Superman #39 Review

 

Superman #39 Review

Writer: Joshua Williamson

Artist & Cover Artist: Dan Mora

Colorist: Alejandro Sánchez

Letterer: Ariana Maher

Cover Artists: Sanford Greene; Ariel Diaz; Chris Burnham & Tamra Bonvillain; Aaron Bartling

Supergirl Movie Variant Cover Artist: Stanley “Artgerm” Lau

Editors: Jillian Grant & Paul Kaminski

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: June 25, 2026

 

Superboy-Prime wants to earn his Superman status. He has vowed to demonstrate that he has turned over a new leaf. Even Jonathan and Martha Kent seem inclined to give "CK" a chance to prove himself. Then, after Superboy-Prime defends Metropolis from a demonic invasion, someone creeps into his mind.

 

Like CK's new occult friend, Manchester Black refuses to stay down. He knows where he wants to be and the person he wants to become. So, as Manchester Black attempts to forge a new future, he chooses CK to help him. Can Superboy-Prime resist Manchester Black's control like he shrugged off Witchfire's spell? Or will CK become a slave to the man's whims and demonstrate to everyone that he doesn't belong in the Justice League? Let’s leap into Superman #39, and see!

 

Story

With Neron ruling Hell, Lord Satanus and Lady Blaze sought to establish their own domain in Metropolis. When Witchfire and her coven opposed them, Superboy-Prime stood with them. But after battling demons, Manchester Black possesses CK's mind. And to convince CK to obey his commands, he forces Superboy-Prime to revisit a dark period of his life.

 

When Superboy-Prime returns to the events in Infinite Crisis, he struggles to remember that he has sought a new path. As he insists that he won’t repeat the mistakes of yesterday, the other superheroes don’t realize that he has changed. Caught up in the moment, the heroes he admires throw everything they have at him in Superman #39. As Superboy-Prime hails from our world, he assures his fellow heroes that their injuries and deaths are temporary. Then, Superboy-Prime confronts someone whose death proved more lasting.

 

In Joshua Williamson’s story, Superboy-Prime wants to change. Yet, as Manchester Black realizes, there is more to metamorphosis than pursuing a new goal. When Superboy-Prime heard about the Omega Tournament, he wanted to fight in it. Recently, when he stood alongside Witchfire and her coven, Superboy-Prime didn’t hold back. Unlike the Clark Kent he was trying to model his life on, Superboy-Prime ripped apart the demons without restraint. And he enjoyed it. Disturbingly, when Superboy-Prime confronts a fellow hero he cannot win over with words, CK is all too willing to unleash his Kryptonian powers on him in Superman #39.

 

Art

Appearing as his younger self doesn't show that CK has grown. So, amid the attacks, Superboy-Prime rises above the metahumans, dinosaurs, and pterodactyls to escape the fighting. Then, someone prevents him from ascending further. When Kal-L hovers above him, Superboy-Prime recalls the hero’s origins.

 

As Dan Mora portrays Superboy-Prime in different cartoon and animation styles, Alejandro Sánchez changes palettes to adorn each artistic form in Superman #39. Before Witchfire asserted that someone was manipulating CK's aura, he was wearing a superhero shirt. When Manchester Black appears in a purple suit, his upraised hair and features that extend his smile across his white face evoke the T-shirt's nemesis. CK sees Witchfire in a new way amid blue, red, and yellow. And after contemplating losing his identity amid a four-color homage, Superboy-Prime confronts a monochromatic world where the things he cares about don’t exist.

 

Ariana Maher places black uppercase letters in colored narrative boxes and white dialogue balloons, while Superboy-Prime’s thoughts appear in clouds. Font size, style, and case change as Manchester Black tests Superboy-Prime’s resolve. Stylized titles introduce some of the comics CK visits. While sound effects amplify fighting and explosions, a scream that tears across a panel evokes how Superboy-Prime ripped apart demons. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

Superboy-Prime is a man of two worlds. He loves the comic universe he inhabits. Yet he remembers what it was like to read comics and regard his heroes as fictional characters.

 

Despite how much CK wants to redeem himself, he still doesn't feel sorry about the "fictional" people he injured and killed. Nor is he willing to shoulder the entire blame for his past transgressions. Superboy-Prime’s inability to empathize with others and feel the pain and heartbreak he caused proves a weakness that someone else with a foot in two worlds can exploit in Superman #39.

 

Rating 9.7/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Superman #39.

 

For what happened last time, see my preview of Superman #38. 

For what happened before that, see my preview of Superman #37.

For how this story arc began, see my preview of Superman #36.