DC Comics (Multiple Authors)

I think with something like this it's difficult to write about. This isn't one cohesive narrative, it is every thing that pertains to Superman at the time of his death and ressurection. While there is an ongoing narrative there are a lot of things that muddy the waters a lot of plots semi unresolved or just barely relating to Superman. 

There were stories in this, moments, where I wept, and there were times where I wanted to put the damn thing down altogether. 

An impending Doomsday finds it's way to Earth, it marches ever onward towards Metropolis never slowing never stopping. The Justice League attempt to thwart the beast but nothing, not even the might of Guy Gardner brings it down. Doomsday puts Blue Beetle in a Coma and incaps the rest of the League. 

It was fun to see who was on the roster at this time, Fire, Ice, Booster Gold and Blue Beetle, Guy Gardner. All staples of what I would say is the JLI. A fine team in their own right, now- there are two members who obviously weren't beloved enough to stay on the team. What I thought was Icon was instead some kind of blood... guy and then there was a really angry red head. It kinda blows my mind that the bloodguy (Bloodwing?) and Ice are the two mfs beside superman when he goes, and not WW and Batman. 

Superman steps in. The Doomsday creature and he clash before it can reach Metropolis, Superman needs to stop it. The thing puts innocent lives at stake and Superman focuses on the individual lives, the monster makes it to Metropolis. Superman and the beast clash and they die at the hands of each other in downtown Metropolis, yes yes all very sad. Did I weep and bawl? Yes absolutely, I watched my goat get washed. Seeing Lois hold her would be husbands empty corpse sent shivers down my spine.

In the wake of Superman's death the city is in shambles, we get some stories about Metropolis' other heroes at the time. This was one of the weaker parts of the story for me. I didn't know any of these people, Gangbuster I hate you. You took up so much of the story it's agravating. Thorn / Rose, you too. Then we get to Big Blue's funeral, lacklustre. I think the movie is handled a lot better in this regard. I can scarecly remember the funeral in this beyond the fact that it made me cry. It also doesn't help that I read that part like a month ago.

Side note, Supergirl is in this but she's not. Supergirl died in Crisis so Supergirl in this is an alien named "Matrix" posing as supergirl, also she's dating Lex Luthor Jr. who is actually Lex Sr. who cloned himself with hair and put his conciousness into his clone then killed his original body because it was dying of Kryptonite poisoning. Wild.

After Superman is dead and buried we go through soooooo many plots about his body. I'm so accustomed to "Lex stole it and cloned him, then eradicator takes it back to the fortress" BITCH, There are so many mf Superman supporting characters during this time I didn't know about. The Guardian and the horned guy from Young Justice are all over the place. CADMUS labs cannot go a page without being mentioned, also a weakpoint of the book.

Then we start to get introductions to all the new Supermen, just as the world was coming to terms with Supermans death. I love this part, easily the highlight of the book is watching the four of them have their individual adventures and watch as they all have have their own way of doing the same thing. Cyborg Superman is the most like the OG Superman, Eradicator is the Punisher, Superman Steel is actually the GOAT, he has the same attitude as Clark, all life is precious and worth protecting, but then Steel doesnt have the same powers or look so he's not even trying to be Superman, just pay homage to the man that saved his life. Then Superboy (Dont call him that) is a showboat and a flirt. It's all very fun. 

There is a reocurring story in the annuals about these bugs that keep killing people or turning people into metahumans and it's fine. No real notes. We get more stories with the supermen and then the actual plot starts. Mongul is on his way to Earth, Clark Kent reawakens, Cyborg Superman begins his evil plan. 

HE NUKES COAST CITY?!?!?!??! AND THEN PUTS THE ONUS ON ERADICATOR?!?!?!? Wild. Steel, Superboy and Superman go to Engine city to stop Mongul and Cyborg Superman, Supergirl and Hal Jordan join the fight. I think having Hal there for the finale is weird, I understand he needs to be there to avenge his city but we just spent a whole book focusing on Steel and Superboy and then GL just gets the last hit and beats Mongul? Superboy stops a missile from demolishing Metropolis, I wept. Steel gets mopped by Cyborg Superman. The Eradicator self sacrifices to give Superman all his powers back and Supes beats Hank Henshaw, potentially killing him? Hmmmm, I don't mind Superman killing when he has to, it's just a little strange me thinks. 

This was fine, I think it would be a really fun video game but reading it was a little boring. Maybe because I already know the ending? I liked the individual tasks that everyone had to do, my only real issue is that final Superman vs Cyborg Superman. Kryptonite is flooding the room and Supes is fine, Cyborg Superman is wiping the floor and he's fine. Eradicator gives supes all his powers and then Superman mops up Cyborg Supes. Lame ahh. 

Also the tie in issue with G.L beating Mongul reveals the ending ONE ISSUE before we see Supes beat Cyborg Superman. So... we lose a little steam there. ALSO, ALSO! We get Cyborg Superman's origin in an expo dump by some war world aliens... HUHHHHH!!??? An0ther thing the movie did better. 

The book was fun, I think this was a really good Superman story and it makes me want to pick up more, but some of the tie in comics are completely uneccasary and not deserving of being in this. They slow the book down to a grinding halt and that final fight plus the Hank Henshaw origin needs to be fixed.

Lastly, I learned that Hank Henshaw is Reed Richards. You see the panel where he and his team and his wife go out to space and get radiation poisoning. They turn into a parody of the F4. Very interesting.​
 

Lex, Steel and Superboy are written so well and so interesting in this. It makes me like them as characters more. This was really their story.