1 day Ago By Cameron Bonomolo
The Summer of Superman is getting up, up and away. Ahead of James Gunn’s Superman movie (in theaters July 11), DC Comics is launching a publishing initiative that is not only the beginning of a new era for the Man of Steel, but Action Comics. Almost 87 years to the day since Superman made his historic debut in Action Comics #1 on April 18, 1938 — and 80 years since a young Clark Kent first appeared as Superboy in More Fun Comics #101 in 1945 — DC will look at the past, present, and future of the Last Son of Krypton in Summer of Superman Special #1.
On sale April 16, the oversized, 48-page one-shot — from Super-series architects Joshua Williamson (Superman), Mark Waid (Superman: Action Comics), and Dan Slott (writer of the new ongoing Superman Unlimited) — sets the stage for Superman’s new era and the events spanning the Superman titles. Summer of Superman Special #1 cover by jorge jiménez (left) and superboy variant cover by dan jurgens (right)RELATED: Joshua Williamson Teases Summer of Superman Special, Ties to DC’s Big All In Mystery, and More (Exclusive)The first chapter of a three-part story, written by Waid (Justice League Unlimited) with art by Jorge Jiménez (Super Sons), returns to Smallville, Kansas, and the pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths version of events where a teenage Clark Kent made his debut as Superboy, Boy of Steel, before becoming the Metropolis-based Man of Steel. (The Superboy mantle passed to the clone Kon-El and then Lois Lane and Clark’s son, Jon Kent, in the modern era.
)Waid and Jiménez’s story follows a 15-year-old Clark Kent, his canine companion Krypto the Superdog, and Clark’s childhood crush, Lana Lang, decades before her present-day wedding to John Henry Irons, a.k.a.
Steel. The new Action Comics creative team of Waid and artist Skylar Patridge (in her DC ongoing series debut) will then take the series back to Clark’s hometown of Smallville on the Kent family farm starting with Action Comics #1087 in June. “I start the book with Clark as a 15-year-old boy, learning to be a superhero for the first time,” Waid said when announcing the Superboy-starring Action Comics.
“What is that like, learning to use your powers at that age? What kind of challenges are you facing? Skylar and I are also bringing Smallville a little more up to date — it still has that rustic feel to it, but farms don’t look like that anymore.”In addition to a new direction for the first-ever Superman series, there’s the new ongoing Supergirl series (May 13) written and illustrated by Sophie Campbell that sees Kara Zor-El, Maiden of Might, returning the town of Midvale with a new costume designed by Stanley “Artgerm” Lau; the new ongoing Superman Unlimited (May 21) from writer Dan Slott and artist Rafael Albuquerque; the new five-issue series Krypto: Last Dog of Krypton (June 18) by writer Ryan North and artist Mike Norton; and Superman: The World (June 25), a 208-page hardcover collection of original stories celebrating the Man of Steel from a variety of international and cultural perspectives. Summer of Superman Special #1THIS IS IT! SPRING INTO THE SUMMER OF SUPERMAN!The Man of Steel and his universe of friends, family, allies, and rogues is in for some big changes, and it all starts in the Summer of Superman Special! This special oversize issue will set the stage for all the major events exploding throughout the Superman titles! When John Henry Irons and Lana Lang take their vows, everyone turns up for the big day — but trouble is brewing on the horizon, as threats from the past, present, and future kick off major new conflicts for the Superman Family.
Brought to stunning life by the incomparable art of Jorge Jimenez, the Summer of Superman Special is the ground floor to the most exciting action imaginable in 2025!On sale: April 16Superman #25Superman #25 cover by dan moraJust as Superman and Superwoman are recovering from their battles with Time Trapper and Doomsday, the biggest problem of all returns when Superman #25 hits comic book shops on April 23. Lex Luthor makes his DC All In return and is ready to fight for control of Supercorp and Metropolis. Written by Joshua Williamson, this oversize (48-page) issue features art by series artist Dan Mora (Justice League Unlimited, Batman/Superman: World’s Finest), Eddy Barrows (Action Comics) and Eber Ferreira (Action Comics, Action Comics Presents: Doomsday Special) and celebrates the last two years of Superman, connects to Summer of Superman Special #1, and sets up a brand-new storyline featuring Superman’s greatest enemy.
On sale: April 23Free Comic Book Day 2025: DC All In / Absolute Universe Special Edition #1The DC All In saga explodes into a brand-new Free Comic Book Day flipbook! First up, the core-line DC Universe soars into Superman action with the dazzling debut of superstar writer Dan Slott alongside acclaimed artist Rafael Albuquerque! In this special zero issue installment of the forthcoming Superman Unlimited series, you will witness the prelude to the biggest Superman comic book adventure of the year, as well as an ominous new threat from the heavens that will change the course of Kryptonian life on planet Earth as we know it! Then, as the Absolute Universe expands, dark forces begin to gather in the shadows...
forces that have been waiting a very long time to shape events and seize control. All the while,a mysterious figure watches — but who is this powerful new character, and what do they want with Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the rest of the emerging heroes?On stands: May 3Supergirl #1THE MAIDEN OF MIGHT RETURNS! IN A NEW SERIES WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED BY SOPHIE CAMPBELL! Kara Zor-El has been a key member of the Super-Family in Metropolis, but what happens when she strikes out on her own? Follow Kara as she returns to her roots in Midvale..
. home of Supergirl! But how could this be?! Our hero has not been back in years, and the protector of that town has been saving the day for weeks. Can Supergirl stop the impostor before they steal her fresh start and life? Celebrated writer/artist Sophie Campbell (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Wet Moon) makes her mark on the DC Universe with this thrilling debut issue! Plus a new costume designed by bestselling cover artist Stanley ‘Artgerm’ Lau!On sale: May 14Superman Unlimited #1DAN SLOTT AND RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE TAKE THE MAN OF STEEL TO NEW HEIGHTS! The summer of Superman heats up with a brand-new ongoing series taking the DCU by storm! When an asteroid the size of Metropolis hurtles toward collision with planet Earth, the Justice League dispatches Superman to avert the crisis — but a sinister threat lurks within that will change the world like never before, and this danger glows green.
The Last Son of Krypton must risk everything to save his adopted home, the very home which now tries to kill him, from complete destruction! The Man of Steel is poised to fly like never before in this new cornerstone series, brought to life by the dazzling DC debut of writer Dan Slott (The Superior Spider-Man) and renowned artist Rafael Albuquerque (All-Star Batman)!On sale: May 21Superman: Action Comics #1087Witness Mark Waid’s triumphant return to the title alongside rising star artist Skylar Patridge as they take Clark Kent back to his early years on Kent Farm. This can’t-miss story, with ties to the present, takes the Boy of Steel to unexpected heights as he figures out what being a hero truly means. First stop: Metropolis’s Expo of Tomorrow! Will Clark be able to blend into the crowd, or is Superboy about to make his public debut?!On sale: June 11 Krypto: Last Dog of Krypton #1 (of 5)ALL-STAR WRITER RYAN NORTH CRASH-LANDS KRYPTO ON EARTH! There will come a day when Krypto stands beside Superman, helping him fight off monsters, aliens, and supervillains — a day when this dog will save his adoptive world thanks to the incredible powers granted him by Earth’s strange yellow sun.
But he’s not there yet. Today, Krypto is a normal puppy on Krypton, spending each happy, snoozy, endless day alongside his family: Jor-El, Lara, and baby Kal-El. But when a rocket test goes wrong, Krypto finds himself lost in space — and soon crash-landing, all alone, on a strange and alien world called Earth.
On sale: June 18Superman: The WorldThe hero who inspired a generation, Superman, has always strived to protect not just Metropolis but the entire world. The Man of Tomorrow usually soars through the skies in Metropolis, but no matter where in the world a cry for help comes, Superman will always be there to save the day. Witness what makes Superman a global phenomenon as 15 countries tell tales that highlight what makes the Man of Steel the greatest superhero of all! Written by teams of top international talent, including Dan Jurgens and Lee Weeks (U.
S. storyline). On sale: June 24The post Superman’s New Era Takes Flight in a Super-Sized Special — With Clark Kent’s Superboy and Krypto appeared first on ComicBook.
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