THE DEATH AND RETURN OF SUPERMAN

Writer: Various (Mainly Dan Jurgens)

Year: 1992

Publisher: DC Comics

Pages: (784)

The Death of Superman

The year was 1992. DC editorial was looking for something big for Superman. Initially there were plans for him to marry Lois, but that was soon rejected. It was a while later when someone spoke those infamous words, “Let’s just kill him”

            Those four words sparked what has gone down in record as “the best selling graphic novel of all time” of course, if you know your comics, you know that this led into bigger and arguably better stories, being just the tip of the iceberg.

            Anyway, we start off with “The Death of Superman” the first of three volumes, this is a seven issue trade that, funnily enough, contains the smallest amount of storyline. Doomsday breaks free from his restraints underground and goes on a destructive rampage. Eventually, the JLI is called in and fight him, promptly getting their asses kicked. It’s only when Booster Gold (awesome) gets punched into orbit and is saved by Superman that our hero shows up. 

We then get s short series of skirmishes where the JLI is picked off and only Supes remains. I really like the idea that we don’t know what Doomsday looks like as he’s dressed in a green jumpsuit that slowly tears away as the battle progresses. Eventually, the final showdown takes place on the streets of Metropolis, right outside the Daily Planet no less! They have a big sprawling fight and… that’s it. They both drop dead. Well, at least Superman’s inner monologue tells us that he knows he’s not walking away from this one.

            The panel lay-out is very clever with the issues having progressively less panels per page until the last, death issue, which is just a series of big splash pages.

World without a Superman

This trade is a 9 issue book and serves as both a eulogy to the character as well as set-up for the next volume. It has everything from how to dispose of Domsdays’ body to trying to resuscitate Clark to last farewells and the funeral. It is bittersweet and flowing with emotion. The story takes an odd turn however, with the mystery of who stole Superman’s body. We already know it’s Cadmus Labs and the story quickly turns tedious as all the reader is doing is waiting for the other characters to figure this out, but at least the Guardian gets something to do.

Eventually Clarks’ body is returned to his eternal resting place and we finally have a conclusion…until Jonathan Kent falls over and has a vision. He winds up on the astral plain with Clarks’ spirit, who got lost on his way to heaven. He manages to grab onto him, but wakes up alone. It’s several days later that the news channels start broadcasting alleged superman sightings and the tomb is reopened to reveal that the body is gone…again.

Reign of the Supermen (The Return of Superman)

            This trade is a beast. It clocks in at 21 issues ( 480 pages!) The plot deals with the emergence of four individuals who are trying to step into the void left by Supermans’ demise, several of whom claim to be Superman. This book was done as a collaboration between the four ongoing Superman titles at the time and it shows, with each title telling the story of one of the four supermen.

            This book certainly has an epic feel and if it sags a little halfway, the fantastic ending more than makes up for it. Eventually, the real Clark Kent shows up, newly resurrected and Green Lantern and the Matrix Supergirl are also roped in.

            Eventually the status quo is resumed (more or less) and some great new characters are added, such as Superboy (Connor Kent), Steel (john Henry Irons) and Cyborg Superman (Hank Henshaw), who all go on to greater success.

The bottom line.

Like most stories, The Death and Return of Superman has a strong opening, a slow second act and a strong ending. My edition is in the three trades so I can’t comment on the quality of the omnibus collection, though I imagine the spine thickness may be a problem. A minor annoyance is that issue covers are not included in the story, making it a bit difficult to tell when one issue ends and another begins.

Next stop.

Superman: Doomsday omnibus.

A collection of further Doomsday appearances, Hunter/prey, the natural sequel and where the Doomsday character should have been dropped, a very nice doomsday origin issue, the forgettable Doomsday Wars mini and a few Our Worlds at War tie-ins.