Latest Acquisition: #75 by Brandon Shepherd

[CSJournals-migration]

There are a few editions/printings for this one.

 

Another book has been added to my collection, a book that I have thought about for a long time. The book: Superman #75 (Jan 1993) the "Death" of Superman. There are several editions of this issue, counting the multiple printings and a black, poly-bagged edition printed with a red bleeding S logo. Superman #75, the regular/newsstand edition, went through four printings, and the aforementioned poly-bagged edition that came with a poster, trading card, Daily Planet obituary, sheet of stamps and a black memorial armband with an S logo. Then there was a Platinum Edition, which also came poly-bagged, not available in stores. So... which edition of Superman #75 did I get? The Platinum Edition.

 

From what I have read on multiple sites and postings from others, the consensus is that this Platinum Edition was limited to 10,000 copies, sent only to dealers and retailers (noted in Overstreet). I've also read on a few posts that retailers only received one platinum edition for every 100 copies of Superman #75 ordered. All of this sounds reasonable, but I cannot confirm this. I also vaguely recall in one of the letter columns in a Superman issue after #75, which printed readers' responses to Superman #75, DC Comics sending platinum editions of Superman #75 to those who wrote exceptional responses.

 

After reading those letter columns and seeing this "Platinum Edition" listed in some price guides as a kid, I started to wonder what this edition looked like. This was sometime in 1994, the internet was not available to me, and I never saw this edition in a comic shop. It would be several years before I would finally get to see what this edition looked like. I tried for a copy on eBay in the late '90s a few times, no luck. The copies I saw were still sealed in the black poly-bag, printed with a silver bleeding S logo and a notation of "Platinum Edition" on the bottom. I do not recall when I finally saw what the cover itself actually looked like outside the poly-bag.

 

The slab I now own and hold in my hands, containing this platinum edition, hypnotizes me. The S logo and notation: "HERE LIES EARTH'S GREATEST HERO" shine, thanks to the foil lining. The cover itself appears to be of thicker stock, further enhancing its appearance. This copy also exhibits a nice, tight spine and four sharp corners, all and all, great eye appeal. Unpacking this item from the priority mail package was also the first time I had seen or held this edition in person. I like how this cover differs from the newsstand version, this cover is however, similar to the black poly-bagged collector's edition. Aside from scans online, I had only seen sealed poly-bagged copies in person at a few shows previously.

 

I cannot help but wonder how many copies of this edition are still sealed, after 20 years, I image the acids and oils in the non-archival plastic have done some damage. As of this writing (10/28/2013), there are 46 copies listed in Universal 9.8 grade, 18 in 9.8 Signature Series and 52 in 9.6, out of 259 submissions (the regular edition has over 1000 submissions). Given the challenge of getting a copy at the time of the issues initial release (November/December, 1992?), and deciding whether or not to remove it from its bag, it looks like the chances of getting a copy that would be 9.8 worthy are challenging, but not impossible. After all these years, in 2013, the 75th Anniversary of Superman, I can now say that I have Superman #75: Platinum Edition.

 

As I have written many times before, The Death and Return of Superman saga was the impetus for my reading and collecting comic books. I may have missed the initial releases for all these issues by a little over a year or so but this storyline is what it all comes down to for me, nostalgia. I have wondered if I would ever be able to set this story arc aside, it always finds its way back to me, but I have come to embrace this. Whenever I see a new release in book stores about the Kennedy assignation (I'm not comparing this fictional comic to a historical event), or an author (who has written multiple books on this) lecturing on CSPAN about this subject, I wonder what these people would be doing with their lives right now, had this event never happened. In turn, I have to ask myself: "what would I be doing right now had it not been for the Death and Return of Superman comics?"

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Brandon

 

See more journals by Brandon Shepherd

[Brandon Shepherd]

[kaholo1256]

That would be an awesome cover to get signed in my opinion. Have Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding sign in Black with one on one side of the DC logo and the other its opposite and you have something respectful, tasteful, and amazing. Either way this is one of those I would love to find in the same manner for CGC SS as well....using that idea of course.

 

Congrat's on both this and your successful TEST....

 

K

[SW3D]

You're lucky not only to identify the series which got you hooked on comics, but to track down and obtain a limited edition comic of one of the most widely collected and read issue's ever!

 

I honestly don't know which comic or title got me hooked on comics. I believe I had two comics in the mid-70's (when I was 5 or 6 years old), that may be the roots to it all. The first I believe is an Action Comics where Superman goes up against a guy that looks like Father Time, and the second is an Amazing Spider-Man (I think 155 or 157), who I loved as a child (especially the 60's cartoon), but got bored of once I read other heroes like Daredevil, Iron Man, Fantastic Four and the X-Men.

 

Superman's Death came when I was exiting the hobby. It actually upset me. I thought it was all too gimmicky... and it felt like he would eventually return... So what was the point? The only good thing I appreciated was Superman's new found popularity. His star had dwindled considerably, and new readers had passed on him, but Death of Superman brought him back in the limelight.

 

Thanks for sharing and congrats on picking up that gem!

 

SW3D

[Brandon Shepherd]

That would be an awesome cover to get signed in my opinion. Have Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding sign in Black with one on one side of the DC logo and the other its opposite and you have something respectful, tasteful, and amazing. Either way this is one of those I would love to find in the same manner for CGC SS as well....using that idea of course.

 

Congrat's on both this and your successful TEST....

 

K

 

K,

 

That'a a great idea on the signatures, I'll keep that in mind. Have you seen the cover to Green Lantern (Vol. 3) #81? Also a headstone cover and eye catching green foil? How good that would look next to Superman #75...

 

As for the TEST, I had trouble loading this journal. I could upload it on the main page, but the link would not post my journal to the chat boards. I had this problem once before and all I had to do to remedy this was retype my saved user name and password and I had a journal people could discuss on the chat boards. This trick did not work for this particular journal, even on a few different browsers. So I had to improvise, adapt and overcome! I used my phone to upload this post, hence the TEST journals, then add a picture in the comments thread as this did not carry over from the main site. A bit of a hassle but it worked out.

 

B.

[Brandon Shepherd]

You're lucky not only to identify the series which got you hooked on comics, but to track down and obtain a limited edition comic of one of the most widely collected and read issue's ever!

 

I honestly don't know which comic or title got me hooked on comics. I believe I had two comics in the mid-70's (when I was 5 or 6 years old), that may be the roots to it all. The first I believe is an Action Comics where Superman goes up against a guy that looks like Father Time, and the second is an Amazing Spider-Man (I think 155 or 157), who I loved as a child (especially the 60's cartoon), but got bored of once I read other heroes like Daredevil, Iron Man, Fantastic Four and the X-Men.

 

Superman's Death came when I was exiting the hobby. It actually upset me. I thought it was all too gimmicky... and it felt like he would eventually return... So what was the point? The only good thing I appreciated was Superman's new found popularity. His star had dwindled considerably, and new readers had passed on him, but Death of Superman brought him back in the limelight.

 

Thanks for sharing and congrats on picking up that gem!

 

SW3D

 

SWSD,

 

Thanks! I hear you on the gimmicky part, that is definitely the flip side of the coin. Yes, I have my sense of nostalgia for this story but it is mostly the event that people remember about this. The story itself, well... Doomsday simply breaks free from a vault hidden deep underground. He rampages his way to Metropolis and dukes it out with Superman. Doomsday has no origin (this would later change over the years), has no mind or voice, he just simply is, and very strong at that. This rampage ran on for seven issues.

 

Now Bane was a good villain, he had a great origin (escaping from a South American prison, serving time for crimes committed by his father before his birth), he also has strong will and intellect, this is good stuff.

 

The "Death" did bring Superman back to the limelight, but after he returned, the comics went downhill in my opinion. The Death of Superman also played a big roll in the eventual '90s implosion of comics as well, with all these multiple editions and other gimmicks, but I still like it.

 

Brandon

[meshuggah]

Awesome pick up. I do have a raw copy of the standard issue 75. But I've always kind of wanted a platinum edition. Not bad enough to really start hunting one down. But every so often the urge arises and I briefly look for one. I love K-Man's idea on the sigs. That would look really good.

 

I'm not sure why but I always find myself going back and reading the trade. Its not the best story out there. It was a little gimicky. His return I thought was done pretty badly. But I think the story stands out for its simplicity and the ending of a character that started all superheroes.

[Garlanda]

Have you seen the cover to Green Lantern (Vol. 3) #81? Also a headstone cover and eye catching green foil? How good that would look next to Superman #75...

 

Hmm, are there enough out there for a tombstone cover set? Superman 75 Platinum, Green Lantern 81, and Amazing Spider-man 400. Anyone know of any others?

 

I think the Death and Return of Superman was definitely the most gimmicky of the DC hero torture of the 90s. There were far more alternate bagged collectors item cover sets with die-cuts, etc than with Knightfall and Emerald Twilight. That being said, the crossover did actually produce results. Steel, the clone Superboy, and Cyborg Superman were all lasting additions to the DCU. I like it when big crossover events have actual consequences and make contributions. (Infinity Gauntlet, anyone? The last thing we do is... turn everything back like it was!)

[meshuggah]

Hmm, are there enough out there for a tombstone cover set? Superman 75 Platinum, Green Lantern 81, and Amazing Spider-man 400. Anyone know of any others?

 

(thumbs u

I like this idea. Can't think of any others off the top of my head but I'm sure there are plenty.

[Garlanda]

Here's a possibility...

 

[Garlanda]

Seems like DC did this way more than Marvel, or am I missing something?

 

[bagofleas]

Web of Spider-man #32 is one of the more iconic tombstone covers!!

[kaholo1256]

That would have to be an amazing Set to build but would be somewhat hard to track down. As aside from posting it here and maybe in General it would need to be a collective effort by collectors.

[meshuggah]

That would have to be an amazing Set to build but would be somewhat hard to track down. As aside from posting it here and maybe in General it would need to be a collective effort by collectors.

 

This would definitely be the hardest set to have created. It would take so much research that its really not worth it. But its a cool idea.

[Garlanda]

For whatever reason I really like the idea of themed sets more than those that are based on specific creators or characters. I've been thinking about a putting together a list of comics that feature comic collecting. For example, Iron Man attends the San Diego Comic Con in Iron Man 72. He goes as a cosplayer dressed as Iron Man and everyone makes fun of him for having the nose on the armor. A classic!

 

The research is the fun part.

 

 

GI Joe also attended the San Diego Comic Con recently...

 

[Brandon Shepherd]

Awesome pick up. I do have a raw copy of the standard issue 75. But I've always kind of wanted a platinum edition. Not bad enough to really start hunting one down. But every so often the urge arises and I briefly look for one. I love K-Man's idea on the sigs. That would look really good.

 

I'm not sure why but I always find myself going back and reading the trade. Its not the best story out there. It was a little gimicky. His return I thought was done pretty badly. But I think the story stands out for its simplicity and the ending of a character that started all superheroes.

 

Thanks, Meshuggah.

 

I have a raw copy of the standard #75 as well, I'm surprised I don't a have a graded copy. Actually, I have a graded copy of the third printing, but still, I should have had a graded copy of the first print a long time ago.

 

I too had urges for this particular edition that came and went over the last few years, I just happened to have the urge when this copy appeared.

 

I see what you are saying with the return, there are a few good elements, but it felt like those involved weren't sure what to do in terms of bringing him back. I do want the handsome (and expensive) omnibus that came out earlier this year, I've heard good things.

[Brandon Shepherd]

Web of Spider-man #32 is one of the more iconic tombstone covers!!

 

From "Kraven's Last Hunt"? That is a good cover!

[Brandon Shepherd]

For whatever reason I really like the idea of themed sets more than those that are based on specific creators or characters. I've been thinking about a putting together a list of comics that feature comic collecting. For example, Iron Man attends the San Diego Comic Con in Iron Man 72. He goes as a cosplayer dressed as Iron Man and everyone makes fun of him for having the nose on the armor. A classic!

 

The research is the fun part.

 

 

GI Joe also attended the San Diego Comic Con recently...

 

 

Nice covers, Garlanda! I never knew about the Iron Man one!

[surfer99]

For whatever reason I really like the idea of themed sets more than those that are based on specific creators or characters. I've been thinking about a putting together a list of comics that feature comic collecting. For example, Iron Man attends the San Diego Comic Con in Iron Man 72. He goes as a cosplayer dressed as Iron Man and everyone makes fun of him for having the nose on the armor. A classic!

 

The research is the fun part.

 

Totally agree. I had a blast putting together my X-men The Missing Years set. Very fun. Then you get to start hunting down reading copies and high grade collectible copies of all the issues! To see others share your interest and start competing with you on the set is great too.

 

[Garlanda]

Totally agree. I had a blast putting together my X-men The Missing Years set. Very fun. Then you get to start hunting down reading copies and high grade collectible copies of all the issues! To see others share your interest and start competing with you on the set is great too.

 

By the way, I was inspired by your journal from last month ... Marvel Tales #30 CGC 9.6 ... when I pulled a Ka-Zar 2 in FN out of a dollar bin. One part of the Jerry Siegel Angel story in-hand!