Death and Return of Superman vs Knitghfall/KnightsEnd

[CTTT]

Which storyline did you enjoy/think was better?

For me it was the Superman story. I remember going to the comic store every month and feeling excited about the 4 Supermenn then. Plus the covers were cool and I wanted to see where the return story was going. Plus, Doomsday, while not much of a character and more of a blunt instrument was a beast. The Funeral for a Friend issues were great as well.

Knightfall was fine and I thought Bane was very interesting and I felt like here was a character that can take down Batman. I liked the idea of him becoming fatigued while chasing down his villains. And the backbreak issue was shocking. But...Jean-Paul Valley was just insane and not fleshed out like Superboy, Cyborg, Eradicator and Steel.

[exile001]

Both are great in very different ways, though both directly tackle why Superman/Batman weren't "modernised" in the late-80's-90's extreme style that infested comics at the time.

JPV had a steady and well-thought out descent into madness, but I think his journey suffered a bit due to a lack of supporting cast. He didn't have characters around to help add depth/human drama to it.

I had a friend who was utterly swept up in the "Who Is Superman?" thing, with a favourite to be the returned Superman, and complex theories about how it could actually be all four. He was so excited to grab each new issue!

[Noodle]

Knightfall was arguably the better story, but Death/Return did more for the Superman franchise than Knightfall did for the Batman one.

[James Cameron]

Death/Return is the better story for me, but the Knightfall saga had more of a lasting impact, and so much momentum that led all the way up to No Man's Land. It was basically one long continuous story and because of that those stories help make up my favorite Batman era.

[blunt_eastwood]

Death/Return is the better story for me, but the Knightfall saga had more of a lasting impact, and so much momentum that led all the way up to No Man's Land. It was basically one long continuous story and because of that those stories help make up my favorite Batman era.

I started reading comics with Knightfall and also felt that everything in Batman was one long continuous story. I assumed that's what comics were like, so I was so disappointed when we started having these soft reboots, and new writers wouldn't always follow up from the prior continuity.

[failo.legendkiller]

It's like ask me who I love the most, mom or dad

[CTTT]

Some of my favorite moments from Death and Return:

Adventures 500 where Pa rescues Clark
Funeral scene
John Henry coming out of the rubble

Also Cyborg kicking the crap out of Superboy including the end....The panel at the end makes it look like he was beheaded.

[All Star Superman]

Both stories were designed to highlight that Superman and Batman were, respectively, not "tired" or "outdated" because of their non-lethal approaches to being superheroes in an era in which the anti-hero was hugely popular.

I feel that Knightfall, while being well-written and planned overall, ran a bit too long and stretched itself thin in all of the Bat family books of the time. The Death and Return, meanwhile, was largely contained to the Super books with few exceptions. This focus on Superman's corner of the DCU made the story feel more focused and ultimately more intimate.

All that aside, both sagas are, IMO, masterpieces that highlight what makes Superman and Batman the two greatest superheroes and examples of brilliant coordination between editorial and creative teams. They also both successfully introduced compelling new character who ended up becoming forever part of their respective mythologies in both comics and media adaptations.

[blunt_eastwood]

They both happened in the 90's, which is my favorite time in comics, so I love them both.

[Riv86672]

Death Of for me.

Knightsfall didn’t grab me nearly as much.

[Garlador]

I lean towards Knightfall. I'm a sucker for Azrael and I still revisit that fight between AzBats and Bane from time to time. Gets my blood pumping.

[blunt_eastwood]

I lean towards Knightfall. I'm a sucker for Azrael and I still revisit that fight between AzBats and Bane from time to time. Gets my blood pumping.

The ending of the fight in LotDK #63 where Bruce defeats JPV by unmasking him, and then chooses to let him go was awesome.

I love the last few images of him walking back towards Wayne Manor with his mask off. It was such a great ending.

[James Cameron]

And I loved Bruce and Bane's rematch in Batman Legacy.

[SuperX]

The death of superman,reign of the Supermen,and return of superman are arguably the biggest things that have ever happened in comics,I know it was for me easily

[Zero Hunter]

I think Knightfall would have had more impact if they had kept Bruce sidelined for longer. If they had let Dick keep the mantle for a full year instead of just a few months it would have been better.