Once again Superman RIP

It 'was one of the most popular heroes of the last century - the star of the film, television, radio, and especially novels, comic books. Writer Harlan Ellison once suggested that he was one of five fictional characters known to every man, woman and child on the planet (along with Robin Hood, Sherlock Holmes, Tarzan and Mickey Mouse). But when Superman died last year, almost nobody seemed to care.

The Superman who died saving the universe was the same Superman debuted in the first issue of Action Comics in 1938. Of course, this would make him well beyond retirement age. In fact, the publisher DC Comics had long explained the ageless their super-heroes, revealing that their original heroes who flourished during the Second World War), all originating from a different universe from contemporary models. When the young heroes crossed universes, they would find their encounter older, semi-retired versions of themselves.

The original, now defunct Superman was perhaps the greatest of all. Its sales were higher and constant (in the days before every kid had the internet, an Xbox, or even a television), and the legend began. But he was already old in 1985 when DC decided that he and his wife, Lois Lane, should retire to a place of no return.

Everything would be fine - except that 20 years later, DC decided it must be returned in any case, in a series called Infinite Crisis. In this ultra-violent series, in which many DC heroes and villains suffered horrible deaths, the first Superman died heroically ... and comics fans do not seem to care.

Because a hero of this caliber attract such a muted reaction after his departure? In part because super-heroes die all the time - and often they return. The current Superman, for example, was pummeled to death by a psychopathic alien in 1992. If this was found to be a commercial ... Well, it worked like a charm. The story is, "The Death of Superman" comic-book broke sales records. Within months, however, Superman had been raised from Kryptonian technology. No one really thought he was dead.

Anyone watch the soap operas might be aware of the fact that the characters often come back to life in various creative ways. In the fantasy world of super-heroes, however, writers may be even more imaginative. In the past, we discovered that the heroes (and villains) are not dead as assumed, but had been replaced by androids, clones, or cosmic beings. It 's been revealed that they had a secret super-power that restored their lives, or who teleported away just in time. In some cases, the story changed in the sense that their deaths not happened yet!

Of course, the other heroes simply would not be allowed to die. Nightwing, co-star of the animated series Teen Titans, was also to die in Infinite Crisis - up DC editors intervened to save it. Killing a 95-year-old, long retired hero is one thing, but the killing of a young hero TV ......