Man Of Steel Exclusive: Death Of Superman’s Dan Jurgens Praises Henry Cavill

When asked recently (and actually a few times during the press rounds for Man of Steel) about his favorite Superman comic books, Man of Steel star Henry Cavill specifically called out the Death Of Superman storyline. Comicbook.com reached out Dan Jurgens, who was heavily involved in the popular storyline as both an artist and a writer to get his opinion on both Henry Cavill's comments and Man Of Steel in general. While Henry Cavill might be a fan of Death Of Superman, it seems that the Death Of Superman's Dan Jurgens is a fan of Henry Cavill. ComicBook.com: While you're not the only person who worked on the Death and Return story, you're the most closely associated with it, having created Doomsday and drawn both Superman #75 and Superman #82. When somebody like Henry Cavill praises the thing, do you get inundated with tweets and e-mails going, "Hey! Did you see this?!"? Dan Jurgens: Yeah, I do, actually. I think any creator wants their work to count and be remembered. To know that you did something that still resonates with people is really quite flattering.

Given the company it's in (All-Star, Birthright, Red Son), what do you think makes the Death and Return of Superman story really resonate for a film in which obviously none of those events take place? Jurgens: I've always said that The Death of Superman wasn't so much about Superman's death as it was a commentary on what Superman means to the world, both in fictional and real terms. I think the entire creative group managed to make a strong statement about Superman's importance to the world through his absence. We touched on the need for heroes and heroism in general, and Superman in particular. That's what drove the story home. ComicBook.com: Generally, what did you think of Man of Steel? Jurgens: I enjoyed it a great deal. I thought the casting was simply fantastic-- everyone really managed to shine in their roles and Cavill really embodied Superman. I really liked the Kryptonian sequences and the re-envisioned planet and the way they brought Jor-El's "consciousness" to earth. And some of the earth sequences were really quite beautiful-- particularly the Smallville stuff. More than anything, I loved what they did with Lois. We'd always ask, "If she's so smart and such a good reporter, wouldn't she know Clark and Superman were the same?" They got around all of that by having her work through that right from the start, which elevates her as a reporter. ComicBook.com: And, since he cited Death of Superman [in the video below], any body-hair-care suggestions for Cavill? Jurgens: Ha! Um... no. I never advise anyone on manscaping. But I appreciate that it matched up with what we did!