character had been around since 1938, and while he had always been a popular superhero, his sales had been declining for several years. DC published the event as a crossover story that spanned several Superman titles and culminated in Superman #75. The story broke sales records (over six million copies) and sparked widespread media coverage, making headlines around the world.
The Death of Superman changed the game for superhero death and rebirth stories, as it showed that even the most iconic and powerful hero could be killed and resurrected. It paved the way for many other stories that explored the impact of superhero death on the characters and the world, such as Knightfall, The Death of Captain America, and Civil War. While some critics argue that the Death of Superman contributed to the speculation boom and bust of the comic book industry in the 90s, as well as the overuse of death and resurrection as a storytelling device it remains a powerful and emotional story that has had a lasting impact on the comicbook world today.
Now, 30 years on DC have published “The Death of Superman: 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition” of the bestselling graphic novel. Bringing together the entire arc, this bumper edition collects
SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL #18-19,
THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #497-498
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #69
SUPERMAN #74-75
ACTION COMICS #684
SUPERMAN: DAY OF DOOM #1-4
and NEWSTIME: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF SUPERMAN.
Plus there’s stacks of original artwork, a heartfelt foreward by Dan Jurgens and even a transcript from a virtual roundtable discsussing life after the death of Superman, hosted by former Superman editor, Mike Carlin with Dan Jurgens, Jery Ordway, Roger Stern and Louise Simonson.
With a title like “Death of Superman”, the world knew the ending to the story before it even happened, but the journey to get there gave more to the characters, the DC universe and pop culture in general than people would ever has speculated. 30 years on from the all the hype and mania of the early 90s, this new collection offers an insightful retrospective and a new way to enjoy one of the most iconic and influential storylines in comicbook history.
