| Superman vol. 2 | |
|---|---|
Superman vol. 2, #75 (Jan. 1993). Cover art by Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding. |
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Ongoing while in publication |
| Publication date | January 1987 – April 2006 |
| Number of issues | 228 + 12 Annuals |
| Main character(s) | Superman |
| Creative team | |
| Writer(s) | John Byrne Roger Stern Dan Jurgens |
| Penciller(s) | John Byrne Kerry Gammill Dan Jurgens Ed McGuinness Jim Lee Ed Benes |
| Inker(s) | Karl Kesel Art Thibert Scott Williams |
Superman was an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics superhero of the same name. The second volume of the previous ongoing Superman title, the series was published from cover dates January 1987 to April 2006, and ran for 228 issues (226 monthly issues along with two specials published outside the concurrent numbering). This series was launched after John Byrne revamped the Superman character in 1986 in The Man of Steel limited series, introducing the post-Crisis on Infinite Earths version of the Superman character.
After that limited series, Action Comics returned to publication and Superman vol. 2, #1 was published.[1] The original Superman series (volume 1) became The Adventures of Superman starting with issue #424.[2] Superman vol. 2 continued publishing until March 2006 at which point DC restored The Adventures of Superman to its original title and cancelled the second Superman series in order that the Superman titles would match the title style of the Batman monthlies.
Contents |
Because the DC Universe was revamped after the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, the previous continuity before that series (colloquially referred to as "pre-Crisis") was voided. Because of this, old established characters were given the opportunity to be reintroduced in new ways. Re-introductions of classic villains were part of the new Superman series' first year, featuring the first post-Crisis appearances of villains such as Metallo[3] and Mxyzptlk.[4] The historic engagement of Lois Lane and Clark Kent[5] was one of the major events in the book's run. The hallmark of the run, however, was the storyline The Death of Superman. The actual death issue was published in this series' 75th issue,[6] and would be a major media and pop culture event with the issue going on to sell over 3 million copies.[7]
As the main series featuring the flagship character of the DC Universe, the series crossed over with a number of different line-wide crossover stories including Zero Hour: Crisis in Time,[8] The Final Night,[9] and Infinite Crisis.[10]
In 1999, Superman, along with the other three titles, were revamped with Jeph Loeb replacing longtime writer Dan Jurgens. During Loeb's run on the series he introduced audiences to Imperiex,[11] introduced a Bizarro created by The Joker[12] and also helped with a controversial storyline in which Superman's arch nemesis, supervillain Lex Luthor, became the President of the United States.[13] Loeb's run on the series also included the massive crossover event Our Worlds at War, which saw the destruction of Topeka, Kansas,[14] serious damage to Clark Kent's nearby hometown of Smallville, and Superman adopting a costume of more somber colors to mourn the heavy loss of life during the event.[15] Loeb's run ended with issue #183 dated August 2002.
More attention was brought to the series when it was announced that superstar artist Jim Lee, who had recently concluded the highly popular Batman story arc Batman: Hush with Jeph Loeb, would be providing the artwork for a story by writer Brian Azzarello.[16] The story, Superman: For Tomorrow, ran for twelve issues[17][18] and received high acclaim, reflected in the publication of an Absolute Edition hardcover in May 2009.[19]
With the publication of issue #226 (May 2006), the series was canceled as part of the company-wide Infinite Crisis event. The Adventures of Superman was returned to its original title, Superman, with issue #650 the following month.[20]
From 1987 to 2000, twelve annual issues of the series were published by DC Comics. Beginning with the second annual, their stories tied into the crossovers or themes that were running through DC's annuals that year. These were:
| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Death of Clark Kent | Superman vol. 2, #99-102 Superman: The Man of Steel #43-46 Action Comics #709-711 Superman: The Man of Tomorrow #1 |
May 1997 | TPB 978-1563893230 |
| Our Worlds at War[N 1] | Superman vol. 2, #171-173 Action Comics #780-782 The Adventures of Superman #593-595 Impulse #77 JLA: Our Worlds at War #1 Superboy #91 Supergirl #59 Superman: The Man of Steel #115-117 Wonder Woman #172-173 World's Finest Comics: Our Worlds at War #1 Young Justice #36 |
June 2006 | TPB 978-1401211295 |
| Godfall | Superman vol. 2, #202-203 Action Comics #812-813 The Adventures of Superman #625-626 |
September 2004 | TPB 978-1840239195 HC 978-1401203764 |
| For Tomorrow Volume 1 | Superman vol. 2, #204-209 | August 2005 | TPB 978-1401203528 HC 978-1401203511 |
| For Tomorrow Volume 2 | Superman vol. 2, #210-215 | August 2005 | TPB 978-1401204488 HC 978-1401207151 |
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