Superman the offer. Siegel and Shuster submitted their work in late February and were paid $130 (AFI $) for those 13 pages. In early March they signed a contract (at Liebowitz's request) in which they released the copyright for Superman to Detective Comics, Inc. This was normal practice in the business, and Siegel and Shuster had given away the copyrights to their previous works as well. Superman was finally published on April 18, 1938, in the first issue of "Action Comics". The magazine sold very well, and feedback from readers showed it was because of Superman. Siegel and Shuster read pulp
The Death of Superman retailers say "The Adventures of Superman" #500 was the beginning of a decline in the comic industry. Retailers and distributors were stuck with unsold copies, and thousands of stores closed. Additionally, those who bought "Superman" #75 could only sell first printings for cover price a few months after its release. Some commentators have retrospectively dismissed "The Death of Superman" as little more than a publicity stunt to give the Superman comics a brief surge in sales. Indeed, each series' sales immediately declined following Superman's resurrection. While most fans figured the death was only temporary, those who did not felt deceived.