Review: Superman Annual 2026

Last week in Action Comics #1100, we saw Superman drained of his King Omega power and rescued from the time stream by Superman. This week in the Superman Annual 2026, we get the story of what happened to him between the end of D.C.K.O. and the rescue.

I'll start out by saying I liked this annual a lot. Writer Joshua Williamson and artist Eddy Barrows give us a pretty wild story, bouncing from the time stream to a desolate future to a villain's headquarters. We get plenty of Legions, an old Legion villain, a hero I haven't seen in a long time, and a character I thought forever in the dustbin of DC's limbo.

Barrows' art is it's usual graceful beauty. When the stakes get big, his art get big as well. But lately I have found his quiet moments, Clark talking to Lois in their apartment, where his art really sings. Yasmine Putri is on art for the back end of the book, introducing us to a new villain and showcasing the upcoming LSH book.

But what is this annual? The epilogue of D.C.K.O.? A backdoor prologue to the new Legion of Super-Heroes? The beginning of Kingdom of Zod? All of those things?  One thing that I like is that DC, at least the super-books, seem to be going from mini-event from mini-event. And yet, there hasn't been any event fatigue because while there is a thread through all of them, each book has been able to stand alone.

Whatever this book is, it works. As an long long long time Legion fan, I was pretty thrilled with the end of the story. On to the details.

Review: Superman #40

I have been collecting comics for about 50 years now. Hard for me to wrap my head around that number. There have been times, looking at the long boxes in the comic room, that I have wondered if the time was right to stop collecting current comics, stop hitting the store on Wednesdays, and just relax and read all the old comics I own over again. Is it time to stop.

And then comics like Superman #40 come out and it reminds me all over why I love these characters, these books, and arcs like this Superboy Prime one. This whole arc has been jaw-dropping excellent for all sorts of reasons. Writer Josh Williamson has done the impossible making me like Prime. I have loved this redemption of his character. I have loved Prime's commentary on comic books in general. In this issue, Williamson shows he either is one of us fans or knows us well, commenting on comic book fandom as well. But on top of all that, there are speeches in this book that talk about an inspiring Superman, about hope springing eternal, and about being a hero. Pitch perfect.

On top of all that, we have had Dan Mora on art the whole time, riffing different comic styles, bringing the action, and utilizing the fourth-wall-breaking to bring in old comics and covers. I have said in the past that Mora's art is so fantastic that every time he draws a character I want to see Mora on that character's title. Who knew I would want a Witchfire comic this bad.

So I can revisit it easily I might buy this arc when it comes out in trade format, something I haven't done in a long time. 

I loved a Superboy Prime story so much I am going to buy the trade. Give Josh Williamson all the awards right now. Let's dive in.

Review: Superman #39

Superman #39 came out last week and was an absolute treat as writer Joshua Williamson and artist Dan Mora continue to redeem Superboy Prime and break the fourth wall to smithereens. I have been saying how great this whole run has been all along but this issue, which really embraces comic history, might be the best of all. 

Last issue, Manchester Black finally revealed himself to Prime, asking for a reality punch to bring the villain back to life. Here Black puts Prime through the wringer, making Prime relive some of his low points, then putting him through a tour of comic genres, until finally breaking him. The best part of all of it is seeing Prime trying to fight through it all while continuing to be good. It really seems like a redemption story. Williamson has done the impossible; he made Prime likeable. We end with a great cliffhanger that left me wanting more.

Mora is a genius. This book lets him stretch his muscles. From indy art to romance to horror to animated style to battles reminiscent of Prime's bloodiest past, Mora shines. 

What makes this run so fantastic is all the fourth wall comic riffs. For an old fan like me, this is like a trip down memory lane. And there is a panel in this book so pitch perfect, both truthful and hilarious at the same time. I promise I will share it. I may put it on a shirt.

On to the book.

Review: Superman #38

Superman #38 came out this week, the next chapter in the Superboy Prime arc in this book, and frankly another winner. As I have said almost every Prime issue I have reviewed, I am impressed at the creative team who somehow made a character I have loathed for a long time into one I am eager to read each month. This book, a redemption arc with more fourth wall breaking than a Byrne She-Hulk book, has crept to the top of the read pile. Kudos to the creative team who are firing on all cylinders together, writer Joshua Williamson and artist Dan Mora.

Williamson has been doing a fanastic job showing us how earnest Prime has been in trying to be a hero while also having him recognize Prime's unsavory past. I have read lots of 'villains become the hero' arcs in my comic career but few have had the murderous past or the eagerness to amend than here. This book reads like a standard teen hero book with our hero struggling with a job and romance and adventures which is refreshing all while layering in Prime's history. And I appreciate how Williamson is leaning into Prime's probable prime reading window, bringing in characters and villains from that era.

Meanwhile, Mora is just sublime here. From a Prime's day job to a rapid fire descent into hell to a goth club to a meta-look at comic art pages, Mora sings. His Witchfire is gorgeous. One could say she's hot! The outlandish demon fight pages sing especially when Witchfire exhibits some angelic (or evangelion) powers. But the pages at the end of actual art pages really cinches it.

The whole book is a fast-paced book propelling the story forward. I loved it.

On to details.

Review: Spider-Man/Superman #1 Back-Up Stories

We wrap up the week of Spider-Man/Superman #1 by finishing my look at the rest of the stories in the book. There are a couple of real winners in this mix making this entire book a true buy.

The main story was solid outside of a plot point that confused me.

The Supergirl/Ghost Spider story felt like a wasted opportunity making the two characters way more catty than I usually see them. 

While most of these stories revolve around the super-family, there are a couple of other guest stars here. And I it is interesting to see the main Superman starring in so many of these stories. In every one, Superman is written so well, as a true North Star for the other heroes, leading them by example and with wisdom and kindness.

So let's dive right in with one of the better stories in the book.

"Metropolis Marvels" was the first story out of the gate after the main, starring the Golden Age Superman and Spider-Man Noir, set firmly in the 40s. The story was written by Dan Slott with pitch-perfect art by Marcos Martin. The look and feel is spot on.

I don't know much of Spidey Noir so I was surprised to see him packing heat and wanting to kill the Kingpin of Crime, Lex Luthor to avenge a man Lex set up, a prisoner heading to the chair.

In comes Superman to stop Noir's murder plan so he can get Luthor to the Governor in time to help grant a pardon to the innocent man.

So much to love here. One of Superman's first adventure was stopping an innocent man going to the chair. Lex as Kingpin is great. Superman couldn't fly, only jump back then so this page, mirroring the cover of Amazing Fantasy #15 just works. 

And Martin's art is nigh perfect for a noir tale. Home run! And yet, for me, it is still the third best story. There are two even better than this!

On to the rest.

Review: Spider-Man/Superman #1 Main Story

Welcome to part two of Spider-Man/Superman #1 week where I will review the main story of the book, 'Our Kryptonite', by Brad Metzler and Pepe Larraz.

This is a pretty beefy story, clocking in at 27 pages. And it again shows how Superman and Spider-Man would probably be easy friends. Both journalists. Both inspirational heroes. Both here in this Marvel release and in the recent DC release of the heroes, there is an easy chemistry between them.

One thing that I really like about this story (and truly throughout both books), Superman is treated with incredible respect, shown to be a leader and an inspiration. In this issue, I think he actually gives Spider-Man some perspective that the wallcrawler might have been missing. That makes me happy. It ends with a nice homey scene that also adds a touching ending. 

I do have to say that there is a story turn or plot point that wasn't exactly easy for me to understand that sort of pulled me out of the take a little bit. It was only on multiple rereads and a listening to some other reviews that I finally understood the plan of the villains of the piece, Luthor and the Green Goblin. 

The art is by Pepe Larraz so you know it is going to be great. In particular, there is a panel in the super-brawl that blew me away. I'll be sure to point it out. 

I'd be interested in hearing what others thought. For sure, some of the other back-ups (covered later this week) stood out as superb. 

On to the story.

Review: Superman #37

Superman #37 came out this week and was another very entertaining chapter in this redemption arc for Superboy Prime, subbing in for the departed Superman. 

I have said that it is a minor miracle that writer Joshua Williamson has made me actually like this take on Prime. Prime is a comic nerd who recognizes his worst deeds are several reboots ago and is trying to do good. But all those old deeds are still known so Prime is basically under the microscope with everyone waiting for him to mess up. I actually felt for Prime here as he is really feeling that pressure of everyone side eyeing him all while hs is trying to be a hero.

It helps that Prime is a great POV charactier because he talks non-stop about comic history and lore. He is 'one of us' but in the DCU. This issue is full of references and fourth-wall busting insanity. It is a great tool for Williamson to use. But it is a tightrope. You can't overuse. This was the first issue where I felt we got close to that 'too many'. Close ... but did not cross.

There is also a mystery brewing. And I think I might have solved it.

Dan Mora is typically fantastic on art here. With all the trips and adventures and references, Mora is in the deep end of the DCU pool. But he never disappoints. 

On to the book.

Review: Superman/Spider-Man #1 Back-Up Stories

I reviewed the main story in the DC released Superman/Spider-Man crossover here. But just as satisfying were the back-up features teaming up members of the Super-family with the Spider-verse. 

I liked all of them, some more than others.  But they all were entertaining and that isn't something I can say about many of the anthologies DC puts out. And obviously on a project this massive, DC brings in the big guns. This isn't some lesser known creators that DC is letting dip their toes in the DCU. These are veterans and superstars. 

The good thing about families as big as the Supers and the Spiders is that there are enough to give us 7 different team-ups. Impressive. 

These will be bullet reviews of these quick stories. 

We'll start with 'The World's Finest' by Tom King and Jim Lee teaming up Lois and MJ.

While Superman and Spider-Man fight off a Sentinel tracking down a surprise guest-star mutant, Lis and Mary Jane talk about life as the better halves. How many times have they hung from bridges, met other-dimensional versions of themselves, and even died.

As someone who thinks Peter should have ended up with Gwen, I like that MJ talks about how Spidey has a thing about bridges.

Review: Superman/Spider-Man #1 Main Story

Superman/Spider-Man #1, the DC version of this historic crossover, came out this week! It's been 50 years since the original team-up so the time was right to put this out. And after the success of Batman/Deadpool and Deadpool/Batman, this made sense.

I'll start by saying that there are a million variants out there and for once I am completely on board with the sheer number of them this time. The covers delve into the deep benches of both IPs to come up with some cool concepts! Supermobile and Spider-Buggy?? Black suit Spidey and Black Suit Superman? Spider-Punk and Conner Kent? Peter Porker and Krypto! Too fun. Love the 70s Supergirl and Spider-Woman by Adam Hughes!

But it all comes down to the story. Mark Waid and Jorge Jimenez are on task for the main story, my coverage today and they nail it.

Obviously Waid is going to have a deep understanding of the characters' histories. So seeing some homages to classic Spidey made sense. Seeing Super-supporting characters from the Bronze Age made me smile. But seeing the two heroes so easily interact with each other was the special sauce. I used to read Spidey as a kid (haven't in decades) so there was a page filled with quips that made me honestly laugh out loud.

Jimenez brings the fun too. I like his Clark/Peter pages almost as much as the action stuff. But his take on STAR Labs made me want him to do a whole book with that cast. I might be biased!

It's pricey at $8.99 but I think it is worth it! There are a chunk of other Super/Spider stories after this main one I will cover in a couple of days!

On to the main tale!

Review: Superman #36

It is only March but I can tell you that if I had a vote for Best Comic Writer of 2026 in any of the major award ceremonies, I would vote for Joshua Williamson. Somehow Williamson has made a character I have despised for a score years somehow likeable. A Superboy Prime book I am enjoying?? Who'd have thought.

Superman #36 came out this week beginning Prime's run as the main character in the book, part of the Reign of the Superboys event crossing the titles. Somehow there is an 'aw shucks' aspect to this Prime as he gleefully, almost nerdily recounts all the comic knowledge he has to the faces of the heroes. I can't help but smile as he fourth-walls his way through event fatigue and reboots. But even with this sort of fanboy sensibility, there is still this undercurrent of menace that continues to surge now and then. It makes me doubt my own take on the book, wondering if Prime is going to let me down again. 

In this book, he is trying to establish himself in the main DCU for the first time in a while. What does he do with his time? Who does he hang out with? What do others think of him? Why are all the women attracted to him? This read like a first issue, sort of laying the groundwork while adding a big mystery and throwing in a great cliffhanger.  Kudos to Williamson.

Dan Mora is back on the book and makes the whole thing crackle. From cover homages to the JLI women sort of panting over Prime to an Ed McGuinness-esque villain from the 90s to that cliffhanger, everything just leaps off the page. But my favorite page of his is the one stoking the mystery. More on that later.

A Superboy Prime I am excited to read. Who would think it could happen? On to the book.

Review: Superman #35

Superman #35 came out last week, another DC KO crossover and another chapter in the redemption arc for Superboy Prime. It succeeds on both fronts. There is an interesting wrinkle to the Doomsday storyline as well, perhaps leading into a dramatic event in the actual KO finale as well. 

Joshua Williamson has done a good job so far making me a little sympathetic towards Prime, veering into actually liking him. Prime has learned some hard lessons and continues to do so in this arc, reminding him why Superman was his hero so long ago. This issue Williamson reminds us who Prime has been in the past, and maybe showing that he still has some darkness in him. Perhaps some down to Earth Kent wisdom will help tamp down the remaining vitriol.

The Doomsday piece does intrigue me as it is basically a new element to his origin and changes him fundamentally. I suppose that Doomsday becoming the Time Trapper was a big step already, one that makes some sense. I recall hearing that Dan Jurgens didn't like that change so I doubt Jurgens will be on board with this one either.

Eddy Barrows is again on art and continues to show why he is a favorite. The fight scenes are brutal. There are emotional scenes with heft. The pages layouts are interesting. But the high water mark for art here is the expressive work, a strong part of Barrows' art.

Will the events of this change the climax of KO? I think so.

On to the book.

Review: Superman #34

Superman #34 came out last week, a DC KO tie in and a pretty big treat for a Legion fan like me. More impressive than the LSH stuff in the issue is that somehow writer Joshua Williamson continues to make me like reading his Superboy Prime.

The KO stuff is really on the periphery of the issue. The main plot is Prime, Lois, and a Superman Robot trying to get to Doomsday to give him the information we learned from the Lara Lor-Van tapes. That trip takes a few detours as we get to contrast the brash Prime to the earnest Superman simulacrum. We are on a sort of redemption tour for Prime and his being inspired by an automaton is a nice wrinkle.

We know Josh Williamson is going to be writing a Legion of Super-Heroes book in the future. Maybe we see some glimpses of what he thinks of the Legion in this book. I hope that book sings.

Eddy Barrows is on art and I have always loved his work. He really has shined on this arc and it is great to see his take on these DC KO landscape. His splash pages are fantastic. And wait until you see his Legion.

On to the book.

Review: Batman/Superman World's Finest #47

Batman/Superman World's Finest #47 came out this last week, the finale of the Absorbascon storyline pitting the Batman/Superman Fusion against the Lex/Joker Merger. And boy, it ends ... quickly, neatly, and semi-easily.

Writer Mark Waid is almost always a fun and entertaining read and this title has been a revelation in the four years it has been out. This story seems to have some elements that fit the quality of this book. Seeing how the fused heroes work together while the meshed villain minds sometimes are fighting each other is a good insight into the characters. Seeing how our heroes deal with their secret identities revealed also has some meat on the bone to delve into. (Indeed, the Lois scene in this book is my favorite.) And perhaps this characterization deep dive was the impetus for this story. But the plot, with the Absorbascon as a deus ex machina becoming both a receiver and a transmitter that needs to be shut down then saved then reverted seemed too big to wrap up. This was a three parter! But honestly, I don't know if a longer version of this story would make the ending more palatable.

Adrian Gutierrez gets to really stretch in this arc with crazy action, a large cast of cameos, and some emotional beats. It is a rapid fire book going from magical battles to quiet apartment conversations to fistfights. That is a lot for one tiny issue. It must be hard to step into Dan Mora's shoes but I have come to really like Gutierrez's style on this book. There is an energy here that works. 

On to the book.

Bullet Review: DC KO #3

DC KO #3, written by Scott Snyder with art by Javi Fernandez, came out this week and was another bonkers, high energy brawl of a book as our heroes and villains vie to see who will win the title King Omega and take on Darkseid to reinvent the universe.

It feels intentionally over the top with the fate of the universe at hand, the winner being able to scrawl their idea of what reality should be. 

Round one was a battle royale style race for immunity totems (magical items).

Round two was a two out of three solo match.

Round three is a tag-team match with each entrant able to pick their partner.

It is silly in a good way with high stakes and I have mostly enjoyed it. But two things have detracted my enjoyment from the title.

The first is a bit meta, the promotion of the event. I will talk about that at the end.

The second, how Supergirl was treated in this particular issue hence the bullet review.

They are, overall, small distractions to the insanity of the book. It is fun in an 'over the top' way.

But let's dive into Supergirl's part in this issue.

The rules of engagement are clear. The Elite Eight are allowed to pick a partner, any partner, got the tag team battle. If they don't choose a partner, one will be chosen for them.

Superman chooses last. The omnipotent voice almost chooses for him but then Clark makes up his mind.

Is the crumbling Supergirl statue supposed to mean she is who was almost chosen for him? Does it mean he contemplated picking her but picked someone else?

Either way, at least she was near the top. 

But then ...

Review: Superman #33

Superman #33 came out last week, a Luthor solo story showing his round 2 DC KO brawl with Etrigan. Written by Joshua Williamson with art by Hayden Sherman, it is a deep dive into the intricacies of Lex's mind and history so was an intersting read.

Since the beginning of this volume of Superman, Lex has been front and center. The whole premise by Williamson was showcasing the Lex/Superman relationship as Luthor wanted to befriend Superman, first for nefarious reasons and then because he was turned. Then House of Brainiac, amnesia, a truly good (almost naive) Lex emerging, only to have his unsavory life outlook sort of resurface. For sure, Lex has been complicated.

In this issue, Lex dwells on his mindset and background. He has an 'ends justify the means' foundation that he uses to justify every decision he has made in life, from literally making a deal with the devil to doing what he needs to do to advance in this Omega tournament. Throw in the Demon, Etrigan's own history, some deep DC history, and this is a worthy even tie-in.

Hayden Sherman is on art and brings a great style to the proceedings. I have just started to discover Sherman's work while reading Batman Dark Patterns and Absolute Wonder Woman back issues. One of the best things in this book is the page layouts with creative panels and page layouts. I don't know if his style is best for Superman but for an issue mostly located in Hell? Perfect. Alejandro Sanchez's color schemes of oranges, reds, and yellows only accentuates it.

If I had one nitpick, this issue could have used some editors notes pointing out where some flashbacks took place. 

On to the book. 

Review: Batman/Superman World's Finest #46

Batman/Superman World's Finest #46 came out last week, the second part of the Luthor/Joker team-up arc and basically a issue-long brawl between our main characters ... but with a twist.

This is a standard Mark Waid story, digging into some old DC concepts like the Thanagarian Absorbascon while giving it a nice updated feel. Last issue, the Joker and Luthor fused into one body. This issue we get to explore what that mind is like, with two completely dueling mindsets trying to work one body. Through some plot shenanigans, we get a fusion Superman/Batman being (harkening back to World's Finest #4 ). So we then get to see what two minds thinking together sound like as opposed to the villains. It is a nice little writing trick, giving us a nice dive into the thoughts of our main protagonists and antagonists.

But the real joy of this issue is the art by Adrian Gutierrez. It probably isn't the best word but there is a frenetic feel to his art. There is a wild energy to it. And in this issue where two fused beings are just throwing down, the art just sizzles. This just feels like a Dragon Ball episode with overpowered fused-form beings are zipping around the skies trading blows. I don't mind a brawl issue now and then.

I don't know why this issue got a Chuma Hill variant cover with Supergirl and Catwoman but it is an interesting composition.

On to the story.

Review: DC KO: Superman Vs. Captain Atom #1

D.C. K.O. : Superman Vs. Captain Atom #1 came out this week, a tie-in to the latest big company-wide crossover D.C. K.O.  

This event is one of those 'don't think about it too hard' sort of stories for me. If you try to actually understand what is happening - a Heart of Apokolips chaos engine pitting characters against each other in a tournament to create the King Omege to fight Darkseid - you'll probably get a headache. Or say 'comic book science'. 

A bigger problem I have with this event is it was built as a bracket style tournament but the first round was a battle royale. So why put out a bracket for fans to fill out? Why not do two promos? First pick the 16 Battle Royale winners and then set up the bracket for fans to fill. It sort of let some air out of the fun.

Still, everyone likes a good brawl and certainly Superman vs. Captain Atom is a great brawl. Writer Joshua Williamson does his best to inject some characterization into the proceedings. The point of this book is 'who will go the farthest' to get this power. No one thinks Superman can take that step. And Captain Atom, who has flirted with being a despot, just might. There are some good bests here. 

Sean Izaaske is on art here and has a lot to contend with. Multiple rounds. Multiple versions of the characters. Multiple settings. And an ending that veers into a Grant Morrison-esque fourth wall busting. The work is pretty impressive.

But in the end, this seems like a wrestling match with a good pre-bout speeches.

On to the book.

Review: Superman #32

Superman #32 came out last week, a true tie-in to DC KO with some replayed scenes and added moments to that storyline. But the main thrust of this issue is two-fold. One, Luthor entering the fray. Two, Lois dealing with the Absolute Legion while she tries to help her husband.

Writer Joshua Williamson has been focusing on the Luthor/Superman relationship this entire series with Lex going from duplicitous and villainous to inspired to amnestic to philosophical to now back to being villainous. Seeing Luthor say he is the better person to wield to Heart of Apokolips and win the tournament is a nice new addition to their dealings in this book. Is this a quick heel turn for Lex who went to Nanda Parbat to hide and meditate? Maybe. But the world is at stake. 

As for Lois, I have been enjoying her dealing with Superboy Prime who is at his most likeable in this story. How did she get her powers back? Who knows. It had been hinted at that they had been stolen from General Zod. Did he regain them only to lose them again? Will we ever find out the hows and whys of these.

Eddy Barrows is on art again and brings a nice aesthetic to the whole thing, a mix of a fine lined pencil work to excellent shadowing. I like how DC is using Barrows, having come in for a few issues and not saddling him with the idea of a monthly book. His art is great and I always like seeing it.

One thing about this issue is that it does spend some pages retelling things I have read in this title and in the DC KO #1 issue. I suppose there are readers who haven't read the other and these recaps help.

On to details.

Superman Album (Greek)

A bit ago, I showcased a Supergirl #6 from Greece, a gift from a buddy when he had traveled there. Turns out he had another gift for me, an interesting Superman album from the same time.

It is the size of your standard Asterix or Tintin size and produced by Anubis Publishing.

But it is an odd collection.

Three seemingly random issues.

Action Comics #870, from 2008, is the finale of the Geoff Johns Brainiac arc which led into New Krypton. 

Superman #15, from 2013, is a middle chapter in H'El on Earth. 

Superman #39, from 2015, was the end of another Geoff Johns run on the character, a time when Superman was using his solar flare and had just told Jimmy Olsen his secret identity. 

Three issues without any connection. One in an old continuity. Another in the middle of a less than stellar, very long arc.

Does the company only have access to some issues? Was this based on art? Gary Frank, Kenneth Rocafort, and John Romita Jr. provide great art here. 

But such a fascinating group. All reviewed here at the time of release! I have been doing this a long time!

Some samples ahead.

Review: Superman #31

Superman #31 came out this week, a tie in to DC K.O. complete with banner at the top. W e have already had the first issue of that event comic so this is a sort of prequel, showing us what happened just before Superman entered the arena. Maybe there are a couple of hints sprinkled in too.

Writer Joshua Williamson gives us a pretty good tour of Superman's life as he struggles with the idea of entering a tournament, fighting friends, in hopes of coming King Omega, fueled by conquest. On its face, that doesn't sound like Superman. So no surprise, he would be looking for advice and answers. The ultimate answer comes from an unexpected source.

We also get a healthy dollop of Lois in the book which always makes me smile. Even staring a universal cataclysm in the face, she is brave and keeps asking the right questions. I will say there is one part of Lois' story here that struck me as a little off but it is a quibble.

In what is a great surprise, Eddy Barrows is back on art. His work is so polished. Between splashes and subtle flourishes, this exposition heavy book still looks gorgeous. And love his Lois.

All in all, this is a solid issue, an early lead into cross-company event. So glad we got a little of the background on what the super-family was doing leading up to the fight.

On to the book.