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Superman: One-Shots
Superman: Where Is Thy Sting?
Superman saves multitudes as part of his daily regimen of saving the world, when he's stricken with a feeling of dread.
Later, at the Planet, Clark is so nervous and anxious that he knocks coffee onto Lois. Lois, sensing that something is awry, takes Clark on a walk. Clark describes his fear, that of being the sole survivor of Krypton... perhaps he was SUPPOSED to die. Lois suggests a villain. Clark disagrees.
A robotic mass appears, and threatens them. One problem, however: It's a hallucination, and Lois doesn't see it. They decide Clark needs help.
Martian Manhunter probes Superman. Manhunter is thrown back, harmed by the severity of the visions of God that he's experienced. He tells Superman that he'll have to handle things on his own.
Back home, Lois and Clark further contemplate, when Clark sees a distant rocket. He goes and stops it from hitting Metropolis, only to find himself in the rocket, an infant, dead.
He goes into a funk, considering his mortality, and hallucinates more. He rips the Planet globe, thinking it Krypton, and Lois arrives to take him home. At home, they talk more, finally kissing, and Death bursts in, telling Clark that it is his time to die.
He shows Clark the future. Lois dies, but Superman is not aging. Luthor attacks all out, telling Superman that he spared him for all these years because he cared for Lois. Superman defeats Luthor, who transfers away and into another cybernetic consciousness.
Superman flashes back to Lois, who tells him that it must have been a good kiss.
Upset, they go to see the Kents. Superman ends up outside with Jonathan, talking, when Jonathan crumbles to dust in front of him and Death appears again. Superman asks him what he wants, and Death disappears.
Superman throws himself into being Superman, taking on alien armadas, delivering a baby. At a dinner with Lois, Death again appears.
Superman is thrown into the future, as Death tries to convince him to die. Death is having trouble killing Superman.
Superman sees an Earth where the sun has gone nova and everyone is dead. He goes further, where Superman is the sole survivor as the universe ends, and finally, with the end of existence, Superman ends as well, taking Death with him.
The vision ends with Superman brought back by Lois' love. Death thanks Superman for filling an emptiness in his soul, the emptiness that all is inevitably death, with the hope that Superman represents. Death decides to leave Superman be, and Superman goes back to Lois, happy.
Later, at the Planet, Clark is so nervous and anxious that he knocks coffee onto Lois. Lois, sensing that something is awry, takes Clark on a walk. Clark describes his fear, that of being the sole survivor of Krypton... perhaps he was SUPPOSED to die. Lois suggests a villain. Clark disagrees.
A robotic mass appears, and threatens them. One problem, however: It's a hallucination, and Lois doesn't see it. They decide Clark needs help.
Martian Manhunter probes Superman. Manhunter is thrown back, harmed by the severity of the visions of God that he's experienced. He tells Superman that he'll have to handle things on his own.
Back home, Lois and Clark further contemplate, when Clark sees a distant rocket. He goes and stops it from hitting Metropolis, only to find himself in the rocket, an infant, dead.
He goes into a funk, considering his mortality, and hallucinates more. He rips the Planet globe, thinking it Krypton, and Lois arrives to take him home. At home, they talk more, finally kissing, and Death bursts in, telling Clark that it is his time to die.
He shows Clark the future. Lois dies, but Superman is not aging. Luthor attacks all out, telling Superman that he spared him for all these years because he cared for Lois. Superman defeats Luthor, who transfers away and into another cybernetic consciousness.
Superman flashes back to Lois, who tells him that it must have been a good kiss.
Upset, they go to see the Kents. Superman ends up outside with Jonathan, talking, when Jonathan crumbles to dust in front of him and Death appears again. Superman asks him what he wants, and Death disappears.
Superman throws himself into being Superman, taking on alien armadas, delivering a baby. At a dinner with Lois, Death again appears.
Superman is thrown into the future, as Death tries to convince him to die. Death is having trouble killing Superman.
Superman sees an Earth where the sun has gone nova and everyone is dead. He goes further, where Superman is the sole survivor as the universe ends, and finally, with the end of existence, Superman ends as well, taking Death with him.
The vision ends with Superman brought back by Lois' love. Death thanks Superman for filling an emptiness in his soul, the emptiness that all is inevitably death, with the hope that Superman represents. Death decides to leave Superman be, and Superman goes back to Lois, happy.
64 pages, Paperback
First published May 16, 2001
1 person is currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
J.M. DeMatteis
1,908 books232 followersAlso Credited As:
DeMatteis, John Marc
Ellis, Michael
Lombego, Wally
Bio:
J.M. DeMatteis was a professional musician/singer and rock music journalist before entering comics in the late 70's.
Credits include Spider-Man, Moonshadow, Brooklyn Dreams, Justice League, Abadazad, Hero Squared, the Life and Times of Savior 28.
Created I, Vampire , Creature Commandos, Moonshadow, Hero Squared (co-creator), Abadazad, Stardust Kid, Savior 28 and more.
DeMatteis, John Marc
Ellis, Michael
Lombego, Wally
Bio:
J.M. DeMatteis was a professional musician/singer and rock music journalist before entering comics in the late 70's.
Credits include Spider-Man, Moonshadow, Brooklyn Dreams, Justice League, Abadazad, Hero Squared, the Life and Times of Savior 28.
Created I, Vampire , Creature Commandos, Moonshadow, Hero Squared (co-creator), Abadazad, Stardust Kid, Savior 28 and more.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 30, 2022
A poser grim reaper starts harassing Superman for some reason - the story never really even tries to explain where it comes from or why, with no kind of a catalyst or point to anything, and so the rest of the narrative is left teetering on a weak foundation. The visions shown mostly center around the inevitability of death and the meaning of life, brief and fleeting as it is (even for Superman, if you look at it from far enough perspective), and the inevitable conclusions, the usual entry-tier philosophy with nothing much new to offer at any point.
The art has its moments, though. And it's interesting to see Luthor with at least a modicum of standards.
The art has its moments, though. And it's interesting to see Luthor with at least a modicum of standards.
November 14, 2024
Where Is Thy Sting? is a comic that very conspicuously aims to be a masterpiece, and it's honestly difficult to put my finger on why it doesn't quite get there. a lot of what's here is very, very good - DeMatteis digs deep into Superman's psychology, great wells of repressed guilt and fear and despair about life and death and The Meaning of It All, and fills page after page with often beautifully eloquent, lyrical dialogue and narrative captions detailing Clark's journey through this nightmarish emotional wringer. and I can't immediately think of an artist better suited to this material than Liam Sharp - beginning in fairly conventional mode, he's soon twisting the book's visual style in altogether darker and stranger directions; as Superman's mind begins to fray at the edges and slip into a hallicinatory fever, Sharp's art follows suit, from solid and stable to rough and ragged to moments of pure dreamlike abstraction.
as I say, there's much to appreciate. and yet.
perhaps the issue, for me, is the tone. as you might expect, it gets rather grim. pretty unrelentingly so in fact, for dozens of pages on end, and as skillful and poetic as much of DeMatteis' writing is, at a certain point it begins to feel a little like too much of a good thing, weighing the story down with wall-to-wall emotional anguish and turmoil with nary a space to breath. when the inevitable upswing finally does come, when hope prevails and love conquers all, I find myself numbed to it by the sheer monotony of what's come before, even as I was consistently impressed by its craft. though I can hardly fault the story's ambition, unlike Death, some things remain beyond its grasp.
as I say, there's much to appreciate. and yet.
perhaps the issue, for me, is the tone. as you might expect, it gets rather grim. pretty unrelentingly so in fact, for dozens of pages on end, and as skillful and poetic as much of DeMatteis' writing is, at a certain point it begins to feel a little like too much of a good thing, weighing the story down with wall-to-wall emotional anguish and turmoil with nary a space to breath. when the inevitable upswing finally does come, when hope prevails and love conquers all, I find myself numbed to it by the sheer monotony of what's come before, even as I was consistently impressed by its craft. though I can hardly fault the story's ambition, unlike Death, some things remain beyond its grasp.
March 17, 2019
Superman overcomes survivor trauma and the personification of death: better in the hands of DeMatteis, who excels at this metaphysical interior stuff, and artist Liam Sharpe. Overwrought, yes; but more visual variety than the Mort Weisinger-era Superman of the 1950s and 60s. And, Lois Lane rocks: I love their married selves, though I wish she had more to do here.
Recommended.
Recommended.
June 2, 2018
Not a bad story, but hard to follow.
Superman: Where is Thy Sting has been a story I've been curious about for awhile. It's one of those comics that's known for one thing, and one thing only: "the time Superman punched out his own death", and so I was curious to see what the story was actually like.
To essential plot is that the Martian God of Death grew frustrated that Superman has not yet died no matter what is thrown at him -- even death, and decided that if can't kill Superman, than he would make Superman give up on life. It's a twisted, but interesting idea to say the least.
To put it simply, Superman: Where Is Thy Sting? is about Superman not only accepting his own mortality (or possibly a lack there of), but also the mortality of those dearest to him. His friends, family, wife, etc.
Where the comic succeeds in is Superman's characterization. It's all you could really want in Superman, he's good-natured, kind, humble, caring and more human than people give him credit for. Seeing the more vulnerable side of Superman come out as he's forced to endure visions of his loved ones dying was striking, and see him time-and-time again chose to fight the good fight no matter what was inspiring.
Where the comic lost me was the actual structure of the plot. At first, stuff just happened to forward the plot, while the middle and most of the end where just muddled with constant hallucinations that it was just hard to figure out what was going on. You never quite know if Superman is actually having a mental breakdown or if it's in a weird dream thing, or if Superman was actually flung into a future where everyone he ever loved died, or if it was just a trick by the God of Death. I can see where some people could appreciate storytelling like that, but I felt like it needed more room. 68 pages isn't really enough for a story like that IMHO.
I've heard some people say the story is better if you're a Christian or have a good knowledge of Christian faith as it delves into the "Christian world view". I'm not a very religious man so I can't say so but if that's true, then it may more compelling for Christians.
Nonetheless, I think it's worth a read for the striking artwork and ideas alone.
Superman: Where is Thy Sting has been a story I've been curious about for awhile. It's one of those comics that's known for one thing, and one thing only: "the time Superman punched out his own death", and so I was curious to see what the story was actually like.
To essential plot is that the Martian God of Death grew frustrated that Superman has not yet died no matter what is thrown at him -- even death, and decided that if can't kill Superman, than he would make Superman give up on life. It's a twisted, but interesting idea to say the least.
To put it simply, Superman: Where Is Thy Sting? is about Superman not only accepting his own mortality (or possibly a lack there of), but also the mortality of those dearest to him. His friends, family, wife, etc.
Where the comic succeeds in is Superman's characterization. It's all you could really want in Superman, he's good-natured, kind, humble, caring and more human than people give him credit for. Seeing the more vulnerable side of Superman come out as he's forced to endure visions of his loved ones dying was striking, and see him time-and-time again chose to fight the good fight no matter what was inspiring.
Where the comic lost me was the actual structure of the plot. At first, stuff just happened to forward the plot, while the middle and most of the end where just muddled with constant hallucinations that it was just hard to figure out what was going on. You never quite know if Superman is actually having a mental breakdown or if it's in a weird dream thing, or if Superman was actually flung into a future where everyone he ever loved died, or if it was just a trick by the God of Death. I can see where some people could appreciate storytelling like that, but I felt like it needed more room. 68 pages isn't really enough for a story like that IMHO.
I've heard some people say the story is better if you're a Christian or have a good knowledge of Christian faith as it delves into the "Christian world view". I'm not a very religious man so I can't say so but if that's true, then it may more compelling for Christians.
Nonetheless, I think it's worth a read for the striking artwork and ideas alone.
January 4, 2023
A good story about Superman dealing with his own immortality, with the help of a death god, who is so impressed with the dignity of Superman that he ends up being sacred by the man of steel despite himself.
The art is mostly good but:
1) Lois is much sexier than usual, and dresses like a hooker at times.
2) Superman sometimes has odd proportions, and other characters sometimes have oversized heads.
The art is mostly good but:
1) Lois is much sexier than usual, and dresses like a hooker at times.
2) Superman sometimes has odd proportions, and other characters sometimes have oversized heads.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2023
Not a bad premise for a tale, but laid on a trifle thick. But, it did introduce me to the art of Liam Sharp
August 14, 2025
i loved this and i LOVE clois. thank you
August 2, 2025
insane how this gets such low ratings when it's sooooo so gorgeous and poetic. easily one of my favorite superman stories of all time.
February 27, 2015
I expected more from this. It was too depressing for my ratetastes and the graphics top hard. I'm more used to classic superman with cleaner lines and not so many rough edges.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews