Brilliantly Written and Drawn

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	• World Without a Superman Dan Jurgens, Karl Kesel, ... DC Comics, 1993 - 240 pages average customer review:based on 17 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

world without a superman

What happens when Superman dies? We saw his death in a previous collection (see my review). And then there were the eight books: "Funeral for a Friend", which dealt with the immediate aftermath of Superman's "death." And a final comic, in which Superman comes back from the dead. Overall it is a pretty good set of comics, almost as good as his death.

A good bridge

The "Death of Superman" and "Return of Superman" story arcs are classics almost by default simply because they are so integral to the Superman mythos, whatever your feelings on the quality of those particular works aside. "World Without a Superman" (called "Funeral for a Friend" when it was originally published) bridges the gap between those two arcs, picking up right where the former left off (the first few panels are Lois still holding the dead Superman and Guardian trying to revive him) and leads us right up to the next arc, teasing us with the possibility of Superman's return.

Plotwise, WWAS covers the weeks following the Man of Steel's death, including a memorable funeral that features a procession of nearly all the DC heroes and a speech by then-President Bill Clinton. Metropolis's crime problem did not die with Superman, and everyone from kids to other heroes attempting to fill the void. A number of subplots are included, like an attempt to clone Superman from his dead body and medical drama in the Kent family.

The artwork in WWAS is very similar to the other two parts of the trilogy, and for the most part has no real weak points (some panels in the "Death of Superman" arc seemed to be hastily drawn, but that's my own opinion). The story is also very moving in how human it is - all of us have lost a loved one and tried to fill the void, and this story simply extrapolates that to a global figure we all related to.

My only complaint is that the story drags at times, especially when read immediately in order as part of the trilogy. After the frantic pace of "Death of Superman" and the mind-boggling plot of "Return of Superman," the slow, human story of WWAS is not so much a break to catch your breath as it is a "race to the red light, slam on your breaks, watch the people on the street while you wait thirty seconds for the light to change, then floor it when the light turns green" - you appreciate what's going on, but you really want to get a move on to the next part. This is easily solved by spacing out your readings, however, and is one of the only weak points of an otherwise excellent graphic novel.

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Brilliantly Written and Drawn

I've always been a fan of Superman on film and television, and after recently watching the new Superman:Doomsday animated movie and it's bonus features I was compelled to go back and read the original comics.

I picked up The Death of Superman, World Without a Superman, The Return of Superman, and Superman:Doomsday.

Death is amazing, the way it was mapped out was absolutely brilliant from the writing and artist teams.

But, World Without a Superman to me is so much more powerful. It picks up right where Death of Superman ends. Lois is in the street, holding Clark as he dies.

It took me a few days to read, but every time I sat down to read, I couldn't help but start crying.

It was so heartbreaking. Not just for Lois and the Kents, although that was just so sad, silently grieving for their love and son. But for the other heroes, and the people of the world that Superman left behind. There are stories of people reminiscing about the time Superman saved their lives, and a kid feeling survivor's remorse, just wanting to have a chance to tell Superman, Thank you.

It was beautiful, and touching, and just so powerful. Tears streaming down my face, sobs even at times. Even now writing this I'm getting a little misty eyed.

I was pretty young when these stories originally came out, but I wish now that I had been reading them each week as they were coming out.

I highly recommend the entire series for any Superman fan. This is what Superman is all about, and I hope that someday a live action movie can do it justice.

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extremely satisfied

my item arrived in brand new condition and i was very happy with my purchase

Graphic SF Reader

This is the middle section of the Death and Life of Superman, or whatever you want to call that particular story.

Metropolis and the rest of the world are having problems coming to terms with the fact that he is gone.

Others see his body as a resource they can use in their schemes.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4

This collection of the enormously successful "Funeral for a Friend" storyline recounts the aftermath of the death of the Man of Steel and his startling reemergence from beyond the grave. This volume guest-stars the Justice League, Supergirl, and others, and serves as the middle section of the saga that begins in THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN and concludes in THE RETURN OF SUPERMAN. Graphic novel format.

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