Set Description:
One winter day in early 1994 my family and I took a trip to the grocery store, I was 11 years old and had yet to get into comic book reading and collecting. In the magazine section a graphic novel caught my eye, THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN (1993). I had heard about this event, I saw a Saturday Night Live sketch about Superman's funeral, Chris Farley was the Hulk, Aquaman brought shrimp and comedian Sinbad was Black Lightning. The graphic novel reprinted “Doomsday!” the seven issue storyline from late 1992, Act 1 of the Death and Return of Superman Saga. This was all yesterday's news in 1994, but thumbing through the graphic novel had me interested and eager to catch up.
The first season of Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman staring Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher was airing on Sunday nights. “Reign of the Supermen!” - Act 3 of the saga - had also concluded several months earlier in the comics. When I went to a comic shop for the first time in the spring of 1994, there were still posters on the wall proclaiming “Superman Lives!” This was my time (and calling) to become a reader of Superman comics!
Act 2, “Funeral for a Friend” examines how those closest to Superman, the citizens of Metropolis and the rest of the world were affected by his loss. These particular comic books take me back to a special time in life, my transition from late childhood to early adolescence. When I think about the time I spent finding all the individual issues as a kid, and the CGC examples I’ve found as an adult, I find myself wondering from time to time if I will ever be able to put this storyline and collection to rest.
I love the cover art for the four Superman titles cover dated November, 1992, with the Doomsday teasers on the last page: Superman: The Man of Steel #17, Superman #73, Adventures of Superman #496 and Action Comics #683. These four issues eluded me as a kid, I’ve since found all of them as an adult and I still look for them to this day. The solid background covers for many of the “Doomsday!” issues were appealing to me as kid and made me a Superman fan for life. The “Funeral for a Friend” covers also got to me. After over 20 years of seeing all of these issues in grungy poly bags at every comic store, used book store and con I've ever been to in my life, seeing CGC certified high grade examples of these issues is the equivalent of seeing that girl next door you never noticed before who one day steps out in heels, a little black dress and a bit of makeup. It gets me every time!
When I purchased my first graded example for this set sometime in the late 2000s, my intention was to keep it basic and only go after the first prints. But there has always been that side of me who is a completest, who cannot help but want the Collector’s Editions and multiple printing variants for these issues. I found many of the issues from various collectors’ packs at Toys "R" Us, along with many 2nd, 3rd and other various printings for these issues. When I learned about the difference in printings as a kid, with the print variant notated with a roman numeral (II for second print, III for third, etc.) next to the issue number and price, and the title logo changing colors for each issues printing, I came to the mindset that these second and third prints were not worth the paper they were printed on. I now realize that these issues are more challenging to find in high grade than the first printings now I really enjoy finding the various odds and ends of this comic book saga.
I’ve been fortunate enough to find some of these ‘girls next door’ in the wild, which I've submitted for grading to return to me in 9.8 holders. These books already carry a lot of nostalgia and the pieces I've submitted to CGC have a sense of accomplishment. I may not have pulled those pieces off the racks when first released, but I take joy in finding these books randomly, decades later, and eyeing the pieces that make the grade.
I have my childhood memories, my worn graphic novels, most of the individual issues and the handsome Death and Return of Superman Omnibus (2013). This was my introduction to the world of Superman and to comic book reading and collecting. Who knows, if this event never happened, I might not have gotten into comic books at all.
From the 2017 Registry Awards
"Don’t worry, Brandon Shepherd, we won’t turn you away like the Black Lighting was in the SNL skit. We think that your Superman (Doomsday Death Funeral Return) Set is turning into something special! Keep up the good work and thanks for the walk down memory lane."
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