:superman: 🪦 The Death of Superman Turns 30 🪦 :superman:

Whether you were there in '92, or you’ve never read DC’s most important, influential and impactful story of the last 3 decades until now, this is the time to dive into The Death and Return of Superman, @ModernAgeSupermanClub! :superman_hv_3:

:notes: “Get your cape on, and let’s take flight!” :notes: :point_down:t2:

Also: DC commemorated the 30th anniversary of The Death of Superman with the release of a special anniversary one-shot last month:

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You can chit-chat about that very special book :point_right:t2: right here :point_left:t2:.

To further the 30th anniversary commemoration, DC will also be releasing The Death of Superman: 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition on December 20th:

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Is The Death and Return of Superman a tried and true classic for you? Brand-new? Speak your piece about it down below, :superman:uper fans!

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I’ll definitely take another read of this arc at least. I don’t know if I would put this in the top-tier Superman stories, but there are definitely some merits to it.

As for the one-shot, I haven’t picked it up yet – I’m going to wait until it either hits Ultra or the physical edition comes for people who picked it up, but I’ve heard good things. :slight_smile:

I’m gonna post a really cool documentary that WB/DC did back during the release of the Superman: Doomsday animated movie that discusses the comic story. It has one of my favorite industry stories about the real origin of the Death of Superman.

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:superman:well! I look forward to your thoughts.

Also, Death/Return is the main, non-Christmas-themed, MASC read from now until early January, so you’re welcome to take your time in reading/replying.

I certainly would, as Death/Return is my all-time favorite Superman story (regardless of medium), bar-none.

You could spend $20 for the bagged edition at your LCS. I did, and look at me, now! :superman_hv_4: :laughing:

SN: 20 bucks? Its a good thing I love this story, Yon Comic Shoppe.

Excellent post of an excellent documentary. Its one of many excellent pieces that Warner Home Video (now Warner Home Entertainment) has produced through the decades for DC-based content across assorted home video formats.

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Just found this on the DC homepage:

IDK if its author, Rosie Knight is a member of the community (@HubCityQuestion Are you familiar with her?), but either way, she wrote a fantastic piece about TDOS that’s worth everyone’s time.

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I did a write-up on The Death of Superman back in August:

I upset many by saying that Doomsday was a walking plot-device. In true Moth fashion, I am going to double-down on that take.

Still, good story!

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Indeed, indeed.

Fine and good. Please remember everyone has their opinion, and doesn’t need or want to change it. Every POV is valid and welcome, here. :slight_smile:

SN: Welcome to the MASC! I do believe this is the first time I’ve seen you post in the modern environs.

Help yourself to some dip and chips, and the pizza will be here at 5. :superman_hv_4:

Absolutely! The classics endure for good reason.

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I have never said that people aren’t entitled to their opinions. I have occasionally asked for people to back those opinions up…

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The point is noted and appreciated. Let’s discuss The Death of Superman now, please. :slight_smile:

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I last read Death of Superman, the entire arc in 2020. This story is full of emotions, action, and violence.

I remember seeing lines for comic shops on the news, I actually didn’t get this comic as it came out. I do have the big issue now and even got the reprint that was released recently. I still need to sit down to read the new anthology. Between work and other things, I haven’t been able to read as much as I would like.

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I’m so old! I have a photo of me opening the Poly on Christmas Eve some wheres round here.

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Hey! You remember that time Superman died, then a lot of versions of him came back, but then it wasn’t really him, but then one was him, but looked like Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon 3, but then he turned blue and then turned red too, but then he turned back to normal?

Man! The 90’s were bananas!!

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The only other take I really have on the story that I didn’t present in the above write-up is that the story is structured in a way to convince the reader both of how Superman could have died and why it had to happen that way. The reason why The Death of Superman is so shocking is because he’s Superman. He’s invulnerable. You’re not supposed to be able to kill him. The writers convinced you of how and why it did in about three steps:

  1. Establish Doomsday as a legitimate threat- This sort of started from the beginning with all the wanton destruction the creature caused, but this was mostly done by jobbing the Justice League of America out to Doomsday. After the monster took the team of heroes down literally single-handedly, the reader could start to believe that Doomsday could kill the Man of Steel.

  2. Establish the stakes and their immediacy- This was done throughout Superman’s battle with Doomsday across the country. Through these battle segments, we realize that Superman cannot stop Doomsday easily and the longer it takes him to do so, the more casualties Doomsday racks up. This means that Superman has to stop Doomsday like yesterday because the longer this goes on the more people die. Supes can’t take a time-out to research the best way to stop Doomsday and he can’t wait for someone like Batman or Wonder Woman to pop over and help bail him out. He needs to end this now.

  3. Present Superman with a no-win scenario- This is done by aiming Doomsday at Metropolis. Not only is the city the most populous place Doomsday rampaged in, but it’s also the home of almost everything and everyone Superman holds dear. Kal has no choice but to fight Doomsday to the death then and there because if he doesn’t stop the creature then he could lose almost everything.

Essentially, the entire story was geared towards proving that Doomsday could kill Superman and why it couldn’t have been averted. In the end it tracks. Superman was not going to prioritize his life over the lives of others. You can see how he got boxed into a baaaaaad situation.

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Sing it!

I widdled my pull list down to the Superman line and WildC.A.T.S (with everything else becoming an Ultra read), and I still haven’t had time for even that small amount of stuff.

Maybe by the time Waller vs. WildStorm #1 finally sees release (March, last I read), I’ll be caught up.

Wouldn’t bet on it, though. :joy:

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And…and remember when Superman was on trial at the same time OJ was, and…and he dealt with the Dominus Effect and then he saw what was under the Millennium Giants robes and then he cut his mullet and welcomed in Y2K with Brainiac?

The '90s, rife with bananas and all other manner of tasty ingredients used in Fruitopia, aka the mug I chugged while going between classes in high school. :drooling_face:

his phone rings

Ah, a call on my telephone.

picks up the call, says “Oh sure, like on Animaniacs? Yeah, I can do that. No problemo. Oh, the crew’s already out front? Okeydoke, let’s roll, Senor Spielbergo!”

Pardon me for a moment, Kon.

opens his front door, peeks out to look at where the camera is, then walks out onto the sidewalk and up to the camera

Okay, so, so…this one time…Randy Beeman ate a whole jar of what he thought was Honeycomb cereal, but it turns out it was just a jar of dried-out bees.

'Kay…bye.

skedaddles back inside as Spielberg says “Beautiful! Cut and print!”

What were we talking about, again? Oh right, nanners.

'Member when Lobo said “Monkey want a nana?” to Superman on STAS?

“That’s gold, Jerry. Gold!”

SN: What do we think of the DCAU take on Doomsday?

Agreed on all points.

Bad for him, but good for the readers…and cash registers at comic stores across the land, which in turn was very good for DC. :slight_smile:

Being that we’re in a Triangle Era dialogue ATM…I did a 25th anniversary celebration of Superman Blue a while back…care to offer anything new (or restate your existing points as well) in that thread?

I know we’re of opposing viewpoints on that storyline, but I’d be open to letting you have the podium to further elaborate on your perspectives, if you like. LMK.

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We’ve spoken once or twice, she’s cool. Big Lois fan.

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The lady hath good taste.

When the opportunity should arise, please be sure to let her know the Modern Age Superman Club enjoyed her writing, and that it looks forward to any future pieces about The Man of Steel and his universe from her.

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:laughing: I think I mostly agree with you on Superman Blue aside from the fact that I like the Silver Age story better (and my general, well-documented gripes with the era). Outside of that I think it’s a better story than it’s given credit for being. I’ll take a look at the thread, but I might want to take a little to read my dollar bin back issues of that story to refamiliarize myself with it. Unlike The Death of Superman, I don’t know it like the back of my hand.

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You can read it here, too:

The Annuals and the Superman Red/Superman Blue and Superman Forever one-shots aren’t yet in digital (and some of the non-Superman books that tied into the Millennium Giants weren’t carried over to the above collection either; however, those MG tie-ins are in the Millennium Giants collection), but everything else is there in reading order.

Speaking of Millennium Giants, feel free to chat about that in my Superman Blue thread, if you want. I don’t recall seeing any in-depth analysis of the Millennium Giants, and I’d be curious to get your thoughts on the tale.

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I’ll do my best!

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:superman:uper, man! :superman_hv_3:

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