Superman Through the Ages! Forum

Since there was a sendoff tale for superman before the man of steel reboot and the crisis, shouldn't there be one for the John Byrne reboot version.  We know now that post IC even if superman is not rebooted, that its a new version of the character.  I'd like to see an elseworlds or imaginary tale made just for this. Who else would?  Maybe byrne could write it himself?

I don't think it deserves one.

Actually, the sendoff was during Infinite Crisis, when he realized that he was actually Superman of Earth 1 all along...somehow.

I think Superman 200 by writer Steven T. Seagle and artist Scott McDaniel is considered the sendoff tale of the Byrne´s Superman. Not officialy, but it ws received this way by fans and by the Superman Homepage negative review. For the people who love the Iron Age stuff, a Byrne or Jurgens "Last Story" would be an instant classic. But since it´s not the case in this site... anyway, I don´t thint it deserves it, either, but there´s an entire generation of readers who come to apreciate Superman because of Byrne´s work and dont´t like classic or reconstructive stuff, so it would be fair to them. Speaking for myself, I would buy just out of curiosity to see how that sotry would end. I mean, would they destroy the mythos even more or try to do a redeeming story?

I think Superman 200, like the Loeb/McGuiness temporary retcon from Superman 166 (http://superman.nu/tales3/fathers/), is really more about trying to alter the Byrne-era Superman into his own replacement.  A real send-off for the Iron-Age Superman, like Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow was for the Bronze/Silver age, would work within the Iron-Age continuity and do its best to treat that continuity with respect while simultaneously working within its framework.

You'd have the spartan Byrne Krypton, Cat Grant, Matrix, the chubby "Kingpin" Lex, the elderly Ma and Pa, etc.  You could even toss in some post-Byrne continuity with the Cleric, The Eradicator and Steel.  I agree, this could be a fun story if handled right.

I just wonder how would they justify a "Last Story" for that version of Superman. He have already killed, redeemed himself, exiled in space, died, ressurrected... was there anything else to do with him?

As long as the Pre-crisis version is still out there somewhere and isn't written out of history, as long as the Byrne or 90's version are not trolled out as the only true versions, I think it could work.

According to the current comics, this appears to be true.

That's a good thing, IMHO.

I just can't quite see the same kind of tribute as DC and other comics started following the blockbuster universe changing storyline model so often after the first one (COIE)...

Some things you send off, and other things you just let fade away.

It'd be fun to have Alan Moore pen a John Byrne artistic sendoff, though.

I don't think it's fair to get onto post-crisis fans for liking what they grew up with. For many of them, this is the only version they ever knew and DC pulled the rug out on them the same way they did to older fans 20 years ago. I think we should be able to empathize with them in that regard at least, even if we completely disagree with their version.

In truth, I think the one thing pre- and post- fans can agree on is that continuity and history are too important to keep pulling a "do over" every time the character becomes a little hard to write for. DC needs to have more respect for their characters then that. I understand Superman is hard to give credible challenges too but it weakens the believability factor every time they start him over. The rule of fiction is that you can get people to suspend disbelief about one thing and that's it; right now they're pushing it.

Yes, a nice post-crisis sendoff story could have Lois and Clark having a baby and leaving it up in the air whether or not the child will have powers. But what I would REALLY like to see is something done with the Birthright Superman. He's kind of in "continuity limbo" right now and I really think he got treated pretty shabby after his debut what with the post- fans dumping on him and nobody was quite sure what he was supposed to be and then they tried to force feed him into continuity it just seems like he was never given the fair shake he deserved, especially given how good the story was.       

Nothing personal, I just can't see a send off to a character in a universe that underwent a crisis, a zero hour, hypertime, a reboot within a reboot, and another crisis all in 20 years.

I grew up with post-Crisis stuff, but quite frankly my opinion of it all changed when I read Alan Moore's sendoff story, and Maggin's novels.

A Byrne sendoff would not be successful at all. So few people read Byrne's Superman stories. The majority of post-Crisis Superman readers came in during the Death/Reign storylines, whereas Byrne only worked on the character for two years during the eighties, and when he left people immediately started to change his Luthor, etc. Alan Moore had 48 years of lore and fan experience to draw on. A Byrne sendoff writer would have, at best, 8.

Personally, I view the last issue of "Funeral for a Friend" as the sendoff for that Superman, when he was shown flying into heaven?, Pa Kent seemed to die, and everyone was in mourning. After that issue, Byrne's Superman ceased to exist. He returned to join Grant Morrison's JLA, and Silver Age elements continued to be re-added to the character until the present day.

alan moore's send off for supes would almost work for byrnes also. I think Byrnes supes would be happy if he just became a normal human and married lois (which he did) maybe not the moustache but still.

Actually didnt really like Moore's last issue. Way too dark , everyone dies?? thats a bit much for pre-crisis supes. And that he would Gold K himself just because he killed Mr.Myx who was going to kill him anyways.