Superman - Twenty Years ago ...

[Roger Stern]

Whew! Has it really been twenty years?

More here!

-- Uncle Rog

[manduck37]

I can't believe it's been 20 years. This is where I started reading Superman comics on a monthly basis. Before that, it was trades and graphic novels. This story gave me a jumping on point to be a regular Superman reader. 20 years later, I'm still reading the adventures of my favorite hero.

[B. Kuwanger]

That makes me feel old, remembering how big that story was when I was a kid.

and so somewhere out there, there is a Stern/Busiek Superman that has yet to be drawn....continuity be damned, I would love to read it.

[Lexrules]

Great to see you Roger.

Amazing how it's been 20 years. I remember it like it was yesterday and still remember both the excitement and sadness this story brought me.

It was a amazing time.

[Mat001]

and so somewhere out there, there is a Stern/Busiek Superman that has yet to be drawn....continuity be damned, I would love to read it.

As would I. I can remember all the hype building into the story. Even when ABC News did a story on it, the week Superman #75 came out. And of course, being disappointed when I couldn't get the story right away because it had sold out at the usual places where I bought comics. Fortunately, I had the novelization the following year which helped until I could finally get the trade.

[DonC]

Whew! Has it really been twenty years?

More here!

-- Uncle Rog

Nope, because that would make us all old and stuff.

[Sacred Knight]

Wow. I remember reading this in trade at one of my older brother's basketball games. And so my fandom began. :)

[ascended]

Yup, this is when I came in too.

Loved those years.

[David Walton]

The Death of Superman got me back into comics after a few years' hiatus.

And Uncle Rog's ASM was my first comics 'run.' Funny how things come full circle like that...

[OldSchoolfan]

I was thinking about this about a month ago. I really loved this era of Superman and this whole story.

Mike Carlin and the gang accomplished something that is, in my view, underappreciated in comics. There were approximately 12 people collaborating on a weekly comic book and they pulled it off spectacularly. I don't think any one since has even tried to do that....I also remember that feeling "I can't wait to read the next issue!" It carried through for me into 1993.

I wish Roger, Louise, Dan, Jerry, and all of the artists and inkers would get the opportunity to tell some more Superman stories. Jurgens run on the New 52 Supes was way to short.....

[dupersuper]

and so somewhere out there, there is a Stern/Busiek Superman that has yet to be drawn....continuity be damned, I would love to read it.

Yeah. There's a 5 year gap they can fit it in if they want to, but this sounds like it would be a better Post-Crisis Superman send-off than the mostly lackluster last couple years of Post-Crisis Superman books.

[Rix]

Wow. I cannot believe its been 20 years. I had been in and out of reading Superman since I first started collecting comics in 1972. I had read the beginning of the John Byrne reboot, but within a year, I was back to picking up the occasional issue. That all changed with the Death of Superman storyline. From that point on I have not missed a Superman comic. Most of the time, I'm wishing the creative teams could replicate the magic they had back then. I loved how all 4 titles (and 5 when they added Man of Tomorrow), flowed into each other, while most of the book were able to still maintain a bit of their own identity. From the Death thru Wedding and Beyond... even Superman Blue... That was my favorite time for the man of Steel, even though he had a mullet through most of it!

Anyway, back to the Death story... I'm a TV News photographer and when the issue came out, me and my reporter headed out to cover the story. We went to the comic book shop and got reaction. Then, in a cemetery during the reporters standup he quoted some reaction from the super hero community. These were quotes from Batman and Wonder Woman that came with the included Daily Planet obit. Then at the very end, as the John Williams music soared, we showed a gravestone with the famous S symbol on it. Below it read (like in the comic ads) "Here Lies Earth's Greatest Hero" and with the dates 1939-1992.

I had taken a picture of the back of a gravestone and had our graphic artist put the symbol and text on the stone. It worked really well... except for the fact that it should have said "1938" Oh, well, there was no Wiki back then! The comic shop guy assured me it was 1939!

[dupersuper]

Wow. I cannot believe its been 20 years. I had been in and out of reading Superman since I first started collecting comics in 1972. I had read the beginning of the John Byrne reboot, but within a year, I was back to picking up the occasional issue. That all changed with the Death of Superman storyline. From that point on I have not missed a Superman comic. Most of the time, I'm wishing the creative teams could replicate the magic they had back then. I loved how all 4 titles (and 5 when they added Man of Tomorrow), flowed into each other, while most of the book were able to still maintain a bit of their own identity. From the Death thru Wedding and Beyond... even Superman Blue... That was my favorite time for the man of Steel, even though he had a mullet through most of it!

Did you get the early triangle era books before the death? They're worth finding.

[Tra-EL]

20 years, wow. I was only 4 years old and remember my brother and his friends getting together and going over to the LCS. When my dad would take us to the LCS it was always a good day because when you're little, the quickest of days would go so slow, so waiting a week seemed like an eternity, but when Wednesday came, we felt like we were on top of the world.

I was little and always looked at the pictures. Would love to focus in on one picture and admire the way Superman's hair would slick one way or the other or how the "S" was drawn in a certain pose and the way the blue in his suit looked so cool. Even to this day, when I see a certain cover from The Return of Superman era, I remember my childhood seeing that cover for the first time. Pretty cool to look back on and still feel the feeling.

[666MasterOfPuppets]

20 years... I remember when this was all over the newspapers around the world. I simply couldn't believe it: "What??? They're going to kill off Superman?!?!?! No freakin' way!!!"