Death of Superman and Reign of the Supermen Double Feature Trailer Released

Last year, DC Universe Animation did its own adaptation of the famous “Death of Superman” storyline from 1990s DC Comics, and this year we’ll get the animated adaptation to the second part of that story: Reign of the Supermen. While DC fans are already chomping at the bit to see Reign of the Superman released, die-hards will be even more excited for the upcoming double-feature screening event!

As you an see above, select theaters all over the US will be showing Death of Superman and Reign of the Supermen back-to-back as a double feature event. The screenings will be one night only, held on Monday, January 14th – so if you’re planning to attend, you better book it now!

In case you’re not familiar with the classic storyline, “Death of Superman” saw the killer Kryptonian monster Doomsday make his first appearance in DC Comics, as he was unearthed from his prison in an underground bunker. The monster began tearing across the countryside, taking out each and every one of the Justice League or Justice League International members who attempted to stop him – including nearly killing a few of them. The League eventually calls in its biggest gun (Superman), who meets Doomsday head-on, and engages in an epic battle across the country. That battle reaches a head when Doomsday arrives in Metropolis, prompting Superman to fight in a no-hold-barred fashion he’s never indulged, expending every ounce of his seemingly limitless power. The battle ends when Superman and Doomsday hit each other with final blow so hard that it creates a massive shockwave that shatters every window in the Daily Planet. Superman dies in Lois Lane’s arms, having put down Doomsday for good.

Cut to the months later, and Lois discovers that Superman’s body is missing from his grave. At the same time, four new figures claiming to be Superman begin to show up around Metropolis:

1. The Eradicator – a mix of the old Kryptonian weapon and Superman’s body, resulting in a darker version of the hero who kills.
2. Steel – A man in a suit of armor armed with a giant sledgehammer, inspired by a mix of Superman and folk tale hero John Henry.
3. Cyborg Superman – A man/machine hybrid claiming to be the repaired version of Superman’s corpse.
4. Superboy – A supposed clone of Superman, who inexplicably has a different set of powers.

It’s not a big spoiler to that each of these Supermen is not what he initially seems. The DC Universe adaptation will keep the core story intact (judging from the Reign of the Supermen trailer), but will tailor the details to fit this animated universe continuity, which is heavily based on DC’s “New 52” reboot from the early 2010s.

Will you be catching the Death of Superman / Reign of the Supermen double-feature on Monday, January 14? Let us know in the comments!