It could have been a disaster, a miscalculation that could forever damage DC Comics.
But the company took the chance and killed the shining star of the DC universe - Superman.The gamble paid off, not just in precedent-setting sales, but in an unprecedented rebirth in interest in the man from Krypton. A DC spokesman says more than 6 million copies of Superman No. 75, in which he dies saving Metropolis, were sold worldwide. Five million of the issues leading up to his death were sold. Previously, the four monthly comics that star Superman sold about 350,000 copies each.
Had a one-time circulation boost for Superman been the end of it, DC's strategy could have backfired. People who bought that issue might have felt cheated when Superman is somehow revived.
But the stories in the nine-issue epilogue published from November through January, and subsequent stories that demonstrate how the world copes without its greatest defender, revealed DC's true strategy: getting people interested enough to keep coming back for more.
Even people who normally don't buy comics were surprised at the quality of writing in "Funeral for a Friend." And if they buy the new follow-up issues that debut in May, DC's big gamble will have paid off.
"We wanted to get people to look at the books," says Mike Carlin, editor of the Superman comics. "Everyone said they loved Superman, but people weren't putting their money where their mouth was. We wanted to do something to get people reading the book again."
It's too soon to determine just how many people will continue to buy Superman comics, but the funeral issues are among the best Superman books written in years. There were many subtle points, like how Superman's true friends were pushed out of the funeral procession to make room for world leaders who had never met the Man of Steel.
A group of religious cultists, who worship Superman as a god, wait near his tomb for his resurrection. Several women have come forward claiming to be his secret wife. The lesser heroes of Metropolis try to keep a lid on crime as criminals get bolder. In their lead is criminal mastermind turned successful businessman Lex Luthor and his girlfriend, Supergirl - who is actually a shape-shifting alien who took on the Supergirl identity to honor Superman.
This week marks the beginning of a two-month hiatus for the four Superman titles. In mid-April, the comics return with Adventures of Superman No. 500, where four beings claim to be Superman: an alien cyborg; a young boy who claims to be Superman's clone; a cold being who relentlessly takes the law into his own hands; and a black steelworker who builds a high-tech suit of armor and fights crime.
Whether any will be revealed to be the true Superman is unknown, for now. In May, regular publication of all four Superman comics resumes. DC will not comment on the future of Superman after May.
DC is touting this as a perfect time for new readers to join the fold.
Many of today's comics demand that the reader be familiar with the book. Like a fast-moving river, they are exciting if you get in at the start. If you wait too long, the storyline has gotten so swift it may be out of reach. That's why comics have started "arcs," announcing the beginning of new storylines that can run from 2 to 10 or more issues.
With the death of Superman, DC has stopped a fast-moving river and invited old readers to test the waters again. If they like what they read, DC hopes that the new readers will stay on when Superman is brought back, an event DC officials have clammed up about after confirming the big guy in blue will return.