The Return of Superman

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I've been re-reading the Return of Superman. It epitomizes everything that was wrong with comics in the early 90s and how corporate greed factored into the 90s comic industry meltdown.

I freaking love it.

I loved the story when it came out. I bought into the Death of Superman in a big way - I was naive enough to not know that 'dead never means dead' so I didn't have the sense of dread and "who cares; it's just going to be retconned in a few months" then.

In addition to that, I didn't read any DC books so all the characters were new to me. Everyone seemed to be written really well.

I loved the idea of the 4 new Supermen and finding out which was real. I was sure it was either the cyborg or the Last Son of Krypton - like I said, I didn't know the characters (as they were later revealed to be) so every issue was a surprise. When the Cyborg turned on the Last Son of Krypton I couldn't believe it.

If a story like this came out today I would hate it without even reading it, but when it came out it was one of my favorite things ever. It's not great writing and there are plenty of 90s cliches, but I still love the story (even though it seemed like it would never end) and am having a blast re-reading it.

Anyone else not hate it?
 
Yeah, I have a similar relationship to it. I totally loved it. I haven't reread it though, at least not in a dozen years or so, but I have very fond memories of it. I still get excited when Cyborg Superman shows up, or someone mentions Eraditcator. I followed Superboy until he died.

I even won a Baldy award (Superman title "award" for best letter of the week) in, I think, Man of Steel 30 for commenting on the Coast City destruction.
 
Yeah...but the thing is...

...if Doomsday had never reared his ugly mug...

...Superman would probably die anyway to horrible sales.

Say what you like about the story, but it served to get billions of people interested in Superman and comics in general again.

However, because of that story, I have never been able to take the character of Mongul seriously. I first met him in this story, and the image of him toadying to the Cyborg has stuck with me to this day, even for "For the Man Who Has Everything."
 
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Yeah, I know what you mean about Mongul. I remember him mostly from Underworld Unleashed, where Neron makes him his ***** in about two panels. He was just canon fodder as far as I knew.

Also, another thing about Cyborg Superman I forgot was that he was the Reed Richards guy from a Superman issue a couple years before where Fantastic Four-like team gets powers and dies. That was the first Superman comic I ever read and it was awesome to see him brought back after I had become somewhat of a regular DC reader.

Man, when I first got into DC comics it was the best thing ever. I totally wish I could just forget everything I know about comics and have that experience all over again.
 
Man, when I first got into DC comics it was the best thing ever. I totally wish I could just forget everything I know about comics and have that experience all over again.

Totally. The Breaking of the Bat was awesome too, although I didn't have the patience (or interest) to follow the entire Knightfall story.

Looking back, those stories aren't really good, and they were insulting as gimmicks, but back then I didn't know any better. Ignorance is bliss.

Another thing that strikes me as I re-read this is how bad coloring and paper stock used to be in comics.
 
Yeah, Knightfall was another one I followed. I think I probably stopped reading it about when Azrael took over. I know I wasn't around when Bruce was able to walk again, although I distinctly remember a Justice League Task Force issue where he was in his wheelchair.

The sad thing is, most of the people on this site probably couldn't read when this stuff came out.

We're getting old, E.
 
Yeah, Knightfall was another one I followed. I think I probably stopped reading it about when Azrael took over. I know I wasn't around when Bruce was able to walk again, although I distinctly remember a Justice League Task Force issue where he was in his wheelchair.

The sad thing is, most of the people on this site probably couldn't read when this stuff came out.

We're getting old, E.

No kidding. I feel like my grandpa..."When I was young, our comics didn't have smooth transitions between colors and glossy paper stock! They were printed on newspaper and the ink came off on our fingers! And we liked it!"

I hated Azrael's costume. Typical 90s stupid design.
 
No kidding. I feel like my grandpa..."When I was young, our comics didn't have smooth transitions between colors and glossy paper stock! They were printed on newspaper and the ink came off on our fingers! And we liked it!"

I remember when DC unveiled it's amazing new "fifth color" on Underworld Unleashed. It was neon green.

I hated Azrael's costume. Typical 90s stupid design.

Thank you Joe Quesada!

At least he improved with Spider-Man's new costume. . . oh wait.
 
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Thank you Joe Quesada!

At least he improved with Spider-Man's new costume. . . oh wait.

WOW. I had no idea he was responsible for that.

It...explains so much. And you're right...suddenly I understand the "Iron Spider-Man" piece of crap.
 
I've been re-reading the Return of Superman. It epitomizes everything that was wrong with comics in the early 90s and how corporate greed factored into the 90s comic industry meltdown.

I freaking love it.

I loved the story when it came out. I bought into the Death of Superman in a big way - I was naive enough to not know that 'dead never means dead' so I didn't have the sense of dread and "who cares; it's just going to be retconned in a few months" then.

In addition to that, I didn't read any DC books so all the characters were new to me. Everyone seemed to be written really well.

I loved the idea of the 4 new Supermen and finding out which was real. I was sure it was either the cyborg or the Last Son of Krypton - like I said, I didn't know the characters (as they were later revealed to be) so every issue was a surprise. When the Cyborg turned on the Last Son of Krypton I couldn't believe it.

If a story like this came out today I would hate it without even reading it, but when it came out it was one of my favorite things ever. It's not great writing and there are plenty of 90s cliches, but I still love the story (even though it seemed like it would never end) and am having a blast re-reading it.

Anyone else not hate it?

my bf has some of those along with the funeral issue and the death with lois holding clark in her arms and another one with him headbutting the guy in the greensuit. What was the deal with the green suit.
 
When this stuff came out, I was a kiddo, and a die-hard Marvel comics fan. I remember reading about these two events in Wizard, or some preview mag, or something, and thinking "Well, that Azrael dude seems stupid." He was. I was right. I think the same solicitations were previewing the first issue of Preacher. I almost picked it up, knowing nothing about it. I should have. My power today would be limitless if I had.

Also.... Bass. You make my day. The Pope-Boy doing the Fonzy movie is the funniest thing ever.
 
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Well, Az-bats and Preacher were nowhere near each other, but it would've been a good idea to buy Preacher from the start.

Then when did I see a solicit for Preacher? I know it was during the first story arc of the series, and I know it was solicited at the sam time as a comic I hated. Prime #1 maybe?
 
Then when did I see a solicit for Preacher? I know it was during the first story arc of the series, and I know it was solicited at the sam time as a comic I hated. Prime #1 maybe?

I don't know, but Preacher started at least a year after Knightfall ended. DC was doing tons of stuff like that around that era though. I think that's when Green Arrow died too.

EDIT: Looking it up, apparently although KnightsEnd was over the year before Preacher started there were still like six months of "Aftermath" books that I don't remember at all, that ended right about when Preacher was starting.
 
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I don't know, but Preacher started at least a year after Knightfall ended. DC was doing tons of stuff like that around that era though. I think that's when Green Arrow died too.

EDIT: Looking it up, apparently although KnightsEnd was over the year before Preacher started there were still like six months of "Aftermath" books that I don't remember at all, that ended right about when Preacher was starting.

It may have been an advanced solicitation, too. I just remember, it was ads for books coming down the pipeline.
 
WOW. I had no idea he was responsible for that.

It...explains so much. And you're right...suddenly I understand the "Iron Spider-Man" piece of crap.

Yup, I knew that, somehow....

Yeah, Knightfall was another one I followed. I think I probably stopped reading it about when Azrael took over. I know I wasn't around when Bruce was able to walk again, although I distinctly remember a Justice League Task Force issue where he was in his wheelchair.

The sad thing is, most of the people on this site probably couldn't read when this stuff came out.

We're getting old, E.

Yes we are. I still have that issue that was wrapped up in Black cellophane, and had a bunch of stuff on the inside of it, somewhere. I think it had collectable cards in it as well.

Ignorance is bliss.

Yes it is, ignorance is bliss

my bf has some of those along with the funeral issue and the death with lois holding clark in her arms and another one with him headbutting the guy in the greensuit. What was the deal with the green suit.

The green suit was a guy who was imbedded with kryptonite tentecles. Conduit is his name. He was in the Zero Hour storyline.
 
Yes we are. I still have that issue that was wrapped up in Black cellophane, and had a bunch of stuff on the inside of it, somewhere. I think it had collectable cards in it as well.

So do I. I remember it cost me $10 at the time, which I thought was cool because according to the news, a lot of shops were selling it for $100 or more. When it came out.

I never opened mine. I bought a later printing of it to read.
 
So do I. I remember it cost me $10 at the time, which I thought was cool because according to the news, a lot of shops were selling it for $100 or more. When it came out.

I never opened mine. I bought a later printing of it to read.

As I did too.

So what is it worth these days? Ten bucks still?
 
Speaking of this, look what just showed up on Comic Book Urban Legends:

COMIC URBAN LEGEND: DC pushed back Superman's return once they saw the big deal his death caused.

STATUS: True

Reader Craig mentioned the following urban legend:


I can't think of any way to verify it now, but I remember hearing at the time that, since the death of Superman became such a huge deal, they had to whip up a storyline to *delay* his return, which wasn't initially intended to take so long.

Well, last week's installment of Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed saw Mike Carlin discuss how ready DC was for the reaction to Superman's death. Carlin did note one significant instance where the extra attention helped change DC's plans, and that was specifically what they did regarding Superman's return.

According to Carlin, there never was going to BE a "Reign of the Supermen" when the Death of Superman was originally planned.

Here is Carlin on the topic:


Adventures of Superman #500 where REIGN technically started… was where Superman was originally going to return to life.

3345_4_0500.jpg


Instead of being the ending, though, Adventures of Superman #500 instead became the white-bagged BEGINNING of the "Reign of the Supermen."


96fe_1.JPG



With the introduction of four "Supermen"…

501.JPG
78.JPG

22.JPG
687.JPG


All leading to the return of the one, true Superman, in Superman #82.

3386_4_0000000082.jpg


So before they saw the big windfall of the Death of Superman, the return was going to be a lot smaller. Instead, it became an additional FIVE months of stories and FOUR new characters (one of whom even ended up with his own FILM!).

Not bad.

Thanks to Craig for the suggestion and Mike Carlin for the confirmation.
 
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