The Month of Trades: The Death of Superman

For this month we are doing something different and special for the Trade of he month. With Man of Steel out in theaters June 13 we thought it would be the perfect time to tell you about the best and most essential Superman trades in existence. There’s just too many good Superman trades to pick just one so instead we will feature a Superman trade each week. This week we will tell you about “The Best-Selling Graphic Novel Of All Time!”

Personally I think that Death of Superman is the best and most well done "superhero death" of all time and I'm going to tell you all the reasons why. In a time when people have no use for "the golden boy" methods of never kill and save all much like now, DC Comics decided to kill off their biggest superhero in the most epic blaze of glory possible.
With characters like Wolverine who never fail to pull the trigger what use do people have for a god-like figure that refuses to? So the big heads at DC created this story to make us all appreciate good ole Supes because there's no better way to make people miss something than by taking it away and make them realize how much they loved it in the first place. This story drips with every realization and reason why Superman is the greatest superhero ever. Without being too cheesy, corny, or pushy they show you stuff like Superman will never abandon us, will never stop fighting, defending, and protecting us. Whether you're an orphan, homeless, punk, rich snob, or working man he will always be there to keep you safe.
This story also does a phenomenal job of showing you how far superior he is to every hero in every way especially when it comes to power levels. At first the Justice League tries to take on Doomsday without the powerhouse, Superman. To say the least things do not fair well for them. It's great to see Guy Gardner humbled even though it was scary and a little confusing since he didn't have his Green Lantern ring. When it comes down to it Superman is the only one that comes near as powerful as Doomsday. This is the best imagery that '90s comics had to offer. You can feel the blows, the intensity, and the emotion through the art. No matter how many times I read this I always get choked up seeing the inevitable. You know what you're getting when you read this but you'll never be prepared for the ending. This also proves that this hero will do whatever he has to to save his people, his city, his planet, and the people that he loves and cares for. Superman will always be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. This story proves that we need true heroes like Superman and this was the perfect way to tell this story.
-Pablo Gunner

In the 90's Superman was getting a little stale. So DC decided to kill him off. It was a joint effort by many people. It was very risky at the time. Many people argue that it was a success. I decided I needed to see what people meant by this.
This book pretty much tells you at the beginning that Superman is going to die at the end of the arc. I love how the first comic hadDoomsday showing up, but was not dealt with in this issue. It was just a classic Superman saves Lois issue. The next issue really does build up and shows the brute strength of Doomsday. Once Superman starts to fight Doomsday he becomes more and more of a relatable character. Many times comic books or movies will have the person stop and try to figure things out and start pointing fingers. Most people would just worry about the problem before trying to think things out. This is what Superman does. He wants to keep the people safe. There is one moment where Superman has a chance to stop Doomsday. Before he can do a deadly blow he has to help people in a fire that was in the path of  Doomsdays destruction.
Doomsday is pretty much destroying everything and everyone in his path. The justice League was taken out with an ease. Superman gets knocked out. He knows where to find Doomsday because of the disaster Doomsday is bringing everywhere he goes. Throughout every issue you know Superman is getting worn out and Doomsday looks just fine most of the fight. There is a emotional panel with Lois and Superman where Superman says that he must kill Doomsday or the world will be in trouble. That is why Superman decides he needs to kill him. He ends up killing Doomsday, but dies at the same time he does as well.
The book shows his parents and show that they taught him to be prepared to do anything to save mankind. It was such a strong scene to see his parents devastated, but knew he did the right thing. I could see how distraught they were with watching the news. I will always remember the final panel of the book with Lois crying and holding a dead Superman.
This book actually ages really well for having older art. The art keeps you reading. The dialogue is perfect. This may have been the first big super hero death, but will always be one of the best deaths of a superhero.
-Ambassador Jbemms

We also talked to Jean, the owner of Kaboom Test Labs, about Death of Superman

Don't forget to check out our podcast on iTunes!

You can pick up this comic at  Twin Suns Comics & Games