Writers: Dan Jergens, Jerry Ordway, Louise Simonson, and Roger Stern
Pencillers: Lon Bogdanove, Tom Grummett, Jackson Guice, and Dan Jurgens
Inkers: Brett Breeding, Rick Burchett, Doug Hazlewood, Dennis Janke, and Denis Rodier
Letterers: John Costanza, Albert DeGuzman, Bill Oakley, Willie Schubert
Colorists: Gene D'Angelo and Glenn Whitmore
First released to the comic world in late 1992, The Death Of Superman is a seven-issue series that culminates into one of the most well-known Superman story lines to come out of DC Comics. In this Superman run, a unstoppable monster appears out of nowhere and begins destroying everything and everyone in his path. Given the level of destruction and death this beast causes to our heroes, he is given the appropriate name of Doomsday. In this comic run, he is able to defeat all the members of the Justice League International and very soon causes severe problems to our beloved Man of Steel.
Realizing that if he loses everyone he holds dear to his heart will suffer, Superman
gives it his all in what amounts to a blow by blow, death battle that will result in the beloved son of Jonathan and Martha Kent making the ultimate sacrifice for the greater good. Given the huge impact for its time in the comic fandom, The Death of Superman would push DC into a much different direction during The Nineties, and give their fans a more serious set of story lines to follow.
Narrative:
The story first begins with this monster covered in some kind of suit punching his way out of a underground facility on Earth. As soon as he makes contact with the outside world, the creature begins to kill everything in his path. Eventually, this attracts the attention of the Justice League International, currently made up of Guy Gardner, Blue Beetle II (Ted Kord), Bloodwynd, Maxima, Ice, Fire, and Booster Gold. One by one, the members are taken out by this destructive being, whose devastation is so vast that Booster Gold gives him the name, "Doomsday." They are saved by the Man of Steel who begins trading blows with Doomsday. Very soon, Superman realizes that Doomsday is completely different from any villain that he has come across before, as he begins to surpass Clark in strength and brutality, and can actually hurt the Kryptonian. To Clark's horror Doomsday seems to enjoy the death and destruction he creates, and proves to be an unstoppable powerhouse.
The fight makes its way into the center of Metropolis as Superman and Doomsday continue to trade blows. As the havoc increases, an increasingly bloodied Superman goes all out in one last effort to stop Doomsday. The final panel of both together shows them both give each other the final killing blow. Doomsday is stopped, but the cost was high, as the Last Son of Krypton falls to the ground on the verge of death. One of the final panels of the story has Superman dying in Lois Lane's arms after asking if everyone was alright. Lois replies that yes, everyone is safe, and that he can rest now. And so, the Man of Steel passes onto the next life. Or does he?
Review:
For my personal feelings on this comic, I love it. This is one of the best known Superman stories to come out of DC. Just the idea that they were willing to kill one of their original heroes showed me that DC was willing to push the envelope for its readers. It became a bestselling issue for DC, and allowed them the incentive to take a darker approach to many of their main heroes, such as Batman in Knightfall. Of course, Superman came back, as this was the first part in the death and rebirth of the Man of Steel. However, I still consider it to be very forward thinking about the superhero genre for its time.
As for the artwork, I have always appreciated the hand drawn approach; it gives a more human touch to the story. Reading The Death of Superman did give me a "blast from the past" feel in terms of dress attire and hairstyles from the 1980's and 90's. One only has to look at Booster Gold and what I determined to be some form of mullet to notice these little details of cosmopolitan life. Overall, if you're a Superman fan, or just a comic fan in general, I recommend to pick up a copy of The Death of Superman and check it out.
Rating:
9.5/10.
Comments