SUPPORTERS ONLY: 45 Things I Learned by Reading the "Death of Superman" Novel (Part 1)

45 Things I Learned by Reading the "Death of Superman" Novel (Part 1)

"Death of Superman" is a classic comic about Superman punching a monster for like 100 pages until they both drop dead, so I'll admit that the idea of a novel based on it doesn't sound very interesting at first glance. Most people probably saw this cover and figured it was just "and then he punched him, and then he punched him back, and then he punched him back HARDER" over and over. But Roger Stern's Death and Life of Superman novel isn't limited to the "death" part -- it says so right there in title, duh. Not only do we get all the epic and emotional stuff that came after the actual "Doomsday" storyline, but Stern also peppers the book with scenes from the most important moments in Superman's life, like his first meetings with Lois Lane, the Justice League, and Bibbo.

However, what I found most fascinating about this book aren't the things Stern recounts, but the things he adds to the '86-'99 Superman continuity. Here's my recap of all the new information in the first third of the book, which covers everything from Doomsday waking up to him and Superman croaking together: