Les Jones

Comic Books > Comic Book : "Death of Superman"

Now that I'm reading comic books again I wanted to read one that came out long after I quit reading comics - the "Death of Superman" series. It was a long series that was divided into multiple books. I recently finished three.

"Death of Superman" - So there's this mysterious monster named Doomsday. He's really, really strong. He and Superman get into a really, really big fight. He hurts Superman really, really bad, so bad that Superman really, really dies.

"A World Without Superman" - I can't believe it! Superman is really, really dead!

"The Return of Superman" - Psyche! The first two tradebooks were fairly simplistic. The third installment is more complex. Four different superbeings claim to be Superman, and several of them seem to know Clark Kent's secret. One is a young Superboy who appears to be a clone. Another is a cyborg, pieced together from what was left of Superman with mechanical parts. Another is a cold-hearted avenger. Different factions line up behind different Supermen, and no one - not even Lois Lane - is sure which one is real.

I also enjoyed young Lex Luthor. He isn't Luthor's son. When Lex Luthor was dying of cancer from his Kryptonite ring he cloned himself and transferred his memories to his clone. This time around Luthor avoids outright villainy and uses his wealth and scientific knowledge to pursue power and influence through mostly legitimate means. Yet Luthor still harbors a secret hatred of the Man of Steel, a hatred that always threatens to be his undoing.

Supergirl is now Luthor's girlfriend. She believes in him, and hopes to change him, but he's also cynically using her as part of his plan for revenge. She's just too blinded by her love for him to see it.

The resolution of the story threatens the entire planet and destroys a city along the way. The first two books can be skipped, but "The Return of Superman" is good stuff.