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Counterintuitively, DC Comics Wants to Celebrate the Death of Superman

Image: DC Comics

On January 1, 1993, Superman died. If you’re used to comics constantly killing off characters and then bringing them back willy-nilly, this may not sound like a big deal. But not only was it rare back in the early ‘90s, this was Superman, comics’ preeminent superhero. The event got massive mainstream news coverage and was a major moment in pop culture—so much that it genuinely merits a 30th-anniversary celebration, for which DC Comics has some pretty cool plans.

First, DC will reprint the original Superman #75 on November 1, which featured the Man of Steel sacrificing his life to stop the supervillain Doomsday. Then, a hardcover titled The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition will be released on December 6, containing the entire “Death of Superman” saga which includes Superman #73-75, Adventures of Superman #496-497, Justice League America #69, Action Comics #683-684, Superman: The Man of Steel #17-19, and Newstime: The Life and Death of Superman #1, and Superman: Day of Doom #1-4.

But the really cool item DC has planned is The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1, an 80-page special comic coming November 8 that contains four new stories from the original creative teams behind the 1993 event. From DC’s press release:

  • “The Life of Superman” by Dan Jurgens (W & A), Brett Breeding (A), Brad Anderson (C), and John Workman (L) - A young Jon Kent finds out in school that his dad had died years earlier, as his parents never told him about that fateful day. In the midst of dealing with this emotional news, Jon and Clark need to team up to fight a new villain connected to Doomsday called DOOMBREAKER.
  • “Standing Guard” by Roger Stern (W), Butch Guice (A), Glenn Whitmore (C), and Rob Leigh (L) - The epic battle between Superman and Doomsday from the Guardians’ perspective.
  • “Time” by Louise Simonson (W), Jon Bogdanove (A), Glenn Whitmore (C), and Rob Leigh (L) - The story of how the death of Superman looked from John Henry Irons’s perspective.
  • “Above and Beyond” by Jerry Ordway (W), Tom Grummett (P), Doug Hazelwood (I), Glenn Whitmore (C), and Rob Leigh (L) - A powerful story of Ma and Pa Kent watching their son fight Doomsday live on television and going through Clark’s photo albums with the feeling that their son always prevails.

Those sound pretty good, especially “Above and Beyond,” which also sounds genuinely heart-breaking. There are also some very cool variant covers for the special and pin-ups inside—if you want to check them out, click through the slideshow!

Doomsday Variant Cover by Francesco Mattina

Image: DC Comics

Funeral for a Friend Variant Cover by Ivan Reis and Danny Miki

Image: DC Comics

Slide Polybag Variant Cover

Image: DC Comics

Pin-Up by Walter Simonson

Image: DC Comics

Pin-Up by Jamal Campbell

Image: DC Comics

Pin-Up by Lee Weeks

Image: DC Comics


“Above and Beyond” Interior Art by Tom Grummett, Doug Hazelwood, and Glenn Whitmore

Image: DC Comics

“The Life of Superman” Interior Art by Dan Jurgens, Brett Breeding, and Brad Anderson

Image: DC Comics

“Time” Interior Art by Jon Bogdanove and Glenn Whitmore

Image: DC Comics

“Standing Guard” Interior Art by Butch Guice and Glenn Whitmore

Image: DC Comics

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel and Star Wars releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about House of the Dragon and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

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