This Superman Doesn't Run on Gas (He's Electric)

In 1998, Superman briefly traded in his standard tights for an electricity-themed suit ... then he split into two electric Supermen. As I've discussed before, a costume redesign is a good way to drum up interest in a character and sell some comic books. But alas, this redesign (like so many) was never as popular as the original, and was retired shortly after being introduced. I still enjoy it as an oddity. Please note Clark Kent's plain undershirt (the electric suit formed around his body when he transformed from Clark to Superman):

Death of a (Super) Salesman

In 1992 the "Death of Superman" storyline sold a LOT of comics. The media coverage snowballed and somehow it became major news. I remember Jay Leno wearing one of the black arm-bands that came with the "death" issue. Of course this was not the first time a superhero (or even Superman) had died, but this death was somehow different. It tapped into the public's interest in comics as an investment, and I think people were intrigued by the idea that the indestructible man was going to die. Unfortunately, there was such demand for the issue in which Superman died, that it's still not worth much more than the cover price, and Superman returned to the land of the living about a year later.

20 years later, some comic fans feel like it created a bubble of investors/collectors that hurt the industry when it burst, but I can't feel anything but love for it. Besides, that argument doesn't make much sense to me. Anything that brings attention to the comic medium seems like a good thing. The current state of sales declines is sad but inevitable. But fear not comic fans; comics will survive in some form for many, many years to come. Superman circa 1992 on the other hand:

Cyborg Superman Kills the Superman Who Wears Sunglasses

I usually try to come up with something unexpected or interesting for my blog post titles, but in this case being direct is unexpected and interesting enough. From the storyline that brought Superman back from the grave in the 1990s, here is Cyborg Superman killing the Superman who wears sunglasses (Eradicator).

Super Baby

In Frank Miller's much less celebrated sequel to "The Dark Knight Returns," "The Dark Knight Strikes Again," Superman and Wonder Woman have a child together. I'm not sure she's ever explicitly called Supergirl, but she wears the "S," so I think it's safe to call her Supergirl. I always liked her costume design, but a lot of the appeal is supplied by the colors. I should do some colors one of these days, or at least inks. One of these days ...