The iconic team behind The Death of Superman comes together for an Anniversary Special 30 years in the making.
DC Comics has made the official announcement that the original creative team behind the book will assemble to honor one of the Man of Steel’s greatest stories. The teams include Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding, Roger Stern and Butch Guice, Louise Simonson and Jon Bogdanove, and Jerry Ordway and Tom Grummett.
Comic book writer and artist Jurgens posted a cryptic retweet the day before of the iconic bloody Superman comic used for the 1992 comic book event, with the message, “BIG DAY,” and it lives up to the description. The special will four all-new stories in the 80-page The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1. Not only that, but Superman #75 and The Death of Superman will receive special and collected editions as well.
Later, Jurgens posted a gorgeous wraparound cover with memorable images from the epic story.
The Death of Superman was one of the biggest comic book stories ever told and it had a global impact that still reverberates today. The issue brought in a total of $30 million during its first day and sold more than six million copies. It remains one of the best-selling comics of all time.
The monstrous Doomsday was created after inhumane experimentation that used Superman’s DNA. He breaks free from his prison at Cadmus Labs and unleashes unholy hell upon the world, and only Superman could stop the powerful beast. In the ensuing battle, Superman loses his life, and the superhero community (and the real world) mourned his loss.
The story came out during the 1990s when comics were getting darker. Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns set Batman on a darker path, and comics like Spawn and Blade had taken hold of comic book readers. The Death of Superman was a farewell to the classic mold of the heroic ideal.
The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1 is available on Nov. 8, and Superman #75 and The Death of Superman special and collected editions go on-sale Nov. 1 and Dec. 6.