ABC launched the television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman in 1993, where the marriage of Lois and Clarke was discussed during the production. Even if the comics and the show didn’t take place in the same continuity, Warner Bros wanted the Superman brand to stay consistent across all media. They wanted the wedding of the couple to happen at the same time on screen and paper.
What did it mean for the Superman comics? After all, the creative team was planning the wedding of Lois and Clark, and they had to stop and build a whole new storyline. Writer Jerry Ordway made the joke to just kill Superman, and it became the most attractive scenario for the creative team. If they couldn’t marry the Man of Steel, they could kill him… and make comic history!
That’s how the now-classic storyline The Death of Superman was born. It is divided into a trilogy of story arcs: “Doomsday!” (or Death of the Superman) leads to Superman’s Death; “Funeral for a Friend” is focused on the aftermath; and “Reign of the Supermen!” introduced the Supermen. For Lois Lane fans, it’s also an important period, as the death of Superman puts her on the front line, and she was used as the glue between all the titles. After this trilogy, the inevitable happens, titled “The Return of Superman”.
Launched at the end of 1992, The Death (and Return) of Superman was published almost all the year 1993. The creative team consisted of Dan Jurgens, Louise Simonson, Roger Stern, Jerry Ordway, Karl Kesel, William Messner-Loebs, and Gerard Jones on the writer front. Jon Bogdanove, Tom Grummett, Jackson Guice, Dan Jurgens, Dennis Janke, Denis Rodier, Walt Simonson, Curt Swan, and M. D. Bright on the artist front.
One of the biggest best-sellers at DC, The Death (and Return) of Superman had a major impact on the company, as a similar event happened shortly after with Batman: Knightfall (reading order), followed by the deaths of numerous superheroes. Also, some characters established during the arc became recurring characters afterward.
No doubt about it, The Death (and Return) of Superman occupy a special place in Superman and DC history, and today, we revisit it with a reading order, and the different ways to read this iconic story.
What to read before The Death of Superman?
Like a lot of readers at the time of publication, you can just go straight ahead without any required reading before. A few issues teased Doomsday breaking free from his prison, and we have listed them in the issue-by-issue reading order for the occasion.
I just told you no background reading was necessary, but for those out there who like to know a little more, here are a few things to know:
- The Justice League’s incarnation at the time of this storyline was Justice League International, with Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, Guy Gardner, and more. It was written by Dan Jurgens.
- A few issues during that storyline are part of the Bloodlines event.
- Not long ago, Luthor faked his own death and transplanted his brain into a clone of himself, which he passed off as his unknown son, Lex Luthor II, raised by foster parents in Australia to protect him from Luthor’s enemy. The charade is completed by an Australian accent, a full head of red hair, and a beard. Luthor uses this opportunity to seduce Supergirl (Matrix at the time). Those issues where those events take place are not really well collected (between Action Comics #660 and #678).
- Finally, if you simply want to discover more stories with Superman, check out our Superman Reading Order, The Modern Age (Post-Crisis).
The Death of Superman Reading Order: Collected Editions
- Death and Return of Superman Omnibus
Collects Superman: The Man Of Steel #17-26, Superman #73-83, Adventures Of Superman #496-505, Action Comics #683-692, Justice League America #69, Superman: The Legacy Of Superman #1 And Green Lantern #46.
- Death of Superman
Collects Action Comics #683-684, Adventures Of Superman #496-498, Superman #73-75, Superman: The Man Of Steel #17-19, and Newstime: The Life and Death Of Superman.- Also available in The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (with Superman: Day of Doom #1-4)
- Superman: Funeral for a Friend
Collects Action Comics #685-686, Adventures Of Superman #498-500, Justice League America #70, Legacy Of Superman #1, Supergirl/Lex Luthor Special #1, Superman #76-77, and Superman: The Man Of Steel #20-21! - Reign of the Supermen
Collects Action Comics #687-688, Adventures Of Superman #500-502, Superman #78-79, Superman Annual #5, Superman: The Man Of Steel #22-23, and Superman: The Man Of Steel Annual #2! - The Return of Superman
Collects Action Comics #689-692, Action Comics Annual #5, Adventures Of Superman #503-505, Adventures Of Superman Annual #5, Green Lantern #46, Superman #80-83, and Superman: The Man Of Steel #24-26!
The Death of Superman Reading Order: Issue by Issue
This reading order follows DC’s numbering at the time of the event’s publication (it was indicated on the issue cover!) and the way it is published in the trade paperbacks.
Doomsday is breaking free of his prison on the last page of these issues
- Superman: The Man of Steel #17 (optional)
- Superman (1987) #73 (optional)
- Adventures of Superman (1987) #496 (optional)
- Action Comics (1938) #683 (optional)
The Death of Superman, Part 1
- Superman: The Man of Steel #18
- Justice League America #69
- Superman (1987) #74
- Adventures of Superman (1987) #497
- Action Comics (1938) #684
- Superman: The Man of Steel #19
- Superman (1987) #75
- Newstime: The Life and Death of the Man of Steel #1
Funeral for a Friend, Part 2
- Adventures of Superman (1987) #498
- Justice League America #70
- Action Comics (1938) #685
- Superman: The Man of Steel #20
- Superman (1987) #76
- Adventures of Superman (1987) #499
- Action Comics (1938) #686
- Legacy of Superman (1993) #1
- Superman: The Man of Steel #21
- Superman (1987) #77
- Supergirl and Team Luthor (1993) #1
Reign of the Supermen, Part 3
- Adventures of Superman (1987) #500
- Action Comics #687
- Superman: Man of Steel #22
- Superman (1987) #78
- Adventures of Superman (1987) #501
- Superman: The Man Of Steel Annual #2 (Part of Bloodlines event)
- Action Comics #688
- Superman: Man of Steel #23
- Superman (1987) #79
- Superman Annual #5 (Part of Bloodlines event)
- Adventures of Superman (1987) #502
The Return of Superman, Part 4
- Action Comics #689
- Superman: Man of Steel #24
- Action Comics Annual #5 (Part of Bloodlines event)
- Superman (1987) #80
- Adventures of Superman #503
- Action Comics #690 24
- Superman: Man of Steel #25
- Superman (1987) #81 26
- Adventures of Superman #504
- Action Comics #691 28
- Adventures Of Superman Annual #5 (Part of Bloodlines event)
- Superman: Man of Steel #26
- Green Lantern Vol. 3 #46
- Superman (1987) #82
- Adventures of Superman #505
- Action Comics #692
- Superman (1987) #83
After The Death and Return of Superman
It will be not long enough after the end of this massive arc that DC will give us a sequel exploring the ramifications of Doomsday’s return. The story arc has been collected in the trade paperback (considered the fifth volume in the Death and Return of Superman collection):
- Superman: Doomsday
Collects Doomsday Annual #1, Superman: The Doomsday Wars #1-3, And Superman/Doomsday: Hunter/Prey #1-3
For the romantics out there, Lois and Clark will have to wait a few years before getting married, as the event was celebrated in December 1996. You can read this historic moment in:
- Superman: Wedding & Beyond or Superman & Lois Lane: The 25th Wedding Anniversary Deluxe Edition
Collects Superman #118; Adventures of Superman #541; Action Comics #728; Superman: The Man of Steel #63; Superman: The Wedding Album #1
Complement this with our article exploring the Multiple Deaths of Superman in the comics.
