The Creative teams behind The Death of Superman are bringing four all-new stories to the 80-page The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1, available at local comic shops on November 8.
But there’s more to get hyped about! We’re excited to debut, exclusively here on DC Community, the black armband featuring The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary logo that is included in the premium polybag variant. As a tribute to the black armband released 30 years ago, readers can wear the new armband in solidarity with the passing of one of our greatest heroes.
Get excited for some incredible new stories from the team behind the historic The Death of Superman, in just a few months! To celebrate the special anniversary of this genre-defining moment, DC has reunited the original creative teams of Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding; Roger Stern and Butch Guice; Louise Simonson and Jon Bogdanove; and Jerry Ordway and Tom Grummett for The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1 . Available at comic shops on November 8, The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1 features four all-new stories that explore the lasting impact that Clark’s death had on his family and friends as well as nine pinups and variant covers by some of the top names in comics.
Here’s a look at some of the new stories that focus on how Superman’s allies reacted to his iconic fight with Doomsday:
“The Life of Superman” by Dan Jurgens (W & A), Brett Breeding (A), Brad Anderson (C), and John Workman (L) - A young Jon Kent finds out in school that his dad had died years earlier, as his parents never told him about that fateful day. In the midst of dealing with this emotional news, Jon and Clark need to team up to fight a new villain connected to Doomsday called DOOMBREAKER.
“Standing Guard” by Roger Stern (W), Butch Guice (A), Glenn Whitmore (C), and Rob Leigh (L) - The epic battle between Superman and Doomsday from the Guardians’ perspective.
“Time” by Louise Simonson (W), Jon Bogdanove (A), Glenn Whitmore (C), and Rob Leigh (L) - The story of how the death of Superman looked from John Henry Irons’s perspective.
“Above and Beyond” by Jerry Ordway (W), Tom Grummett (P), Doug Hazlewood (I), Glenn Whitmore (C), and Rob Leigh (L) - A powerful story of Ma and Pa Kent watching their son fight Doomsday live on television and going through Clark’s photo albums with the feeling that their son always prevails.
Great Rao, I will be at my comic store on 11/8 right as they open the doors, and not just for The New Golden Age one-shot, but especially for the DOS Special.
While I’m an ardent Superman geek, I am saying with complete objectivity that I think the DOS Special will earn the One-Shot of The Year award.
It ties into what is arguably and factually the most impactful, important and influential DC story (regardless of imprint and/or entertainment medium) of the last three decades, and its being worked on by the exact same people who brought us that impactful, important and influential story, so how can it miss?
If its any consolation, I got my bagged copy of Superman #75 in 2016. I’d never had it before that, as I had my newsstand copy of #75 from my childhood, along with the original and '16 trade runs of Death/Return, so I didn’t see a need to get the bagged edition.
It was only when my then-regular comic store had it on their Hot Wall for a good price that I snagged the bagged edition as a Stanley Goodspeed-style “Oh, well, why not?” impulse purchase.
Not silly at all. You know how I said my then-regular store had the bagged edition on their Hot Wall in '16?
I bought the copy next to it too, so as to have one opened and one sealed.
I first read it in trade form. $4.95 cover price. Then I got a young readers novel from a Scholastic flyer. Alex Ross cover art. A while later, my aunt took me to the outlet mall in Gaffney, and while I was browsing the book store there, they had the hardcover Death of Superman and Knightfall novels and bought both. It wasn’t until I was walking around the flea market that I found Superman #75, the news stand edition for $8, up until then, my most expensive comic purchase.
I somehow missed the whole Death portion, but I jumped on the whole Reign of the Supermen issues. I read the Death later in trade. It was around the time I started to transition from collecting sports cards to buying comics. They had a mini card shop in the local grocery store and the owner started stocking comics.
I’m excited for the Anniversary Special even if makes me feel old.
Let’s be honest: DC’s marketing department wants people to buy the two copies, one for the armband or to read and one to keep sealed.
Is it silly? Given that I even will buy Funkos (I’ll defend to the death my Lucy Davis especially since she’s holding Diana’s shield and sword in that one AND because goddess forbid that DC will ever otherwise make any kind of Etta Candy ANYTHING), that’s not for me to say.
Poor Superman, I really do miss him, he really was a great hero.
