The Death of Superman: 16 Years Later

Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by Superman, Nov 17, 2008.

  1. Admiral Buzzkill

    Admiral Buzzkill Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I remember enjoying "Superman" quite a bit at the time - I even really liked the long hair when he came back. It was, of course, a passing style and sensibly changed after a while.
     
  2. theenglish

    theenglish Vice Admiral Admiral

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    These were the only post-crisis comics I read up until a couple of years ago. I bought Superman for about a year following the return of Superman (until Luthor destroyed Metropolis) and then felt that they seriously went downhill and became boring, dull, and poorly written again.

    My biggest problem with the wonder Death, Funeral, and Return of Superman story is that Superman should have disappeared from the scene for at least a half a year longer or so. The other Supermen really needed more time to be developed. Today it is a shame that Superboy is out of the picture and Steel is relegated to a recurring secondary character.
     
  3. crookeddy

    crookeddy Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    So how did you feel about the death of Captain America?
     
  4. Allyn Gibson

    Allyn Gibson Vice Admiral Admiral

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    "Funeral for a Friend" is probably the best part of the saga. Some of the individual parts, like the "Metropolis Mailbag" and Pa Kent's death, were emotionally affecting. The actual "Death" story is, as Steve notes, just Punch-Punch-Punch, though seeing Doomsday tear through the Jurgens-era Justice League was pretty surprising. (No, they weren't big guns, but they'd gone toe-to-toe with some of the DC Universe's biggest foes back in the Giffen era.)

    I really liked Steel and Superboy.

    I genuinely believed, at the time, that we'd reached the end of an era with Superman.
     
  5. Hugo Rune

    Hugo Rune Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Adds to his ever growing list of comic books to devour


    Hugo - tearing through Preacher at the moment
     
  6. msbae

    msbae Commodore

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    Don't even get me started on that Bullshit! Killing off Captain America is bad enough but, having Iron Man of all people doing it is just criminal.
     
  7. Trent Roman

    Trent Roman Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Uh, Iron Man didn't kill Captain America.
    It was Sharon Carter, acting out post-hypnotic commands left by Dr. Faustus at the behest of Cap's old nemesis, Red Skull, who delivered the fatal blows (after he had already been wounded by Crossbones, also in Red Skull's employ)

    Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman
     
  8. Admiral_Young

    Admiral_Young Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Yep...I remember the Death of Superman and the arguement I had with my mother that he wasn't coming back (I was only fourteen and a little naive about the comic book industry LOL) same deal with Bane breaking Batman's back. I collected pretty much all the issues, never got a copy of the arm band pollybaged Superman #75 though, got a second print newstand edition at the supermarket. I have been contemplating buying the Death and Return of Superman Omnibus that DC released last year.
     
  9. msbae

    msbae Commodore

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    I was told something different by a comic-loving former friend. I haven't seen the issue myself. It did seem kinda weird that another one of the Avengers would kill Captain America, though.
     
  10. Stevil2001

    Stevil2001 Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I love Blue Beetle, but c'mon... I could take out Blue Beetle. It's hardly a difficult job. ;)
     
  11. theenglish

    theenglish Vice Admiral Admiral

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    In fairness to your friend, it was Iron Man's fault that the opening existed to take out Captain America and Cap died as an enemy of the state and Tony as well. So IM feels guilt-ridden over the whole thing. (BTW, you can find the whole synopsis by googling a little).
     
  12. msbae

    msbae Commodore

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    Well, that explains how Iron Man was involved...
     
  13. GalaxyX

    GalaxyX Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Yeah definitely, those are some good prices, less than $30 for a good read. I will definitely try them out.

    I've always hated all these comics because of all these "extra dark/sinister" super antiheros. Superman as a character I've always liked though because he's a being who truly helps humanity out of the goodness of his own heart (I guess the fact that his character was based on the story of Jesus has to do partly with that :) )

    Wasn't sure of the correct spelling lol
     
  14. broberfett

    broberfett Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Superman was made by two Jewish guys. I doubt they would have based it on Jesus in anyway.
     
  15. Trent Roman

    Trent Roman Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Because a person is of one religion (or none) doesn't mean they can't borrow elements from other faiths in their storytelling, particularly when you're dealing with a cultural myth as pervasive as the story of Christ. Besides, the Messiah is a Jewish story - they only differ from Christians as to whether or not it's happened yet.

    Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman
     
  16. Savage Dragon

    Savage Dragon Not really all that savage Moderator

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    It looked ok when he was Superman but no one could figure out how to make it look good on Clark Kent. I was glad when he finally got a haircut.
     
  17. theenglish

    theenglish Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Well, both stories share a number of mythic elements that also appear in hundreds of other hero tales around the world, many of which were invented before the time of Christ or by peoples who would have had no knowledge of it.
     
  18. Lindley

    Lindley Moderator with a Soul Premium Member

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    I was never really into comics, but I do recall something about "The Death of Superman" being mentioned on television when I was little.

    Although that may have been in reference to a TV show, I recall a character talking. And something about the mid-Atlantic, I think.
     
  19. Mr. Adventure

    Mr. Adventure Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I may have to check them out sometime, I've never read the story because at that point I was really fed up with comic gimmicks and I never thought this was anything more than a really blatant one.
     
  20. Trent Roman

    Trent Roman Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Yes, but whereas it seems likely that two people in 1932 America/Canada could be influenced by the most popular story of the last two millenia, it's rather less likely they were inspired by the cult of Osiris or Mithraism, or else came up, wholly independantly, with a character that so closely cleaves to one of the most pervasive mythical stories of their time. Superman does correspond to a broad heroic archetype, particularly since (to keep this vaguely on topic) he has also undergone death and rebirth, but he is also more specifically an archetype of Christ within that broader category.

    Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman