Major Death in the DC Universe

[dask]

With little or no fanfare (it caught me completely of guard) there has been a major death in the DC Universe. He may have been in the background but he was there from the beginning: Jonathan Kent, Superman's Earth father, was killed in Action Comics 870. In a medium where death is usually a stumbling block for a comeback this is apparently for real. On the flip side, the bottled city of Kandor has finally been restored to full size in the Artic next to Superman's fortress of solitude. But rather than being an event worth rejoicing over there's something not quite right. Below the surface there's a sense of menace I've never experienced before in a comic and I've been exposed to them for a very long time. I'm eager and a little frightened to see what transpires in the next severlal weeks.

[TheEndIsNigh]

Now it's been a while but I thought old Earth daddy pegged out a long time ago. I thought it was following his death that Clarky felt able to leave his mother to fend forherself while he went of to enjoy himself in the big city with his fancy woman.

By way of an odd coincidence, I was in Boarders today looking at the magazine section and there was the latest edition of Superman, a copy of which I haven't seen in a paper shop for about 40 years.

[Ursa major]

He was dead - but obviously not permanently - when I was reading the comics at the end of the 1960s.

[dask]

Originally Posted by Ursa major

He was dead - but obviously not permanently - when I was reading the comics at the end of the 1960s.

I think the Superman universe was rebooted in the mid-eighties with John Byrne's Man of Steel mini-series. If I understand such things correctly the Superman of today is not precisely the one we grew up with. I didn't start collecting Supes until the early nineties anyway. Jonathan Kent's death back then was unknown to me. In the sixties, except for DC war comics, I was mostly a Marvel zombie.

[TheEndIsNigh]

Thanks for that Ursa. I was begining to think I'd entered an alternative reality there for a mo.

I too was more a Marvel comic person.

[Stephen Aryan]

As much as I respect Jeff Johns as a talented writer, and I know he is creating great stories on Superman, Green Lantern and Justice Society of America, if they find a reason in two years, or three or five, to have a Pa Kent story, they will get him back somehow.

Death in comics is pretty much utterly pointless, it has become a revolving door. So while I was initially upset (for about 5 minutes) about the recent death of one my favourite characters the Martian Manhunter, I quickly got over it because I knew he would be back. Even one of the longest running 'dead' characters, Barry Allen, the Flash is returning to regular comics. The only people who haven't come back properly (although one did come back as a clone and another from a different dimension!!) is Uncle Ben and Gwen Stacy from Spider-man.

I love comics, but I'm readling less mainstream (Marvel and DC) comics now than ever before in my life, and those I do get, I pick from the fringe that aren't sucked up into the main event books.

[TheEndIsNigh]

Well I'm stunned that the original green hulk ahs been killed off. What's the world coming to. Mind did he ever get his man?

The Flash too, it gets worse.

Did they replace them on the old JLA and if so who with.

Hopefully WW is still practising her bondage though or has that been rule un PC

[Stephen Aryan]

Originally Posted by TheEndIsNigh

Well I'm stunned that the original green hulk ahs been killed off. What's the world coming to. Mind did he ever get his man?

The Flash too, it gets worse.

Did they replace them on the old JLA and if so who with.

Hopefully WW is still practising her bondage though or has that been rule un PC

As far as I know (although I'm not reading Red Hulk) the Green Hulk is still alive, and in fact he will no doubt be unleashed to stop the Red Hulk. It's a whole Hulk colour extravaganza!!!

Wonder Woman is indeed still there, and is in the very capable and excellent hands of Gail Simone, who is taking the character into interesting new places.

JLA - Flash was replaced, by his nephew Wally West.

[Perpetual Man]

Have been following the Hulk story, and there is indeed a green hulk still, who as of the last issue I read, is now the central character once more. For some strange reason he has dropped in intelligence again (compared to how he was in World War Hulk), and the big question now is just who is the red hulk...

[TheEndIsNigh]

Personally I always like Thor and his mates/enemies.

[pyan]

Originally Posted by TheEndIsNigh

I too was more a Marvel comic person.

And me, TEiN...better stories and more fallible and "human" characters than DC...

The thing I remember most vividly, though, was the glimpses into the strange world of America , through the small adverts scattered around them...What exactly was a Tootsie Roll? A BB gun? Sea-Monkeys - did they really wear little suits and dresses?....

[Stephen Aryan]

Originally Posted by Perpetual Man

Have been following the Hulk story, and there is indeed a green hulk still, who as of the last issue I read, is now the central character once more. For some strange reason he has dropped in intelligence again (compared to how he was in World War Hulk), and the big question now is just who is the red hulk...

For me, it was a massive mistake to bring the Hulk back to Earth. I absolutely love Planet Hulk, it's one of my favourite Hulk stories in a long time and I could easily have enjoyed another two or three years with him on this other world, ruling it and imagine if he had been invaded from another world! What if the Shi'iar empire and the Gladiator and co had tried to take over. It would have been amazing. But sadly, time was up, the Event Machine needed feeding and he was brought back for World War Hulk. It was a big Yawn fest for me.

[Stephen Aryan]

Originally Posted by TheEndIsNigh

Personally I always like Thor and his mates/enemies.

Then I would recommend you check out the new Thor series by Babylon 5 creator, JMS himself. It's not really connected to the rest of what is going on in popular comics, it's beautifully drawn and the writing is fantastic. The first trade is out, and the second is on the way.

[I, Brian]

Originally Posted by dask

I think the Superman universe was rebooted in the mid-eighties with John Byrne's Man of Steel mini-series. If I understand such things correctly the Superman of today is not precisely the one we grew up with. I didn't start collecting Supes until the early nineties anyway. Jonathan Kent's death back then was unknown to me. In the sixties, except for DC war comics, I was mostly a Marvel zombie.

Yep - Man of Steel was pretty fun, though Crises on Infinite Earths involved too many characters to really play them out, and if I recall essentially ended up as a beat-em-up anyway.

Grant Morrison's Zenith in 2000AD was better.

[dask]

Originally Posted by Stephen Aryan

The only people who haven't come back properly (although one did come back as a clone and another from a different dimension!!) is Uncle Ben and Gwen Stacy from Spider-man.

Let's not forget Junior Juniper from Sgt. Fury. He's never come back in any form that I'm aware of.