The Death of Superman [Comic]

Dan Jurgens (Author), Jerry Ordway (Author), Louise Simonson (Author), Roger Stern (Author), Jon Bogdanove (Author), Tom Grummett (Author), Jackson Guice (Author), Brett Breeding (Author), Rick Burchett (Author), Doug Hazelwood (Author), Dennis Janke (Author), Denis Rodier (Author)

Book Description

Series: Superman (DC Comics) | Publication Date: April 14, 1993

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.

Editorial Reviews

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 Details

• Comic: 168 pages
• Publisher: DC Comics; First Edition edition (April 14, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563890976
• ISBN-13: 978-1563890970
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 0.4 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (91 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #147,817 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Publishers > DC Comics
  • #14 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Graphic Novels > Superheroes
  • #31 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Characters

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The fall of a hero, June 22, 2002

By 

N. Durham "Big Evil" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Death of Superman (Comic)

I was never really into Superman when I was a kid, or any DC Comics character other than Batman and Green Lantern for that matter (I was always a Marvel faithful), but when I heard that Superman was going to be killed, it was a big event in comics history. Here we see a monster named Doomsday, who escapes from his confines and begins to wreak havok across the country leading up to Metropolis. He kills and destroys everything in sight, and he totally decimates the Justice League, leaving only one thing between him and Metropolis: Superman. In quite possibly one of the best ongoing battles in comic history, they both duke it out until neither is left standing, I mean we get to see Superman bloodied, battered, beaten, and eventually dead. The heart of this collected edition is we get to see how far Superman goes to protect the innocent and preserve life, we all hear about that being a hero's vow in comics, but to see it actually illustrated is something different. All in all, if you want to read a good comic story that would lead up to one of the greatest returns in the history of comics, then this should be right up your alley.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not bad, but not complete, September 18, 2005

By 

G. Mcgraw "Toon Man" (NJ USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Death of Superman (Comic)

To begin, it should be noted that 'The Death of Superman' is not a complete story. It is the first part of a story that ended many volumes and several years later in another Superman story called 'Hunter/Prey'. Technically this volume should be read first, followed by 'World Without a Superman', then 'The Return of Superman' and finally as I stated earlier, 'Hunter/Prey'.

Also of interest if you liked these stories would be the earlier Superman issues which establish the origins of Hank Henshaw, aka Cyborg Superman, who appears in 'World Without a Superman' and 'Hunter/Prey'.

Basically if you read this book alone, it will be nothing more than a very long fist fight between Doomsday and Superman with a bunch of questions left unaswered, which seems to be a complaint of many reviewers here; the story doesn't move very far and doesn't really have that much story present.

It's a valid complaint since this is all you're getting if you buy this book here, but it should be known that if you're willing to invest the money in all the books, you'll be treated to one of the most epic and interesting Superman stories ever told. For instance the villian Doomsday, who seems like little more than an evil Hulk rip-off in this story, gets established with a unique and sorrowful origin by the end of the series (I won't give away any details other than to say that he is sort of like an abused child to the hundreth power) which might actually make you feel sorry for him. And the Cyborg Superman is one of the vilest and most dangerous villians Superman has ever faced.

I do recommend this book. Just remember; if it seems incomplete when you finish it, it's because it is!

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended!, August 5, 2005

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Death of Superman (Comic)

Unbeknownst to Superman and the rest of the Justice League of America (JLA), there's trouble headed their way; trouble in the form of a humanoid walking across the landscape destroying everything in its path. When the JLA swings into action, they little realize just how powerful this creature really is. When this Doomsday creature defeats the JLA and heads towards Metropolis, Superman realizes that he must stop this creature, no matter the cost.

This graphic novel is part one of a graphic novel trilogy, and should NOT be read in exclusion of the other two. That is to say, it really does not have a complete storyline, ending with a lot of unanswered questions, and the Man of Steel assuming room temperature (no spoiler here, you could get that from the title).

But, that said, my eleven-year-old son and I found this to be a great and exciting story. Overall, if you want a good Superman story, then we recommend that you get these books!