Read Up On The Death And Return Of Superman

by Andrea Purcell

The villainous Doomsday made his big screen debut in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but the history of the character in comics is part of an event that shook the comics industry to its core. The Death of Superman, and the various series that followed, is considered a turning point for comics as a medium. It changed the way characters were treated in comics.

As the latest DC Comics film echoed the path lead by The Death of Superman, some fans were left to wonder what will happen to the Man of Steel. In this article we’ll list the main trade paperbacks you should read after the credits roll on Batman v Superman.

---

The Death of Superman

In Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, Doomsday was a creature created by Lex Luthor out of Kyrptonian DNA and technology. The comic character that appears in The Death of Superman (JAN168880) has a slightly different origin as a deadly monster from ancient Krypton who landed on Earth with only one desire: to destroy. After breaking out of his crashed ship, Doomsday encounters the Justice League and lays waste to their ranks, which garners the attention of Superman. In a titanic battle in front of the Daily Planet in Metropolis, Superman is able to finally defeat Doomsday at the cost of his own life. 

Funeral for a Friend

No one could have ever imagined a world without Superman, but in Funeral for a Friend (JAN168881) the DC Comics universe joins together to mourn the friend who sacrificed his life for the safety of his adopted world. Heroes like Supergirl, the Guardian, Gangbuster, and even a team sponsored by Lex Luthor try to rise and fill the void left by the Man of Steel, but will they be able to meet the challenge? As Superman’s body is laid to rest in a mausoleum in Metropolis, the world of DC Comics was looking towards a future without the Man of Steel.

Reign of the Supermen

Superman is dead, long live Superman. In Reign of the Supermen (JAN168884), four mysterious beings have appeared to take on the mantle of the Man of Steel. The four heroes were revealed to be: John Henry Irons, an ex-weapons designer for the military, who had created a suit of armor and hammer to pay homage to Superman’s legacy; Cyborg Superman, a partially robotic hero with amnesia; The Metropolis Kid, a young and reckless clone of Superman; and The Last Son of Kypton, an energy-powered alien who lethally dealt with criminals without showing mercy. 

The Return of Superman

This reign of Supermen won’t last in The Return of Superman (JAN168882) as The Last Son of Krypton, who is actually the ancient Kryptonian weapon known as the Eradicator, steals Superman’s body and puts it into a regeneration matrix in the Fortress of Solitude. As an alien warship approaches Earth, the Supermen start to squabble and battle each other for supremacy. When the true Superman emerges from the Fortress of Solitude he begins to plot his return to the world he gave his life for. In a new black suit and shoulder length hair, Superman reveals himself just as the villain he thought defeated rises to menace a new world.

Doomsday

Doomday is back, and the planet’s only hope is Superman in the final volume of The Death of Superman series, Doomsday (JAN168883). The nightmare world ruled by the tyrannical dictator Darkseid is at the mercy of the unstoppable destruction unless the Man of Steel can find a way to defeat Doomsday for good. Prepared for his final showdown, Superman is able to open a portal to the End of Time, the only place that Doomsday would be stopped. At the End of Time the villianious monster meets the one force he can’t stop, entropy. With Doomsday destroyed, Superman travels back to Earth as the DC Universe cheers the return of The Man of Steel.