Believe it or not, but there was a time when the inspiring image of Superman was on billboards, TV spots, and magazine ads, carrying the bold slogan “You’ll Believe a Man Can Fly.” This was at the apogee of the classic Silver and Bronze Age Superman that was stewarded by Mort Weisnger and Julius Schwarz, and their respective creative teams, and while each of these editorial directives had slightly different methods, both did their best to present Superman as an amalgam of Everyman and Paragon, in the hopes of not only entertaining the reader but presenting them with a secular, humanistic ideal. When Salkind was selling his Superman movie to Warner Brothers, this is the Superman that he pitched—a formula that he copied from Warner’s own comic book company
Fast forward to 2016, in which DC Comics has now become dependent on the jaded customers at comic shops, and they’ve discovered that when selling to this market, destroying a symbol is much more profitable than creating it. The comic book direct market isn’t interested in “You’ll Believe a Man Can Fly”; but they’re chomping at the bit for “You’ll Believe (and Buy) that Superman Can Die—Again.” Not that Superman is the only one of their characters subject to the dark whims of the market; some days I feel that there’s a dart board there with “Kill Superman / Kill Batman / Kill Robin / Kill Green Lantern / Kill Flash / Kill Supergirl” ad nauseum on it, as there seems to be a fairly regular death wish behind the DC comic book line. There is such an appetite for the death or deconstruction of symbols in the comic book market, and specifically, the Death of Superman, that DC Comics is confident that they can pull it off again.
No doubt DC Comics’ certainty is reinforced by the excellence of Tomasi’s scripts, which, as evidenced in last week’s issue of Superman and this week’s issue of Batman / Superman, shows that he’s determined to pull a captivating and emotionally charged story from the trite premise of “dying Superman.” My hat’s off to Tomasi for this hat trick, as I really, really don’t want to like it, but I do. Tomasi’s “The Final Days of Superman,” so far gets a strong recommendation from me, actually, with the caveat that any praise be preceded by my bitterly entrenched opposition to this kind of direction in Superman comics. Somehow Tomasi found a fresh drink of water in a stagnant stream, and I applaud him for it.
Official press release on “The Final Days of Superman,” including covers of various issues in the story and a preview of Action Comics #51:
“The Final Days of Superman” Have Begun
The Last Son of Krypton Searches for Members of His “Super-League” to Continue his Fight for Truth and Justice
Death waits for no man—not even a Superman.
The devastating effects of Apokolips’ fire pits in JUSTICE LEAGUE: DARKSEID WAR, the A.R.G.U.S. Kryptonite chamber from “Savage Dawn” in SUPERMAN, and his battle with the would-be god Rao in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA all combine in a perfect storm of death for the Man of Steel. Determined to protect humanity, despite his impending death, Superman embarks on a quest to seek heroes from across the DC Universe to continue his role as humanity’s protector.
DC Entertainment proudly presents “The Final Days of Superman.” Writer Peter J. Tomasi architects this epic saga, encompassing all four Super-titles in April and May.
SUPERMAN #51 AND #52
(Art by Mikel Janin)
BATMAN/SUPERMAN #31 AND #32
(Issue #31 art by Doug Mahnke and Jaime Mendoza issue #32 art by Doug Mahnke, Jaime Mendoza & Christian Alamy)
ACTION COMICS #51 AND #52
(Issue #51 art by Paul Pelletier, issue #52 art by Scot Eaton and Dale Eaglesham)
SUPERMAN/WONDER WOMAN #28 AND #29
(Art by Jorge Jimenez)
“The Final Days of Superman” saga sets the stage for the DC UNIVERSE: REBIRTH launch beginning on May 25, which will result in new identities, new costumes and…even more Supermen?!
SUPERMAN #51 debuts Part One of the eight-part epic, “This Mortal Coil.” Superman seeks out his closest friends, including Lana Lang and Lois Lane, to let them know his end is drawing near. Meanwhile, at a secret installation in China’s Shanxi Province, the mysterious Dr. Omen performs strange experiments in order to create China’s very own Super-Man. While in Metropolis, an on-the-run parolee falls victim to a strange accident giving him incredible powers, and now he’s calling himself Superman! Check out the debut of this incredible story at your local comics retailer now!
Part Two continues in BATMAN/SUPERMAN #31’s “Dark Discovery,” available now. Superman invades Gotham City to inform Batman that he’s dying—and to enlist the help of the World’s Greatest Detective in locating his cousin Supergirl, who’s mysteriously gone missing. In the process, the World’s Finest heroes must defeat the monsters of the Chinese Zodiac.
Check out this sneak preview of ACTION COMICS #51 featuring “Dazed and Confused,” the third chapter in this explosive arc, available Wednesday, April 20. With Batman’s help, Superman is on his cousin’s trail—but he can’t believe where it’s led him or who she’s teamed with in the Man of Steel’s absence! Dr. Omen reveals more secrets of her experiments as she receives a crucial component—Superman’s blood!
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