It is common practice for superhero comic publishers to push out a slew of tie-in books when one of their characters makes it to movie screens, and with James Gunn’s upcoming Superman film relaunching DC Studios’ cinematic universe, DC Comics is giving the franchise a huge boost with its “Summer Of Superman.” Eleven Super-titles will be released between May and September, eight of which are new, engaging with these characters from several different angles that offer something for both long-time fans and new readers.
DC has seen massive success over the past year with the Absolute titles and accompanying “All In” initiative, and the “Summer Of Superman” highlights the variety and creative muscle that define this current DC era. The writing talent includes Superman mainstays like Joshua Williamson, Mark Waid, and Dan Jurgens, joined by new voices like Sophie Campbell, Ryan North, and Dan Slott. The artist lineup is even more exciting, bringing these stories to the page with distinctive styles. Artists like Dan Mora, Rafael Albuquerque, and Bruno Redondo channel blockbuster superhero spectacle while Campbell (pulling double duty), Mike Norton, and Skylar Patridge take the visual storytelling in different directions that evoke Silver Age whimsy, retro sci-fi, and contemporary YA comics, respectively.
For the biggest surprise of the “Summer Of Superman,” Slott leaves Marvel after 20 years to launch Superman Unlimited, an ongoing series with Albuquerque and colorist Marcelo Maiolo that immediately changes the status quo for the Super-family. This month’s Superman Unlimited #1 functions as a gateway issue to catch readers up on the most important aspects of the hero’s history, from his origin to his “death” to his role as a husband, father, and patriarch. Superman’s life flashes before his eyes as he tries to stop a Kryptonite asteroid from crashing into Earth, but instead of dying, he ends up in a three-month coma during which Kryptonite becomes a readily available resource for those who can afford it. The start of the issue shows that Slott has a strong handle on the inspirational qualities of the hero as he resolves emergencies in quick succession, ending with a tender moment of calm where Superman tips a busker and encourages her to keep singing.
The proliferation of Kryptonite makes Earth more dangerous for the Super-characters, but there’s an even greater threat lurking in the Multiverse. As Williamson enters his third year writing the Superman ongoing, he positions the hero as a central figure in the larger story that began in the DC All In Special. Members of Darkseid’s Legion Of Superheroes from the Absolute universe have been lurking in the last few issues, and they are about to launch an assault on Superman that will kick off the next phase of the All In initiative. Mora and colorist Alejandro Sanchez, one of the best art teams in superhero comics, make the book even more essential. They have fantastic chemistry with Williamson, depicting the emotional stakes of the interpersonal drama as adeptly as they do the epic planet-threatening action.
With two ongoing series exploring the present-day Superman and his sprawling supporting cast, Action Comics offers a more stripped-down take on the hero as it flashes back to Clark Kent’s teenage years and his first adventures as the Superboy of Smallville. Written by Waid with art by Patridge and colorist Ivan Plascencia, it’s a series about how Clark learns to use his powers to help others, with his adopted parents playing a major role in helping him take his first steps as a public superhero. Partridge has a more grounded art style that fits Clark’s farmboy perspective, and she excels at depicting Clark’s youth, particularly his lanky body that is far from the bodybuilder physique he’ll have in the future.
Absolute Superman also features a young version of the hero acclimating to his place on Earth, but writer Jason Aaron, artist Rafa Sandoval, and colorist Ulises Arreola are working with a much rougher character. This Kal-El had a childhood on Krypton and saw how its leaders refused to acknowledge the warning signs of the planet’s demise, so when he sees the same thing happening on Earth, he uses his extraordinary new powers to address the problem head-on. This interpretation taps into the energy of the very first Superman stories, in which a hot-headed hero fought against worker exploitation and corrupt politicians. That crusade continues in Absolute Superman, but with the more fantastic genre trappings that have entered the Superman mythos over time.
Characters like Krypto The Superdog and Supergirl are major players in the new DC films, and they’re both getting the comic-book spotlight this summer. June’s Krypto: The Last Dog Of Krypton, a five-issue miniseries by North, Norton, and colorist Ian Herring, tells the canine’s origin in detail for the first time, following him as he’s pulled away from his family on Krypton to the strange new world of Earth. This is a creative team of dog lovers; North’s relationship with his dog, who died in 2022, was a huge part of his social media presence, and Norton created Battlepug, an Eisner Award-winning webcomic about a barbarian warrior who rides a giant pug. They do very impressive work making Krypto an expressive lead solely through body language and facial expressions—no thought bubbles or talking animals here—emphasizing the ordinary dog nature that will change drastically once Earth’s yellow sun gives him superpowers.
Campbell’s Supergirl with colorist Tamra Bonvillain was one of our most anticipated May comics, and the first issue gives readers an exceptionally charming introduction to Kara Zor-El, who returns to her hometown of Midvale and her old secret identity as Linda Danvers. Campbell pays tribute to Kara’s rich history while making these classic concepts feel fresh and fun, and the artwork explodes with personality that makes you eager to spend more time with these characters. Younger fans of the Superman movie can check out July’s Superman’s Good Guy Gang, an original kids graphic novel from cartoonist Rob Justus that teams an eight-year-old Clark Kent with other heroes appearing in the film like Hawkgirl and Green Lantern. It’s a savvy move to target the audience that has bought millions of Dog Man comics, part of an overall push to rebrand Superman as a family-friendly hero after his dour depiction in Zack Snyder’s films.
In another effort to expand its audience, DC recently announced six new DC GO! webcomics launching in July on the DC Universe Infinite app, including Jon Kent: This Internship Is My Kryptonite, a slice-of-life comedy series from writer Sam Camp and artists Daimon Hampton and Seraji. The son of Superman has to deal with the stress of interning at the Daily Planet, and his new professional responsibilities put a strain on his relationships with his best friend, boyfriend, and parents-turned-coworkers. This out-of-continuity series is a welcome shift from the last few years of trauma that Jon has had to endure, moving away from grandiose superhero adventures to frame him as a young queer adult trying to find his place in the world.
The biggest title of the “Summer Of Superman” (literally) comes from Jurgens, Redondo, and colorist Adriano Lucas, who are creating the first oversized “treasury edition” DC comic in over 25 years. The dimensions of July’s Superman Treasury 2025: Hero For All are almost twice the size of a regular comic, giving Redondo and Lucas a massive canvas to work on. The art team’s innovative collaboration on Nightwing earned that book multiple Eisner Awards, and hopefully Jurgens gives them similar opportunities to experiment with his story of Superman stopping an alien invasion.
Things get weirder later in the season as the creators behind Image Comics’ Ice Cream Man horror series—writer W. Maxwell Prince, artist Martín Morazzo, and colorist Chris O’Halloran— take the hero on a surreal journey in August’s Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum. This five-issue Black Label miniseries uses different types of Kryptonite exposure to offer a genre-bending exploration of the core ideas in Superman’s character and mythology, with each issue embracing a new storytelling style shaped by each Kryptonite’s unique properties.
“Summer Of Superman” wraps in September with Adventures Of Superman: Book Of El, where writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson concludes his Superman story that started in 2021. Joined by artist Scott Godlewski, Johnson sends Superman across space and time to rescue the kidnapped Super-twins Osul and Otho, refugees of Warworld who were adopted by Clark and Lois. The twins have faded into the background since Johnson left Action Comics, and it’s very likely that this is their formal sendoff from the Super-family, giving Johnson 12 issues to usher his creations away from Earth.
With its starry creative lineup and wide stylistic scope, the “Summer Of Superman” is shaping up to be one of the best movie tie-in initiatives of its kind. From kids comics to webcomics, standalone stories, and ongoings that impact the larger DC Universe, each project has a clear point of view that will resonate with a different audience, showcasing why Superman’s legacy has endured for generations.
