Amazon.com Review: The Death of Superman was a 1992 stunt that turned out to be DC's bestselling Superman comic ever. The massive 11-issue crossover among four different series (Superman, Superman: The Man of Steel, Action Comics, and Justice League of America) introduces an unstoppable alien named Doomsday who creates a path of destruction on his way to the heart of Metropolis and whom Superman must stop at any cost. It's of interest as a milestone of the Superman mythos (though of course the outcome didn't last), but casual fans might be underwhelmed by the unfamiliar villain and the unfamiliar Justice League (with Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, and other minor heroes rather than the traditional lineup), the drawn-out story (by Dan Jurgens, Jerry Ordway, Louise Simonson, and Roger Stern), and the ordinary art (by Jurgens, Jon Bogadanove, Tom Grummett, and Jackson Guice). --David Horiuchi
Product Description: The bestselling edition that tells the staggering story of Superman's demise has been one of DC's best sellers since its release in January, 1992. THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN, the opening volume of the saga of Superman's death and rebirth, introduced the unstoppable death dealer known as Doomsday. Graphic novel format.
The Death of an American Icon ^ In 1992 DC Comics killed off the superhero who brought comic books to their glory days. In a similar fashion, the death of Superman brought thousands upon thousands of new readers to the genre since Superman had become an American cultural icon. While short lived, this collection of comics represents a turning point in the comic industry, where no superhero was safe any longer. Shortly thereafter, DC Comics pulled a similar "stunt" with their other flagship hero, Batman, with the Knightfall story arc. Regardless, what transpired in the pages of these comics would be talked about for years.
Introduce Doomsday, a mysterious and sinister alien killing machine, with one thing on his limited mind: destruction. After escaping from being buried beneath the Earth's surface for who knows how long, Doomsday stages a one man mayhem show across half the United States.
Doomsday first faces off against the Justice League of America, quickly leveling them to nothingness, rendering them obsolete with his power and strength. Their combined powers do little to stop Doomsday, who time and time again proves he cares nothing for anything, killing birds in the palm of his hand and strangling a deer for no reason. What happens next would be the fight of the century against this beast and America's cultural icon, Superman.
The Death of Superman story arc is long in the action scenes and short in the storyline. Absolutely no information is given about Doomsday at this point and the only focus of the remaining storylines is stopping him from destroying Metropolis (and everything else in his way). There are a few brief moments of reflection among minor characters about how Superman saved them or what Superman means to them. The virtue of the mysterious nature of Doomsday is appreciated, since it adds to his allure as a supervillain; similar to the recent movie, The Dark Knight, and the villain Joker. The reader is absolutely unaware of any motivation, making Doomsday that much more treacherous. Readers wouldn't find out about the history of Doomsday until the Superman/Doomsday: Hunter/Prey story arc published in 1994.
While Superman is one of my personal least favorite heroes, this collection is a must read for the same reason it sold out overnight with a starting number of published issues that had never before been dreamed. With Superman being such a cultural icon, watching his fall is a must anyone. The action is unparalleled as it had to be since the stakes had never been higher. How do you create a monster worthy of killing a Superman? The satisfying answer is in the Death of Superman.
Good reading,
J.Stoner
Not Worth The Money ^ I read this book expecting to read a epic story of superman's death. Instead i get a story with absolutely no story. It starts with superman saving lois thats good. Then for a few pages you doomsday trying rip out off a box. The reason why no explanation. it just happens. Then for the whole book he just kicks the crp out of superman. No character building no strong story just him beating the crap out of people. Near the end doomsday beats everyone. superman says that HE is weak and doomsday is still going strong. Then out of nowhere they punch each other and they BOTH die. It is stated right before this happens that doomsday = strong superman = weak. It makes no sense. The art is good and the fight is beautifully drawn. other then that i say skip this. Don't buy into the hype saying that is a epic story. Its not i say skip it.
Review of Death of Superman ^ I found this alright. The drawings are nice, and the themes of relentless justice and relentless evil are strong, but the novel doesn't really touch on any pressing or revealing moral issues. The ethics of this comic book are too straightforward to be truly enjoyable.
I know very little about comics, so don't take my opinion in these matters too seriously.
168 pages of punching ^ I would have hoped they would have put more thought into how to kill the greatest superhero ever but they didnt. Its pretty much 168 pages of Superman punching Doomsday. No plot twists nothing clever no surprises. Superman meets a monster as tough as him and they punch each other a lot.
The death of a superhero icon is well managed ^ This lengthy comic is generally a ferocious battle between a super villain called Doomsday and first the JLA and then Superman. Doomsday seems unstoppable, when he first appears the JLA minus Superman do battle against the rampaging monster to no avail. They are seriously defeated, some injured to near the point of death. Doomsday is not a monster with an agenda; the mind of the creature cannot be probed beyond the point of having the simple goal to destroy everything it encounters. A television journalist is interviewing Superman when he is informed of the defeat of the JLA and he immediately flies off to enter the battle, and what a battle it is. The mindless monster has a goal of traveling to Metropolis and no force seems capable of stopping it. They thrash each other with blows so powerful they damage nearby buildings yet Doomsday seems invulnerable to even the mighty blows of the great Superman. Things come to a climax when Doomsday knocks Superman down and begins to descend on Lois Lane. Finding reserves of power and energy that he never knew he had, Superman delivers the most powerful blow of his career while receiving the most vicious punch he has ever received in return. Both blows prove fatal and Superman dies while being cradled in the arms of his beloved Lois Lane as his blood flows down her arms and her tears flow down her checks and onto his battered face. This comic was a watershed event in the history of the comics, an icon of the superhero genre dies in defense of the world and those he loves. Very well done and packed with action, this is a comic book that all fans of the superhero segment of the comic book literature should read.
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