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The Fall and Redemption of Hal Jordan
Superman: The Return of Superman
SUPERMAN LIVES
As an unknown alien warship, unnoticed and unchallenged, approaches the Earth, the world still doesn't know who--if any--of the four replacement Supermen is the real Man of Steel. Though each of them have their own claim to the title, two are beginning to show their true colors when they begin to battle the others for supremacy. Unknown to all, the true Superman--recently restored by a Kryptonian regeneration matrix--begins to plot his homecoming. But will he be too late to save Coast City from the clutches of a traitor and the return of the alien warlord, Mongul?
Join DAN JURGENS (SUPERMAN: LOIS & CLARK), LOUISE SIMONSON (SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL) and others as Superman reclaims his rightful place as Earth's greatest hero! The fourth of four volumes chronicling the epic saga of the Death and Return of Superman, collecting 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!
As an unknown alien warship, unnoticed and unchallenged, approaches the Earth, the world still doesn't know who--if any--of the four replacement Supermen is the real Man of Steel. Though each of them have their own claim to the title, two are beginning to show their true colors when they begin to battle the others for supremacy. Unknown to all, the true Superman--recently restored by a Kryptonian regeneration matrix--begins to plot his homecoming. But will he be too late to save Coast City from the clutches of a traitor and the return of the alien warlord, Mongul?
Join DAN JURGENS (SUPERMAN: LOIS & CLARK), LOUISE SIMONSON (SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL) and others as Superman reclaims his rightful place as Earth's greatest hero! The fourth of four volumes chronicling the epic saga of the Death and Return of Superman, collecting 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!
464 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 1993
82 people are currently reading
1895 people want to read
About the author
Dan Jurgens
2,242 books286 followersDan Jurgens is an American comic book writer and artist. He is known for his work on the DC comic book storyline "The Death of Superman" and for creating characters such as Doomsday, Hank Henshaw, and Booster Gold. Jurgens had a lengthy run on the Superman comic books including The Adventures of Superman, Superman vol. 2 and Action Comics. At Marvel, Jurgens worked on series such as Captain America, The Sensational Spider-Man and was the writer on Thor for six years. He also had a brief run as writer and artist on Solar for Valiant Comics in 1995.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
October 20, 2014
The Reign of the Supermen is upon us!
I got this on its single comic book issues, but I use this edition to be able to make a better overall review.
THE BEST SUPERMAN'S STORYLINE WITHOUT SUPERMAN
While Superman's return (as the title of the TPB can't spoil it more!) happens more or less to the end of the storyline, in the bigger part of it, you won't have Superman on it, since he is technically "dead", so the four mysterious Supermen appears and they are the main characters of this story that lasted for like a year or so, and I can tell you that a year without Superman, on four different Superman-related titles is a lot and even more curious is that it can be easily one of the best storylines of Superman ever crafted. It was quite a feat, being able for DC Comics to keep selling, for like a year, Superman comic books WITHOUT Superman on them.
A WORLD WITH FOUR SUPERMEN
If the world was safe with just one Superman, now with four of him has to be even safer, right?
The cool thing is this storyline is that you don't know!
All the four of them suddenly appear on the skies of Metropolis reclaiming the mantle of Superman and pledging to protect the city as the original one did until his deadly battle against the monsters known as Doomsday.
Each Superman has their own style to fight for truth, justice and freedom.
The one known as The Man of Tomorrow, with a look almost identical to Superman, only enhanced with cybernetic parts, and even having a DNA-checked, he is taken care of the body of Doomsday, explaining his desire to keep safe the city.
The one known as The Man of Steel, armored with a metal suit with rocket boots, and a really big hammer, is the closer to the classic style of doing the never-ending battle and keeping safe the city.
The one known as The Last Son of Krypton, even keeping a closer physical resemblance to Superman, only with a visor protecting his eyes and a variation of his traditional suit, he is keeping safe the streets of the city using extreme measures to deal with criminals.
And finaly, the one known as The Metropolis Kid (Don't call him Superboy!), he looks like a regenerated version of Superman but on his teenage years, he is adjusting to this role of being the protector of the city but he faces arguments with Supergirl (Matrix).
A GAME OF SUPERMEN
Metropolis maybe is one of the biggest cities in the world, but that seems not enough to four beings with powers in the levels of Superman.
The weight on the shoulders of the Earth's Greatest Hero has been so far a job for just one man, and now it seems that there was some logic about that, since now four Superman isn't a better scenario but a too crowded room.
The impact of the private agendas of these four Supermen will be not limited to Metropolis, and neither will be restricted only to the usual suspects in the pages of the Superman comic book titles, and certainly the DC Universe NEVER will be the same, after this, and its consequences will still be felt for many years.
I got this on its single comic book issues, but I use this edition to be able to make a better overall review.
THE BEST SUPERMAN'S STORYLINE WITHOUT SUPERMAN
While Superman's return (as the title of the TPB can't spoil it more!) happens more or less to the end of the storyline, in the bigger part of it, you won't have Superman on it, since he is technically "dead", so the four mysterious Supermen appears and they are the main characters of this story that lasted for like a year or so, and I can tell you that a year without Superman, on four different Superman-related titles is a lot and even more curious is that it can be easily one of the best storylines of Superman ever crafted. It was quite a feat, being able for DC Comics to keep selling, for like a year, Superman comic books WITHOUT Superman on them.
A WORLD WITH FOUR SUPERMEN
If the world was safe with just one Superman, now with four of him has to be even safer, right?
The cool thing is this storyline is that you don't know!
All the four of them suddenly appear on the skies of Metropolis reclaiming the mantle of Superman and pledging to protect the city as the original one did until his deadly battle against the monsters known as Doomsday.
Each Superman has their own style to fight for truth, justice and freedom.
The one known as The Man of Tomorrow, with a look almost identical to Superman, only enhanced with cybernetic parts, and even having a DNA-checked, he is taken care of the body of Doomsday, explaining his desire to keep safe the city.
The one known as The Man of Steel, armored with a metal suit with rocket boots, and a really big hammer, is the closer to the classic style of doing the never-ending battle and keeping safe the city.
The one known as The Last Son of Krypton, even keeping a closer physical resemblance to Superman, only with a visor protecting his eyes and a variation of his traditional suit, he is keeping safe the streets of the city using extreme measures to deal with criminals.
And finaly, the one known as The Metropolis Kid (Don't call him Superboy!), he looks like a regenerated version of Superman but on his teenage years, he is adjusting to this role of being the protector of the city but he faces arguments with Supergirl (Matrix).
A GAME OF SUPERMEN
Metropolis maybe is one of the biggest cities in the world, but that seems not enough to four beings with powers in the levels of Superman.
The weight on the shoulders of the Earth's Greatest Hero has been so far a job for just one man, and now it seems that there was some logic about that, since now four Superman isn't a better scenario but a too crowded room.
The impact of the private agendas of these four Supermen will be not limited to Metropolis, and neither will be restricted only to the usual suspects in the pages of the Superman comic book titles, and certainly the DC Universe NEVER will be the same, after this, and its consequences will still be felt for many years.
July 1, 2024
There are many impersonators but there's only one real Superman, as I found in reading Dan Jurgens' absolutely gigantic and amazing Return of Superman. And this thing is a relatively HUGE 480 pages.
Critics complain of the writing. So let's contextualize. It's 1993. And the ‘90s aren't known as a great era for comics. They were just coming off of the ‘80s high with gritty realism thanks to writers like Frank Miller and Alan Moore. And writers started going in a different direction for a change. I imagine some readers don't like ‘90s comics because they are laden with ‘90s cheesy dialog—I don’t blame them. But funny enough, the ‘90s moments—like guns being called "toastmasters" or the fat kid Graham trying to kill Man of Steel with his fatness—reminded me of the ‘80s moments in Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, like the mutants and "balls rad" and "god damn milk baby." And that's in a comic known for its gritty realism. Weird and now heavily-dated writing still serves to contextualize the entire book, and for the better in my opinion. You can take them or leave them, but you can't hold it against the comics for the era in which they were written. They're like time capsules.
Interestingly enough, this reminded me a lot of Watchmen and TDKR with its media coverage, metafiction, and its exploration of hero psychology and heroes in society (especially with the cults)—it has plenty to say for a superhero comic. Superman is obviously dead. And four men dressed and claiming to be Superman with vastly differing origins have seemingly replaced him. That's where this page-turning mystery begins.
Critics complain of the writing. So let's contextualize. It's 1993. And the ‘90s aren't known as a great era for comics. They were just coming off of the ‘80s high with gritty realism thanks to writers like Frank Miller and Alan Moore. And writers started going in a different direction for a change. I imagine some readers don't like ‘90s comics because they are laden with ‘90s cheesy dialog—I don’t blame them. But funny enough, the ‘90s moments—like guns being called "toastmasters" or the fat kid Graham trying to kill Man of Steel with his fatness—reminded me of the ‘80s moments in Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, like the mutants and "balls rad" and "god damn milk baby." And that's in a comic known for its gritty realism. Weird and now heavily-dated writing still serves to contextualize the entire book, and for the better in my opinion. You can take them or leave them, but you can't hold it against the comics for the era in which they were written. They're like time capsules.
Interestingly enough, this reminded me a lot of Watchmen and TDKR with its media coverage, metafiction, and its exploration of hero psychology and heroes in society (especially with the cults)—it has plenty to say for a superhero comic. Superman is obviously dead. And four men dressed and claiming to be Superman with vastly differing origins have seemingly replaced him. That's where this page-turning mystery begins.
December 23, 2021
Still a classic Superman story after all these years (although it has a lot of bad luck in adaptations), combining the excess of the "cool" 90s era with the solid storytelling DC was known for at the time. Always worth rereading every few years
November 8, 2014
The Death of Superman was almost too straightforward, with no real theme or buildup. Doomsday shows up with no explanation, there's a smackdown, and Superman dies. Aside from the novelty of seeing one of the most popular heroes in fiction die, it's a quick and brutal story with a downer ending.
World Without a Superman was a decent continuation, with a couple of compelling issues showing the public reaction to his death. The majority of that volume dealt with the mystery of Superman's body being stolen and fought over, which was drawn out a bit too long.
However, this third massive volume showing the rise of four replacement "Supermen" and the return of the original was one of the better epic volumes I've read from DC. The whole concept did a lot to show how influential Superman was in a more meta way than the previous two volumes. I doubt any other hero (aside from probably only Batman) could die and have a story about his immediate replacements be as compelling, with each of the Supermen reflecting a different aspect of the original. Steel is identified as embodying the soul of the original, though he is human and wears powered armor. Superboy is cast as a more modern kid without the patented Kent manners that Clark had at his age. The Eradicator is the pure Kryptonian in the group, using lethal force to enforce justice. And the Cyborg Superman, putting a spin on what I see as Clark's paradoxical use of deception to mask his true self and intentions.
There are some massive, crazy set pieces that the eventual bad guys of the story perpetrate that drive the scale of this story through the roof. The initial mystery of who the Supermen are, whether they can be trusted (or if any of them are the real deal), the gradual revelations of where they came from, and how they come together to shut down the bad guys, was a fun read practically the whole way through.
It does feel somewhat dated and most of the art is average at best, but I'd still recommend this last third of the "Death and Return" storyline as one of Superman's best, even though he isn't in most of it.
World Without a Superman was a decent continuation, with a couple of compelling issues showing the public reaction to his death. The majority of that volume dealt with the mystery of Superman's body being stolen and fought over, which was drawn out a bit too long.
However, this third massive volume showing the rise of four replacement "Supermen" and the return of the original was one of the better epic volumes I've read from DC. The whole concept did a lot to show how influential Superman was in a more meta way than the previous two volumes. I doubt any other hero (aside from probably only Batman) could die and have a story about his immediate replacements be as compelling, with each of the Supermen reflecting a different aspect of the original. Steel is identified as embodying the soul of the original, though he is human and wears powered armor. Superboy is cast as a more modern kid without the patented Kent manners that Clark had at his age. The Eradicator is the pure Kryptonian in the group, using lethal force to enforce justice. And the Cyborg Superman, putting a spin on what I see as Clark's paradoxical use of deception to mask his true self and intentions.
There are some massive, crazy set pieces that the eventual bad guys of the story perpetrate that drive the scale of this story through the roof. The initial mystery of who the Supermen are, whether they can be trusted (or if any of them are the real deal), the gradual revelations of where they came from, and how they come together to shut down the bad guys, was a fun read practically the whole way through.
It does feel somewhat dated and most of the art is average at best, but I'd still recommend this last third of the "Death and Return" storyline as one of Superman's best, even though he isn't in most of it.
September 25, 2018
Not a bad read for a storyline that is largely an afterthought after the death of Superman. Totally loved Steel (and no, not the Shaq movie version of him)
April 16, 2017
I'm glad I went back and read this entire series about the Death of Superman, A World Without Superman, and The Return of Superman. There is a lot of foundational information in these long anthologies of comics that impact the Superman mythos for decades. This crossover event lasted about a year between 1992-1993 with about 40 comic issues. I liked The Death of Superman the most and then The Return of Superman after.
August 23, 2022
Part of my comic book reread project. Continued from World without a Superman
Five solid stars.
ALERT! WARNING! ACHTUNG! ADVERTENCIA! ATTENTION! TAHDHIR! ETC!: Spoilers peppered throughout.
Nobody ever dies permanently in comic books, so of course Superman comes back, and this shows us how it happened. This is comprised of several weekly Superman titles that came out over the course of six or so months in 1993 and concludes the story started in The Death of Superman and continued in World without a Superman. It's still just as awesome as it was the first time I read it 24 years ago. In fact, I enjoy the rereads even more because I can look at stuff that's foreshadowed through a different lens. This is especially true of the Eradicator's (the first of the four Supermen that show up to protect Metropolis) story line which is in the first comic book. When I first read it, I thought the Fortress of Solitude robots were responding to Kal-El's (Superman's) needs and instructions, but they were actually dealing with the Eradicator, another Kryptonian being who was residing there. It's actually quite clever of the writers to work it like that because either way you look at it, the story makes sense. You eventually find out the Eradicator took Superman's body and did a bunch of complicated shit that doesn't need to be explained here so that he ended up looking just like him, called himself "The Last Son of Krypton...,"
...and went to Metropolis to take over where Superman left off, all the while actually believing that he was Superman reborn. He was disabused of this notion by the end after he got his ass kicked nearly to death by the Cyborg Superman...
...who ends up being the real villain of the story, and quite a piece of work at that, but he had a lot of people convinced he was the real deal for a while. After the Eradicator got his marbles unscrambled and back into place, the shock caused the real Superman to come back to life, and he heads to Metropolis while the Eradicator recuperates. Confused? That's fine. Just read the story for the details. It makes sense if you're willing to let your imagination run wild.
This book also introduces us to Steel...
...who seems to carry Superman's soul since he acts the most like him, but he's really just an all around decent guy. (I guess the world can have more than one.) For a while there's talk from a psychic about Superman's spirit walking-in and taking over the body, but luckily that tripe is minimal, and the writers didn't pursue it after the first couple of mentions. I've always liked his character, so that's another tic in the plus column. But as much as I like Steel, I like Superboy...
...even better, and his first appearance is also in this book. Admittedly, I like Superboy mostly because I thought he was kinda hot back when I was younger. Not as hot as Robin, but Superboy was my crush in the Superman titles. Superboy could get irritating whereas Robin never did. And speaking of comic book beefcakes, this story has an incident which sets up events that sends Hal Jordan over the edge, leaving an opening in the Green Lantern corps which is given to Kyle Rayner, va-va-va-voom... I think. It's probably been two decades since I read that story, and I didn't collect the Green Lantern books regularly (just when there was a tie-in with the other titles I got), but I remember really digging the Rayner Green Lantern.
The incident referred to above is the destruction of Coast City, Green Lantern's home. The Cyborg and Mongul...
...obliterate it to construct a giant engine so as to create a new War World that can travel around in space, and seven million people are killed. That part hits me just as hard now as it did when I first read it, maybe even harder since it's kind of devastating. I don't mean to say I was boo-hooing and all like I do when I watch The Karate Kid, but it does make me stop and reflect for a moment. Seven million is a lot of people.
Mongul is the reason this story earns a place on my "favorite villains" shelf. The Cyborg could almost get it on there, but it's Mongul who makes it happen. I just like the way he looks, and he's super strong, fast, etc. It's a shame he's relegated to introductory villain status after this story, serving as the cherry-popper bad guy for new faces, and he spends time in galactic prison between these embarrassing ass-kickings. Coincidentally enough, he's the first baddie Kyle Raynor faces as the Green Lantern, and later he's the new Flash's first. He loses to both, which is bullshit for someone who used to give Supes so much trouble, but que sera, sera. I don't mind him losing to Hal Jordan in this, but losing to Kyle is pushing it since he was a NOOB, and losing to The Flash... horse manure! I'm not even sure if he gets a single punch in. I reckon I'll reread those eventually and find out. But in this story, he's pure awesomeness in his wickedness. I would say it's also a shame he later gets killed by Neron, but if you're going to fall so far off the pedestal that you're getting your ass kicked by the Flash the very first time he puts on his new sneakers after you've gotten a well-earned reputation for terrorizing half the galaxy, then you deserve death, for there's no hope for you.
I seem to have strayed from this story. Mongul is awesome. Superboy is awesome. Steel is awesome. Lex Luthor is awesome. Hell, they're all awesome. The introductory stories comprising the first half the book are awesome. The bigger story which comprises the second half of the book is awesome. The ongoing side stories are... well, they're just regular soap opera things and don't deserve to be called "awesome," but they're still cool and relate to other matters, most of which will be awesome in the following year or two. But still, do I need to tell you this whole thing is just awesome?
I do have one minor nitpick, though. It's not with the story, but with the trade paperback itself, particularly the "epilog." (They chose to use the lazier spelling of that word; I totally would've added the "ue," so please don't hold it against me.) It includes parts of The Adventures of Superman 505 and Action Comics 692, but not the entire books. It kind of wraps things up with how they reintroduce Clark Kent to the world after his extended absence, but it's disjointed and obviously missing parts. Luckily I have both of those comics and was able to get the whole story. (I think Adventures even came with the trade paperback which I got at the Price Club; hurray for warehouse stores and their bulk/extras mentality. I had to get Action at the comic book store, though.) The book also cut out the part where Dr. Occult shows up and explains in plain and simple terms exactly how Supes came back. You can infer all of it from the different parts of the story, but I thought it was nice to have it all spelled out. Yeah, it's kind of dorky and is reminiscent of Jessica Fletcher wrapping up an episode of Murder, She Wrote for the viewers who aren't swift enough to keep up, but hey, I often wear that shoe myself (even if I didn't in this case), so I would've appreciated its inclusion. Hell, they had half the comic book in there anyway, would an extra 15-20 pages have killed them?
One other thing to appreciate in the real comic books are the advertisements which are amusing on many levels. They're over the top, and they bring on nostalgia since they're now so old. The one that got me this time was one for the Atari Lynx which purported to be "the most fun you can hold in your hands." I doubted the veracity of this claim since I was 14 when I first read this, and had discovered something else that was much more fun in my hands a couple years prior, and I'm pretty sure it still held the prize for that distinction two years later in spite of my love for video games.
And I've strayed again. Anyway, just read the shit if you're a Superman comic book fan.
Next checkpoint: Bizarro's World.
Five solid stars.
ALERT! WARNING! ACHTUNG! ADVERTENCIA! ATTENTION! TAHDHIR! ETC!: Spoilers peppered throughout.
Nobody ever dies permanently in comic books, so of course Superman comes back, and this shows us how it happened. This is comprised of several weekly Superman titles that came out over the course of six or so months in 1993 and concludes the story started in The Death of Superman and continued in World without a Superman. It's still just as awesome as it was the first time I read it 24 years ago. In fact, I enjoy the rereads even more because I can look at stuff that's foreshadowed through a different lens. This is especially true of the Eradicator's (the first of the four Supermen that show up to protect Metropolis) story line which is in the first comic book. When I first read it, I thought the Fortress of Solitude robots were responding to Kal-El's (Superman's) needs and instructions, but they were actually dealing with the Eradicator, another Kryptonian being who was residing there. It's actually quite clever of the writers to work it like that because either way you look at it, the story makes sense. You eventually find out the Eradicator took Superman's body and did a bunch of complicated shit that doesn't need to be explained here so that he ended up looking just like him, called himself "The Last Son of Krypton...,"
...and went to Metropolis to take over where Superman left off, all the while actually believing that he was Superman reborn. He was disabused of this notion by the end after he got his ass kicked nearly to death by the Cyborg Superman...
...who ends up being the real villain of the story, and quite a piece of work at that, but he had a lot of people convinced he was the real deal for a while. After the Eradicator got his marbles unscrambled and back into place, the shock caused the real Superman to come back to life, and he heads to Metropolis while the Eradicator recuperates. Confused? That's fine. Just read the story for the details. It makes sense if you're willing to let your imagination run wild.
This book also introduces us to Steel...
...who seems to carry Superman's soul since he acts the most like him, but he's really just an all around decent guy. (I guess the world can have more than one.) For a while there's talk from a psychic about Superman's spirit walking-in and taking over the body, but luckily that tripe is minimal, and the writers didn't pursue it after the first couple of mentions. I've always liked his character, so that's another tic in the plus column. But as much as I like Steel, I like Superboy...
...even better, and his first appearance is also in this book. Admittedly, I like Superboy mostly because I thought he was kinda hot back when I was younger. Not as hot as Robin, but Superboy was my crush in the Superman titles. Superboy could get irritating whereas Robin never did. And speaking of comic book beefcakes, this story has an incident which sets up events that sends Hal Jordan over the edge, leaving an opening in the Green Lantern corps which is given to Kyle Rayner, va-va-va-voom... I think. It's probably been two decades since I read that story, and I didn't collect the Green Lantern books regularly (just when there was a tie-in with the other titles I got), but I remember really digging the Rayner Green Lantern.
The incident referred to above is the destruction of Coast City, Green Lantern's home. The Cyborg and Mongul...
...obliterate it to construct a giant engine so as to create a new War World that can travel around in space, and seven million people are killed. That part hits me just as hard now as it did when I first read it, maybe even harder since it's kind of devastating. I don't mean to say I was boo-hooing and all like I do when I watch The Karate Kid, but it does make me stop and reflect for a moment. Seven million is a lot of people.
Mongul is the reason this story earns a place on my "favorite villains" shelf. The Cyborg could almost get it on there, but it's Mongul who makes it happen. I just like the way he looks, and he's super strong, fast, etc. It's a shame he's relegated to introductory villain status after this story, serving as the cherry-popper bad guy for new faces, and he spends time in galactic prison between these embarrassing ass-kickings. Coincidentally enough, he's the first baddie Kyle Raynor faces as the Green Lantern, and later he's the new Flash's first. He loses to both, which is bullshit for someone who used to give Supes so much trouble, but que sera, sera. I don't mind him losing to Hal Jordan in this, but losing to Kyle is pushing it since he was a NOOB, and losing to The Flash... horse manure! I'm not even sure if he gets a single punch in. I reckon I'll reread those eventually and find out. But in this story, he's pure awesomeness in his wickedness. I would say it's also a shame he later gets killed by Neron, but if you're going to fall so far off the pedestal that you're getting your ass kicked by the Flash the very first time he puts on his new sneakers after you've gotten a well-earned reputation for terrorizing half the galaxy, then you deserve death, for there's no hope for you.
I seem to have strayed from this story. Mongul is awesome. Superboy is awesome. Steel is awesome. Lex Luthor is awesome. Hell, they're all awesome. The introductory stories comprising the first half the book are awesome. The bigger story which comprises the second half of the book is awesome. The ongoing side stories are... well, they're just regular soap opera things and don't deserve to be called "awesome," but they're still cool and relate to other matters, most of which will be awesome in the following year or two. But still, do I need to tell you this whole thing is just awesome?
I do have one minor nitpick, though. It's not with the story, but with the trade paperback itself, particularly the "epilog." (They chose to use the lazier spelling of that word; I totally would've added the "ue," so please don't hold it against me.) It includes parts of The Adventures of Superman 505 and Action Comics 692, but not the entire books. It kind of wraps things up with how they reintroduce Clark Kent to the world after his extended absence, but it's disjointed and obviously missing parts. Luckily I have both of those comics and was able to get the whole story. (I think Adventures even came with the trade paperback which I got at the Price Club; hurray for warehouse stores and their bulk/extras mentality. I had to get Action at the comic book store, though.) The book also cut out the part where Dr. Occult shows up and explains in plain and simple terms exactly how Supes came back. You can infer all of it from the different parts of the story, but I thought it was nice to have it all spelled out. Yeah, it's kind of dorky and is reminiscent of Jessica Fletcher wrapping up an episode of Murder, She Wrote for the viewers who aren't swift enough to keep up, but hey, I often wear that shoe myself (even if I didn't in this case), so I would've appreciated its inclusion. Hell, they had half the comic book in there anyway, would an extra 15-20 pages have killed them?
One other thing to appreciate in the real comic books are the advertisements which are amusing on many levels. They're over the top, and they bring on nostalgia since they're now so old. The one that got me this time was one for the Atari Lynx which purported to be "the most fun you can hold in your hands." I doubted the veracity of this claim since I was 14 when I first read this, and had discovered something else that was much more fun in my hands a couple years prior, and I'm pretty sure it still held the prize for that distinction two years later in spite of my love for video games.
And I've strayed again. Anyway, just read the shit if you're a Superman comic book fan.
Next checkpoint: Bizarro's World.
February 11, 2018
Having quite enjoyed the middle 2 for the slightly different take on Superman this was actually a little bit of a damp squib. The art is good and does the job but I think the story wasn’t quite what I expected. I hold no torch for the red pants so was fine with the new costume.
The problem was that this was clearly part of an ongoing series so conclusions were not allowed. Or not too many anyway, once again with and earth ending risk we appeared to be missing a load of hero’s. The same ones who were willing to turn up to bury Supes.
I still enjoyed the read. The book ends where it begins. While a city is missing there feel like few other consequences of the death. It may have made headlines but what was the purpose of this story? A permanently weakened superman, for example, may have made future comics more of an entertaining read.
In this case they didn’t even give him a hair cut and the Luther story line is not making entire sense. He is getting away with too much.
What this needed was more of a singular vision.
I did enjoy the read. I am in awe of the artists and writers and know I am not one. But the ending did not quite connect as well with me as it should have.
Sorry.
The problem was that this was clearly part of an ongoing series so conclusions were not allowed. Or not too many anyway, once again with and earth ending risk we appeared to be missing a load of hero’s. The same ones who were willing to turn up to bury Supes.
I still enjoyed the read. The book ends where it begins. While a city is missing there feel like few other consequences of the death. It may have made headlines but what was the purpose of this story? A permanently weakened superman, for example, may have made future comics more of an entertaining read.
In this case they didn’t even give him a hair cut and the Luther story line is not making entire sense. He is getting away with too much.
What this needed was more of a singular vision.
I did enjoy the read. I am in awe of the artists and writers and know I am not one. But the ending did not quite connect as well with me as it should have.
Sorry.
July 8, 2013
A story arc worth giving 6 stars. This epic is part of the Death of Superman storyline and is the best of the 3 GNs. Death of Superman, while mediocre in content set the scene, Funeral for a Friend was moving and the Return was fantastic and the climax of a whole new Superman.
Supes death involes strong feelings in several people, ordinary Nd extra ordinary. And all of a sudden you have 4 different men trying to fill the void and take Superman's place, 3 of them actually claiming to be Superman himself. Add one more to that mix - Superman's friend and fan - Bibbo. And you find the Guardian and Supergirl also running around. The plot is marvelous, a simple concept - the reader believes that these men are now stepping to the plate but then a traitor is revealed amongst their midst. And mayhem breaks loose.
There are a few one shots such as the Legacy of Superman which need to be bought separately. A must read for any comic book fan and for anyone with a thirst for plain ol adrenaline rush!
Supes death involes strong feelings in several people, ordinary Nd extra ordinary. And all of a sudden you have 4 different men trying to fill the void and take Superman's place, 3 of them actually claiming to be Superman himself. Add one more to that mix - Superman's friend and fan - Bibbo. And you find the Guardian and Supergirl also running around. The plot is marvelous, a simple concept - the reader believes that these men are now stepping to the plate but then a traitor is revealed amongst their midst. And mayhem breaks loose.
There are a few one shots such as the Legacy of Superman which need to be bought separately. A must read for any comic book fan and for anyone with a thirst for plain ol adrenaline rush!
March 12, 2021
I enjoyed this a lot more than the death of Superman collection, which was kind of like an 18 round, Rocky-style boxing match where you already know the outcome. Not much drama there.
This one had lots going on. The development of the four rival supermen was fun and I enjoyed where each of their stories went. The cameos by Green Lantern and the Justice League were a particular highlight.
But what was the deal with Supergirl? Could she seriously not see that Lex Luthor junior is evil? She's either a moron or playing some longer game - but I'm really not interested enough in 90s era D.C. Comics to go back and find out.
Speaking of 90s era, when Superman comes back from the dead with a stylish mullet and plenty of bandoliers you just have to laugh.
Amusing but not really transcendent material.
This one had lots going on. The development of the four rival supermen was fun and I enjoyed where each of their stories went. The cameos by Green Lantern and the Justice League were a particular highlight.
But what was the deal with Supergirl? Could she seriously not see that Lex Luthor junior is evil? She's either a moron or playing some longer game - but I'm really not interested enough in 90s era D.C. Comics to go back and find out.
Speaking of 90s era, when Superman comes back from the dead with a stylish mullet and plenty of bandoliers you just have to laugh.
Amusing but not really transcendent material.
June 16, 2016
Public library copy.
I never read the entire story when these Superman comics were published in the 90s. Sadly they're unremarkable and worse yet don't hold up well over time. Unfortunately the book is another example of many artists drawing in an early Image Comics house style There's a lot of goofy stuff in here despite the good talent working on this book as there was a rotation of Superman office writers and artists. I'm sorry to state I don't have anything positive to add, it is what it is...wouldn't the return of Superman been grand from the get-go had he worn the proper costume and never had the long hair or all the impostors?
I never read the entire story when these Superman comics were published in the 90s. Sadly they're unremarkable and worse yet don't hold up well over time. Unfortunately the book is another example of many artists drawing in an early Image Comics house style There's a lot of goofy stuff in here despite the good talent working on this book as there was a rotation of Superman office writers and artists. I'm sorry to state I don't have anything positive to add, it is what it is...wouldn't the return of Superman been grand from the get-go had he worn the proper costume and never had the long hair or all the impostors?
August 20, 2016
I enjoyed this far more than the Death of Superman trade, and much more than I expected. It's very 90s, and Superboy can be a total tool at times, but there are heaps of really well established characters and I definitely cared about them. Ultimately, I knew what would happen (it's kind of in the title, yo) but it was still interesting to work out which of the Supermen to trust. The writing is a bit inconsistent in quality, with it being such a long arc shared between so many creators. But overall, this was a fun read.
April 27, 2015
If I'm being honest, it's not as good as the Death of Superman. The Death had so much momentum and excitement and this just felt a little weird & awkward. I like the idea of a Cyborg Superman but this took a long time to get interesting... it finally gets good when Superman returns and you get to see his reunion with Lois.. but then you blink and it's over. A must read for Superman fans but not one of the best. 3.5 stars.
July 7, 2019
No es mala pero está muuuuy estirada.
May 3, 2022
So here we are, at the end of the grand journey that began with The Death of Superman. Honestly, half the fun of these volumes has just been immersing myself in the bonkers state of 90s Superman comics. This entire event is a time capsule of that era, and I'm here for it. Superman's new haircut. Lex Luthor II, who sadly is largely absent from this installment. Shape-shifting alien Supergirl, who apparently could turn invisible this whole time but never uses this ability while crimefighting. It's insane, it's at-times head-scratching, and I love every second.
As I said in my Reign review, this volume is really just Reign of the Supermen Part 2. Yeah, Supes is back in the first issue, but it's not a volume you want to dive into without reading the previous one first. We see the big twist play out, the Supermen's origins are explained, and Clark fights to take his mantle back against the forces of darkness. The volume continues to develop the Supermen well, though how much of it sticks for Superboy seems to vary with who's writing him. Once again, the artist standouts are Jurgens, Breeding, and Grummett, though none of the art is bad. And I'll admit, the final chapters and epilogue of this event are pretty strong, especially Jurgens' finale.
Going into my negatives, the Bloodlines issues are still pointless. I respect Kessel for trying to tie his into what's going on, but you can bet I'm skipping these issues when I read this again. Lois's ex also feels really tacked-on and doesn't contribute anything. Green Lantern's involvement in this event, while I think we've all just accepted it as part of his history at this point, felt kinda unnecessary. The business with Coast City happens in a Superman book of all places, and Hal has no buildup before he appears on the battlefield. With how drastically this event affects his status quo, he either should've been a much bigger part of things, or not involved at all. I don't blame the creative teams - this all feels like DC editorial pushing for Parallax to be created - but I don't think GL's part in Return of Superman was all that great in hindsight (though later writers definitely turned it around for the better). Supergirl feels like a plot device, possessing whatever powers the plot needs for a scene to work. Finally, I'm not sure how I feel about how Superman defeats the villain. I don't know what Supes' killing policy was at the time, but even though the villain was certainly dangerous, I don't think what Clark does to him feels quite in-character.
The Return of Superman, like the rest of this saga, has heart, stakes, and intrigue. I'm really happy I got to finally sit down and read this iconic story, though it wasn't nearly the experience I expected. It's by no means a perfect story, and I don't care for the gimmick trend it spawned where creative teams kill off major characters just to resurrect them a short time later, but I think it still holds a charm that comic fans should experience at least once. I can't recommend this to people who are looking to get into comics or don't enjoy the more over-the-top elements of comics, but if you're into Superhero comics and are curious, go ahead and check it out.
As I said in my Reign review, this volume is really just Reign of the Supermen Part 2. Yeah, Supes is back in the first issue, but it's not a volume you want to dive into without reading the previous one first. We see the big twist play out, the Supermen's origins are explained, and Clark fights to take his mantle back against the forces of darkness. The volume continues to develop the Supermen well, though how much of it sticks for Superboy seems to vary with who's writing him. Once again, the artist standouts are Jurgens, Breeding, and Grummett, though none of the art is bad. And I'll admit, the final chapters and epilogue of this event are pretty strong, especially Jurgens' finale.
Going into my negatives, the Bloodlines issues are still pointless. I respect Kessel for trying to tie his into what's going on, but you can bet I'm skipping these issues when I read this again. Lois's ex also feels really tacked-on and doesn't contribute anything. Green Lantern's involvement in this event, while I think we've all just accepted it as part of his history at this point, felt kinda unnecessary. The business with Coast City happens in a Superman book of all places, and Hal has no buildup before he appears on the battlefield. With how drastically this event affects his status quo, he either should've been a much bigger part of things, or not involved at all. I don't blame the creative teams - this all feels like DC editorial pushing for Parallax to be created - but I don't think GL's part in Return of Superman was all that great in hindsight (though later writers definitely turned it around for the better). Supergirl feels like a plot device, possessing whatever powers the plot needs for a scene to work. Finally, I'm not sure how I feel about how Superman defeats the villain. I don't know what Supes' killing policy was at the time, but even though the villain was certainly dangerous, I don't think what Clark does to him feels quite in-character.
The Return of Superman, like the rest of this saga, has heart, stakes, and intrigue. I'm really happy I got to finally sit down and read this iconic story, though it wasn't nearly the experience I expected. It's by no means a perfect story, and I don't care for the gimmick trend it spawned where creative teams kill off major characters just to resurrect them a short time later, but I think it still holds a charm that comic fans should experience at least once. I can't recommend this to people who are looking to get into comics or don't enjoy the more over-the-top elements of comics, but if you're into Superhero comics and are curious, go ahead and check it out.
February 17, 2023
I think I'd filed this away as "90s cringe and skippable" on the reputation alone. It's somehow exactly what I expected and so much more, as the crystallization of the best and worst of 90s storytelling impulses. It's the excesses of the era, the bombast, the continuity maze, that is so gripping now, I couldn't put it down. Every book is unique, every artist is amazing, every story is worth reading and contributes to the whole.
It's not a perfect collection, and weirdly, it's the editing that ruins it all. "Editing" is probably misnomer, whoever put this book together didn't actually read it because they dumped the kitchen sink of every superman book published (+ a semi-related Green Lantern straggler) which undercuts just how _good_ the core Superman Returns story is. It's all skippable but you have to know going in that this includes:
1. Completely unrelated Annuals that kill the momentum and have no bearing on the story.
2. An issue of Green Lantern that essentially spoils the climax of Clark's triumph.
3. More false-endings than Return of the King, because they included _every_ book's denouement which drastically undercuts the efficacy of the real, shared finale.
Skip those entries (roughly 100 pages of content in this omnibus) and what you've got remaining is a brilliant achievement of collaborative storytelling.
Highly recommended so long as you bring your own scissors.
It's not a perfect collection, and weirdly, it's the editing that ruins it all. "Editing" is probably misnomer, whoever put this book together didn't actually read it because they dumped the kitchen sink of every superman book published (+ a semi-related Green Lantern straggler) which undercuts just how _good_ the core Superman Returns story is. It's all skippable but you have to know going in that this includes:
1. Completely unrelated Annuals that kill the momentum and have no bearing on the story.
2. An issue of Green Lantern that essentially spoils the climax of Clark's triumph.
3. More false-endings than Return of the King, because they included _every_ book's denouement which drastically undercuts the efficacy of the real, shared finale.
Skip those entries (roughly 100 pages of content in this omnibus) and what you've got remaining is a brilliant achievement of collaborative storytelling.
Highly recommended so long as you bring your own scissors.
October 18, 2023
Superman: The Return of Superman
The cyborg Superman is unmasked as a villain when he destroys Coast City and frames the Last Son of Krypton. The Superman clone and the Man of Steel race to the machine city that has taken its place to confront the cyborg and Mongul, who plan to destroy Earth as an act of revenge against the first Superman. When Superman returns, he must fight to be recognised once more.
A very engaging conclusion to 'The Death of Superman', which reinvigorates the character of Superman and reinforced why he is necessary in any age.
The cyborg Superman is unmasked as a villain when he destroys Coast City and frames the Last Son of Krypton. The Superman clone and the Man of Steel race to the machine city that has taken its place to confront the cyborg and Mongul, who plan to destroy Earth as an act of revenge against the first Superman. When Superman returns, he must fight to be recognised once more.
A very engaging conclusion to 'The Death of Superman', which reinvigorates the character of Superman and reinforced why he is necessary in any age.
December 11, 2024
Cyborg Superman allies himself with Mongul and annihilates Coast City. Superman (who is back to life, now with long hair and a machine gun!!!) and his allies fight them.
By this point the scope of the Superman titles is almost entirely "epic alien battles" with very little to be said about his non-heroic supporting cast. That fact, combined with the length and wordiness of the volume, makes this book a little exhausting to read. It was still fun and enjoyable.
By this point the scope of the Superman titles is almost entirely "epic alien battles" with very little to be said about his non-heroic supporting cast. That fact, combined with the length and wordiness of the volume, makes this book a little exhausting to read. It was still fun and enjoyable.
January 15, 2024
This book was better than the two previous ones in the set, but still bogged down by some superfluous stories. Nonetheless, this had a much more cohesive plot and a twist I wasn't expecting, so it was enjoyable!
July 24, 2022
Best one of the series. Loved every moment and wasn't too many dull moments like the others.
July 10, 2025
I love you Superboy I wish this comic was better.
March 19, 2018
I was waiting to read this since "The Death of Superman" and I must say it was worth the wait (and having to read "Funeral for a Friend" and "Reign of the Supermen" for better context). "The Return of Superman" is everything I hoped it would be, with very few exceptions; I could very well live without the Parasites' arch as well as Dr. Occult's comic (which basically serves as an overview of what happened to Superman since his fight with Doomsday). Other than that, along with the long-awaited return of Kal-El, we finally know Cyborg Superman's origin as well as his true reasons and are offered a more complete explanation of The Eradicator's origin. Truth be told, you'd do well by just reading "The Death of Superman" and then skipping all the way to "The Return of Superman" without missing much (if anything at all). But if you're a completionist like me, you'll read them all as well as the final part of the saga "Doomsday", which I plan to read next month.
January 14, 2026
Mission 2026: Binge reviewing all previous Reads, I was too slothful to review back when I read them
The Return of Superman is messy, ambitious, and emotionally overloaded—and I mean that as praise.
Jurgens doesn’t just bring Superman back; he interrogates what “Superman” even means.
The multiple claimants to the mantle feel less like gimmicks and more like ideological fragments competing for legitimacy.
Each version embodies a different anxiety: technology, violence, authority, and nostalgia.
The question isn’t which one is real—it’s why the world needs him to be something specific. That multiplicity fascinated me.
When the real Superman finally re-emerges, it feels less like a victory than a reconciliation.
He is not the same symbol anymore, and neither is the world. That mutual adjustment gives the story its weight.
This book taught me that resurrection is never restoration. It is negotiation.
Most recommended.
The Return of Superman is messy, ambitious, and emotionally overloaded—and I mean that as praise.
Jurgens doesn’t just bring Superman back; he interrogates what “Superman” even means.
The multiple claimants to the mantle feel less like gimmicks and more like ideological fragments competing for legitimacy.
Each version embodies a different anxiety: technology, violence, authority, and nostalgia.
The question isn’t which one is real—it’s why the world needs him to be something specific. That multiplicity fascinated me.
When the real Superman finally re-emerges, it feels less like a victory than a reconciliation.
He is not the same symbol anymore, and neither is the world. That mutual adjustment gives the story its weight.
This book taught me that resurrection is never restoration. It is negotiation.
Most recommended.
July 17, 2019
Not a complete waste of time, especially for a storyline that is largely an afterthought after the death of Superman. You could tell DC had an idea of what they wanted to do after they killed the Man of Steel, but they may have been just a bit lost as far as the execution of it (there was a lot of clunky parts to be sure) regardless, it was mostly enjoyable!
February 26, 2018
This was better than I expected. The plot was more exciting than the previous books in the series and how they brought Superman was well done. The alien monster subplot was not my favorite but not bad either.
March 5, 2019
Tomo enorme que recopila la saga posterior a La muerte de Superman: todo el material publicado en los 5 libros de El Reino de los Supermanes de Vid en los 90s, el primer número recopilado en la posterior serie de 12 tomos Superman: El Hombre de Acero, y probablemente más material.
January 3, 2018
I read the collected edition. It was meh
February 25, 2018
Superman returns, yay! He's got diminished powers, a black suit, and a mullet, boo! This is better than the Four Muskrats, but just barely.
October 20, 2018
3.5 I really enjoyed the conclusion of this arc but felt like it dragged a little in the end. Still the return was great and a fitting conclusion.
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