The Death of SUPERMAN

"This creature's fast, and strong – but it seems to leap rather than fly." – Superman

Are you a true Superman fan? If you have not read The Death of Superman, I believe the answer is a NO. This storyline has been picked apart endlessly in the last few years since its first publication in 1992. Every single frame, the storyline and its symbols and characters have been subject to thorough scrutiny by comic book fans and experts alike. The entire storyline has been collected into a graphic novel, which is what I used for my review.

DC Comics killing their signature hero shocked millions and made it their best-selling storyline of all time. Unlike any other Superman movie or comic that you have come across, here, DC's writing team takes advantage of their ending – there is no ultimate winner or loser. 

Doomsday, a killing machine, emerges from nowhere, goes on a mindless, homicidal rampage across America. He goes berserk, trying to destroy everything that he comes across.

There are gut-wrenching moments throughout the comic, especially when the Justice League receives brutal beatings from the beast. No hero of the League (without Superman with them) has been able to stand a chance against this mysterious monster even with it having one arm tied behind its back! The Man of Steel shows up to find that most of the League members have been knocked out by a creature that equals his physical prowess. Superman desperately tries to keep this living engine of destruction from reaching Metropolis. While reading this, a question kept haunting me like a plague, "Will Superman triumph in the end?"

The story slows down to a ridiculous degree near the end, going from three panel per page, to two, and then finally to about twenty full page splashes in the last chapter. However, the real genius of the book lies in the last few pages, where a devastating plot twist unravels and lays bare the entire story for what it is: a wish that things had gone differently. The two gladiators mindlessly battle, finally ending with an incredibly strong pair of death blows delivered simultaneously. 

Overall a lot of effort has certainly been put into its making; each superhero is so richly drawn, each so different from one the other, you can't help but fall in love with every one of them.

If you love and care about Superman, see how DC followed up on this in its following arcs and be prepared to be astonished. Not just one, but four new characters are about to emerge in the next book of the trilogy series claiming to be Superman. The Reign of the Supermen is about to begin. It is a must read for anyone who is interested in superhero comics. One thing it taught me: you can't do great things without sacrifice.

"Death of Superman actually got me into comics again after a lapse while in college sampling real life." – Brad Ricca