Superman: The Stranger #1 Review
Writer, Artist & Cover Artist: Wes Craig
Colorist: Jason Wordie
Variant Cover Artists: Dave Johnson, Goran Parlov, And Ethan Young
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $4.99 US (All Covers Card Stock)
Release Date: September 2, 2026
Clark Kent has labored over his writing samples. So, when the editor says that his timing is off, Clark mentions the writers and artists who have shaped his prose. Sadly, his interviewer is referring to the new owners. He believes they'll want to cut staff, rather than increasing their investment by hiring greenhorns.
Clark has pinned his hopes on getting a job in journalism. Can he convince the boss to take him on? And why has Clark sacrificed everything to fulfill his dream of being a reporter? Let's leap into Superman: The Stranger #1 and see!
Story
After leaving the office, Clark ponders the necessity of money as he walks home. Lacking a safety net, Clark must earn enough to pay his bills. The editor's concession won't cut it. Still, at least it's a step inside the doors of an institution that could help him fulfill his dream.
The newspaper editor may not be overwhelmed with the style of Clark's prose. Still, as Superman: The Stranger #1 follows Clark through the rhythms of his day, the aspiring reporter ponders the big questions. Clark’s thoughts flow in a conversational tone as he struggles to make sense of his life. Clark may have corrected the editor’s mispronunciation of his name. Still, Clark's musings on society and the role he will play evoke those of a philosopher.
In Wes Craig’s story, Clark doesn’t just want to get paid for his work. He also yearns for someone to understand him. Instead of talking with a friend, Clark bares his soul to his journal. He writes to someone he once knew. Perhaps he imagined a future with this person. Instead, life has parted them. Yet Clark doesn’t just muse on the meaning of his existence or dwell on absent friends. At night, he ventures out to try to make his city a better place to live.
While Clark is isolated from his heritage, another character knows where he belongs. He may not possess Clark’s athletic abilities. Still, he has superpowers of another kind. And as Clark strives to demonstrate and master his abilities, this man quietly builds an empire in Superman: The Stranger #1.
Art
Light streams through the windows of the writers' room. It backlights the interviewer as his cigar glows. Smoke fills the room as the editor tries to let Clark down easily. Yet smoke forms clouds and airborne streams blown by the wind in the growing city. As Clark walks home, buses, automobiles, delivery trucks, and horse-drawn carriages share the streets. Smoke rises from the vehicles as children play, a newspaper hawker shouts the headlines, and the occasional passerby pauses to listen to a soapbox preacher. A bunch of bananas seems like an exotic touch as a shopkeeper stands behind a counter, framed by a scale and a cash register.
As Wes Craig conjures a bygone era, Jason Wordie adorns Superman: The Stranger #1 with a limited palette. Clark wears green as he makes his pitch. Yellow light slants through the windows as the editor considers letting his staff go. Metropolis, filled with construction crews and unfinished buildings, glows with yellow, orange, and brownish red. As Clark writes in his orange-bound journal, the fading sunlight makes the drapes in his room glow orange. Yet, when night falls, green returns to demonstrate Clark's ethics, even as he ponders what his role in life will be.
Black uppercase dialogue fills white balloons as two men attempt to forge their destinies. Lowercase letters in white gutters reveal Clark's thoughts. Yet the lowercase letters fill yellow narrative boxes when darkness falls, and Clark attempts to make an impact on his world. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.
Final Thoughts
It’s tough to get by in the big city. While Clark Kent uses his new abilities to protect others, he understands what drives many of the criminals. It’s a feeling he shares. Yet Clark hungers for far more than his next meal in Superman: The Stranger #1.
Rating 9.6/10
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