Action Comics #1100: Superman Meets Superboy Review

 

Action Comics #1100: Superman Meets Superboy Review

Writer: Joshua Williamson

Artist: Daniel Sampere

Colorist: Alejandro Sánchez

Letterer: Steve Wands

Cover Artist: Ryan Sook

Variant Cover Artists: Mark Spears; David Talaski; Jim Cheung & Jay David Ramos; Rahzzah; Daniel Sampere & Tomeu Morey

Editors: Jillian Grant & Brittany Holzherr

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $5.99 US/$6.99 US Card Stock/$7.99 US Foil

Release Date: July 22, 2026

 

Young Clark Kent didn't ask Martian Manhunter, Booster Gold, and Mary Marvel to bring their battle to his time. He didn’t ask to lose his superpowers. Nor did he ask Epoch to try to kill him. Still, Clark gradually realized that, whether he wanted to or not, he had to reclaim his powers. Earth needed a Superman. And the threats facing his planet would only grow over time.

 

Now, Clark has regained his powers. Once more, Clark Kent is Superboy. But after defeating Epoch, Martian Manhunter, Booster Gold, and Mary Marvel believe he should accompany them on their mission. What will Superboy discover as he travels the time stream with his new friends? And how might it affect his future? Let’s leap into Action Comics #1100 and see!

 

Superman Meets Superboy: Story

After the events in Mission Failure, Clark accompanies Booster Gold, Mary Marvel, and Martian Manhunter on their search for Superman. While they fly through the timestream, Mary Marvel expresses her concerns that their flight could alter Clark’s future. Martian Manhunter also warns Booster Gold to curb his enthusiasm.

 

Still, Booster is in the driver’s seat in Action Comics #1100. He argues that Superman has vanished. Despite everyone's superpowers, no one has found their friend. Young Clark, with his super vision, represents their best hope of finding Superman. Amid his love for his friend and his desire to share that love with Clark, Booster shrugs off his friends’ concerns about revealing too much about Clark’s future.

 

Joshua Williamson’s story tackles the role of spoilers in our lives. Some people don’t want to know anything about their future. Others read the last chapter of a book to learn how it ends before deciding to read the book through. Booster's arguments suggest that knowing his future will give Clark a target to strive for. 

 

Superman Meets Superboy links with previous events in Action Comics with DC K.O. and Justice League Unlimited. And after Mary Marvel, Booster Gold, and Martian Manhunter asserted Clark’s importance to the future, Superboy gets to play a vital role in finding his future self. Mary Marvel and Martian Manhunter tried playing it carefully. Trying to shield knowledge of future events from Clark led to the trio being erased from time. So, they let Booster Gold call the shots in Action Comics #1100.

 

Superman Meets Superboy: Art

Booster sits before the controls of their time ship, while Clark, Mary Marvel, and J’onn stand. Booster's face reveals his exuberance as he thumps Clark on the chest. Clark's eyes glow, and his jaw drops, as he sees what lies ahead of him. When Mary moves forward, gesturing with her arms, Clark shrugs and points at the eye-catching visions beyond the canopy.

 

Their ship may look futuristic. Still, the keyboards and black-and-white monitors reveal its cobbled-together nature. Daniel Sampere tilts panels 45 degrees when separately showing Mary Marvel and J’onn frowning at Booster Gold’s decisions. But in a cinematic wide shot, the camera rights itself as Mary Marvel throws up her hands in Action Comics #1100.

 

Their ship travels along a stream of light as it ventures into the future. The white, light-red, and light-yellow bands of light contrast with the vibrantly colored occupants and the glimpses of the future. People in the timestream radiate colors like an aura, or multiply in slow motion. Then, their view outside grows opalescent until Alejandro Sánchez portrays their surroundings as individual bands of color amid a white void.

 

Steve Wands fills white dialogue balloons with uppercase black lettering that grows bold with intonation. Offscreen dialogue appears in white boxes with colored borders, while Superboy’s appears as white words in blue boxes. Sound effects reveal how the ship reacts to changes in the flow of the timestream. As alarms wail inside the transparent canopy, the dialogue swells, and balloons change shape in Superboy Meets Superman. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

Mary Marvel and J’onn argue that learning secrets will heap more responsibility on Clark’s young shoulders. Yet Booster Gold insists on sharing the secrets he knows Clark will enjoy hearing. As the trio argues over two sides of the same coin, they embody different aspects of friendship while searching for their greatest friend in Action Comics #1100.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside the previous story, Mission Failure, see my preview of Action Comics #1100. 

 

For what happened last time, see my review of Action Comics #1099. 

For how Clark lost his powers, see my preview of Action Comics #1098. 

 

For Clark's battle at the Metropolis Expo of Tomorrow, see my review of Action Comics #1097. 

 

For how Superboy met Martian Manhunter, Mary Marvel, Booster Gold, and Epoch, see my review of Action Comics #1096.  

 

 

Wonder Woman #34 Review

 

Wonder Woman #34 Review

Writer: Tom King

Artists: Daniel Sampere & Bruno Redondo

Colorist: Alejandro Sánchez

Letterer: Clayton Cowles

Cover Artists: Daniel Sampere & Tomeu Morey

Variant Cover Artists: David Nakayama; Inhyuk Lee; Annie Wu

DC Pride Cover Artist: Fatima Wajid

Editors: Marquis Draper & Brittany Holzherr

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: June 24, 2026

 

Discovering Steve Trevor on Themyscira should have overjoyed Diana. Yet she had battled and slain soldiers to reach the secret prison. Worse, the Matriarch's male soldiers guarded her sacred shores. So, while Elizabeth hugged the father she knew only from her Corgi-chasing trips through time, Diana held back. Then, defying the Gods that allowed the Matriarch to murder her friends and defile her homeland, Diana used Lex Luthor's God Killer sword to carve open a passage to the Underworld.

 

The Gods dislike it when their subjects defy their omnipotence. So, when Diana, Steve, and Elizabeth enter the Palace of the Moirai, the Fates invite another guest to the impromptu party. Can Elizabeth and Lyssa rediscover their childhood friendship? Or must Wonder Woman and the Matriarch fight to the death in Hades? Let’s leap into Wonder Woman #34 and see!

 

Story

The Matriarch smiles, not realizing that the sword stored in her White Palace is a copy. When Diana shatters her sword, the Matriarch is as surprised as when she went too far torturing Superman. But as the Fates debate the origins and meaning of myths, the Matriarch claims that there are more powerful things than gods and their swords. Then she uses her power ring to summon a hard light construct.

 

As the Matriarch confronts Diana in Wonder Woman #34, she recalls how she secured the power ring and what she has done to keep it. While the two warriors fight, Lyssa recognizes that she faces the pride of Themyscira. Diana defeated her mother to become her island's emissary to the world. So, after slaying other superheroes and becoming a world leader, Lyssa regards killing Diana as the final act in securing her domination.

 

While Tom King ponders how we relate to others, he focuses on how we judge our worth and determine what will make us happy. Lyssa may not clothe herself in chains to celebrate her victories. Yet she values strength. As the Matriarch, Lyssa has devoted her life to enduring pain to become the ultimate oppressor. Diana defines herself in different terms. Lyssa thinks she must have everything to be happy. But even amid her greatest trial, Diana protects others and takes only what she needs in Wonder Woman #34.

 

Art

Amid arid terrain, a Green Lantern corpse on the road evokes extraterrestrial events in another reality. As the power ring rises from the still hand in this ravaged future, the red surrounding her eyes defines what drives Tomar-Lyssa. Despite taking place two decades hence, Daniel Sampere and Bruno Redondo adorn the two Amazons in armor that recalls a brutal past, when the strong took whatever they wanted, and might equaled right.

 

As the absolute ruler of the United States wields her hard light sword, the Matriarch’s grayscale hair and armor contrast with Diana's red, white, and blue uniform. The Princess of Themyscira adorns her head, heart, and shoulders with gold in Wonder Woman #34. Yet the scarlet running down their faces defines their anger at what each other represents. While Alejandro Sánchez paints the God Killer sword brown, its organic shape and color link it with the Green, as Diana battles a leader who will destroy everything and everyone to get what she wants.  

 

Clayton Cowles fills white dialogue balloons with black uppercase letters that grow bold for intonation and shrink for lowered voices. As block letters emphasizing diagonals locate us in time and space, offscreen dialogue in colored boxes provides divine commentary. Balloons become clouds with wavering arrows when a speaker digs deep to summon extraordinary willpower. Sound effects enhance a battle before disapproving gods who wonder how the combatants will determine their future. Thanks to DC Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Diana defied Zeus and the order of the Underworld to reach the Palace of the Moirai. Like Steve Trevor, Diana has sinned against the Fates. As she battles the daughter of a woman she sought to rescue, Diana must determine how she will face Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos' judgment in Wonder Woman #34.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Wonder Woman #34. 

 

For what happened last time, see my preview of Wonder Woman #33. 

For what happened before that, see my review of Wonder Woman #32. 

For how The Wonder War story arc began, see my preview of Wonder Woman #31. 

 

DC K.O. #5 Review

 

Writers: Scott Snyder & Joshua Williamson

Artists: Javi Fernández, Xermánico & Wes Craig

Colorist: Alejandro Sánchez

Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Editors: Marquis Draper & Paul Kaminski

Cover Artists: Javi Fernández & Alejandro Sánchez; Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer; Jerome Opeña; Ian Bertram; Mike Del Mundo; Ben Oliver; Dan Mora; Steve Skroce & Dave Stewart; Mahmud Asrar & Alejandro Sánchez

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $5.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: March 4, 2026

 

Like everyone else, the Heart of Apokolips knows Darkseid controls the future. It believes that Darkseid is its master. Yet when Booster Gold stopped and resuscitated it with Omega energy, the Heart saw an opportunity for a different life. It invited each of the heroes to reshape the world with it. As the Heart has guided the combatants through each round, it modeled the contests after the only master it knows.

 

Then, the Heart of Apokolips transported the final four combatants to an Earth where Darkseid’s dominion is beyond question. Superman, Lex Luthor, Joker, and Wonder Woman battled the Absolute versions of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. Yet, as he did to the Quantum Quorum on the Justice League Watchtower, Darkseid attacked them through Booster Gold. Now, only one combatant remains. How will he fare against Darkseid? And how does the Heart of Apokolips feel about Lex Luthor being the King Omega? Let’s leap into DC K.O. #5 and see!

 

Story

After spending much of his life as a destroyer, Time Trapper helped the Justice League preserve the universe. He sought to protect them by traveling to the future to confront Darkseid. When that failed, Time Trapper offered to preserve the heroes in a time bubble. But the Justice League refused to abandon their universe to Darkseid. So, Time Trapper helped them orchestrate the tournament for the Heart of Apokolips.

 

It may be in Time Trapper’s nature to be suspicious. But when Lois Lane brings him the information hidden within the Kryptonian archives, it flips Time Trapper’s perspective yet again. In DC K.O. #5, Time Trapper reveals that he has defied a longtime foe's wishes. And like Superboy-Prime and Robo-Superman, Time Trapper shows that it's never too late to realize your promise.

 

As the Heart of Apokolips narrates this cosmic battle, it reveals its feelings about the combatants for the crown. Once again, the story addresses different views on winning and losing. It recognizes that our views on perfection will vary. As Scott Snyder and Joshua Williamson’s story reshapes the DC Universe, it ponders how we should respond to the inner voice that guides our lives. Yet an earlier conversation about what might constitute an ideal non-superhero life lingers as DC K.O. #5 reaches its conclusion.

 

Art

An exultant Lex Luthor defies panel borders as he stands before the Heart of Apokolips. While Darkseid congratulates Lex, the camera focuses on the players relegated to the sidelines. A double-page spread recreates the opening scene from this series, as diagonal panels of the game night participants frame Darkseid’s invasion of space and time. Darkseid and Lex's battlesuits seem to shrink their heads by enhancing their trapezius muscles. Then, one of the giant chess pieces taken off the board awakens and joins Time Trapper on a cosmic journey in DC K.O. #5.

 

While Alejandro Sánchez lavishes vivid colors on Javi Fernández, Xermánico, and Wes Craig’s art, Time Trapper ferries a companion amid the sea of eternal darkness. But space is rarely dark, as his companion glows with white and yellow energy while a blue orb hovers above one hand. Around them, the Heavens burst with rays of light encompassing a spectrum of colors. While Darkseid’s realm echoes his gray and red suit, his challenger shines amid gems glittering in a mother-of-pearl void.

 

As Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou places black dialogue in white balloons, the Heart of Apokolips's narration and dialogue appear as tall white letters in black fields. The letters grow bold for intonation and swell for raised voices. One character’s white off-camera dialogue appears in colored narrative boxes. Sound effects herald Time Trapper accepting his destiny, Omega Energy bursting from the Heart of Apokolips, and the heir to the crown battling a god who will never be satisfied with less than everything. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

When the victor claims the crown, the Heart of Apokolips transforms the universe. But even then, the victor must defeat Darkseid. While addressing how we grow and change through life, DC K.O. #5 reminds us that how we respond to fear and crisis shapes our future and the world around us.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my preview of DC K.O. #5. 

Superman #35 Review

 

Writer: Joshua Williamson

Artists: Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira & Julio Ferreira

Colorist: Alejandro Sánchez

Letterer: Ariana Maher

Cover Artists: Dan Mora, Guillem March, Rod Reis, Davide Paratore & Chris Stevens

Valentine’s Day Variant Cover Artist: Chrissie Zull-Uminga

Editors: Jillian Grant & Paul Kaminski

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: February 25, 2026

 

Sun Boy gifted Lois Lane with superpowers. Superboy-Prime possesses Kryptonian abilities like her husband. Lois has downloaded crucial information about Darkseid into a robot her husband created. But the person who can most benefit from the archives is Time Trapper, who killed her husband as Doomsday.

 

The Superman robot follows Lois's instructions. Yet as it travels with her and Superboy-Prime, the robot asks itself, "Who am I? And what would Clark do in this situation?" But two hours can fly by when you're trying to save the planet. When Lois reaches the Justice League Watchtower, they find Time Trapper near death. Then the Omega Legion arrives, and they’re not interested in furthering Time Trapper’s interests. Will Darkseid’s heroes destroy the Kryptonian archives inside the Superman robot? And will Superboy-Prime use his power to kill his enemies? Let’s find a phonebooth, leap into Superman #35, and see!

 

Story

Everywhere Time Trapper looks, he sees failure. He has tried to help the Justice League save the future. Instead, he watches as the Earth transforms into Apokolips. While ostensibly working alongside him to help one of Earth’s heroes become King Omega, the Quantum Quorum helped Earth’s villains sneak into the K.O. Tournament. Time Trapper didn’t even realize that Darkseid had possessed one of his teammates.

 

With his hopes betrayed, Time Trapper watches Superboy-Prime, Lois Lane, and Robo-Superman confront the Omega Legion in Superman #35. As the trio fights for their lives, they also battle over their identity. Superboy-Prime yearned to compete in the K.O. Tournament. Yet he realized that defending Lois and Robo-Superman was more important than the thrill of victory. Robo-Superman knows Superman created him with Kryptonian powers and abilities. Then Superman kept Robo-Superman in storage, fearing the robot would value its life over others.

 

Of all of them, perhaps Lois has seen the greatest transformation. Lois has traded the freedom of being a reporter for the responsibility of running a worldwide news organization. Now, Sun Boy has gifted Lois with Kryptonian powers, transforming her identity once again.

 

As Joshua Williamson covers the three-pronged battle on the Justice League Watchtower, he also reveals the combatants’ hearts. Each of the characters has something to prove in Superman #35. Whether they see themselves as heroes, villains, synthetic people, or echoes of people who died long ago, each of them must decide if they will yield to Darkseid’s dominance or cling to hope for a better future.

 

Art

As Time Trapper reflects on his past with Superman, a two-page spread shows Superboy-Prime and Robo-Superman fighting in Clark's stead. The Omega symbol looms large on the Legion's uniforms, while Saturn Girl's glowing irises echo part of the symbol on her chest. Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, and Julio Ferreira portray the fighting and death Saturn Girl envisions with a series of diagonal slashed panels. The artists counter a one-page montage of Lois and Saturn Girl fighting with a two-page collage portraying the battle taking place in their minds.

 

While Alejandro Sánchez paints Superman #35 with rich and powerful colors, red, pink, and orange convey the power Saturn Girl revels in. When she touches Lois’ forehead, Saturn Girl’s face appears on Lois’ purple eye. While white energy crackles from Lightning Lad’s eyes, the sheen of Superboy-Prime's pauldrons and vambraces enhances his warrior status. As they risk their lives to prove their worthiness, a red star forms in Superboy-Prime's right eye, and Robo-Superman's exposed metal eye glows red.

 

Time Trapper’s thoughts appear in orange boxes, while Saturn Girl’s off-camera dialogue appears in pink boxes. Ariana Maher places uppercase letters in colored narrative boxes and white dialogue balloons, while Robo-Superman speaks in bold block letters. Words grow bold for intonation and emotional intensity and shrink for lowered voices. Lois's lowercase reply inhabits a cloud with a slithering arrow when searching for the strength to carry on. While sound effects enhance the battle, the sound of sparking electronics hits the hardest. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

While some see hope as a character flaw, others equate it with freedom. But as heroes and villains fight for their reality, each realizes that hope is the key to getting a second shot at the life they want in Superman #35.

 

Rating 9.7/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Superman #35. 

DC K.O. #4 Review

 

Writers: Scott Snyder & Joshua Williamson

Artists: Javi Fernández & Xermánico

Colorist: Alejandro Sánchez

Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Editors: Marquis Draper & Paul Kaminski

Cover Artists: Javi Fernández & Alejandro Sánchez; Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer; Rafael Albuquerque & Marcelo Maiolo; Mike Del Mundo; Jeff Spokes; Ben Oliver; Dan Mora; Aaron Bartling

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $5.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: February 11, 2026

 

Wonder Woman won through Round Three by increasing her knowledge of Apokolips. Lex Luthor triumphed by manipulating others. The Joker channeled the power of creativity and imagination to get one step closer to turning reality into a black, laughing void. And despite Batman's insistence that Clark crush his opponents, Superman won Round Three by sharing with others. How will the final four fare in Round Four? And after the events in DC K.O. Knightfight #4, will someone else be joining them? Let’s leap into DC K.O. #4 and see!

 

Story

Heroes seek to protect others, while villains strive to exploit them. In this contest about who will become the best dominator, Round Three winnowed the heroes from six to two, while both villains made the cut. So, when the Heart of Apokolips transports them to the world Darkseid created, it seems ironic that Superman, Wonder Woman, Joker, and Lex Luthor confront four heroes. But as Wonder Woman tells Superman, what the Heart touches, it corrupts.

 

In DC K.O. #4, the champions fight Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and Booster Gold. While Booster Gold hails from their world, the other three call the Absolute Universe home. But when Superman studies them, all he senses is Darkseid. Like when Darkseid burst into their world and interrupted their game night, Darkseid inhabits all four at the cellular level.

 

Scott Snyder and Joshua Williamson fill their story with plenty of twists and turns. Amid the battle, the membership changes on both sides. The story looks back to the past, as memories of their game together enlighten the present. Yet the situation everyone faces is that the allure of power is all-consuming. Superman discovered this when the Heart showed him the world he could create, and the Green Lanterns attacked him. In DC K.O. #4, the people who hunger most for completeness emerge as the victors.

 

Art

Superman wears an uneasy smile while the Joker delights in confronting their opponents. The Batman of Darkseid’s realm showcases his venom spikes. His new ally, Wonder Woman, utilizes her magic arm. Absolute Superman's hands and forearms glow. As they channel Omega energy, the features of Darkseid’s heroes contort with rage, evoking Chancellor Palpatine when his use of the Dark Side drained him of youth and vitality.

 

While Alejandro Sánchez lavishes vivid colors on Javi Fernández and Xermánico’s action-packed art, green links the Joker and Lex Luthor with Kryptonite. But red dominates, coloring characters' skin and clothes, and filling their eyes as they attack their opponents. Red infuses the air of Darkseid’s industrial realm, while explosions rock combatants and incinerate champions. Crimson droplets splash across the pages of DC K.O. #4, whether inhabiting the present or portraying events in another time. It merges with yellow and orange to create a cosmic, otherworldly feel in this pink and purple realm.

 

The Heart of Apokolips welcomes readers with tall white letters in black fields. As Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou places black dialogue in white balloons, the letters grow bold for intonation and swell for raised voices. Booster Gold speaks white letters into black distorted shapes that evoke Darkseid’s polluted realm, while dialogue and balloons change color as the intensity of the battle increases. Sound effects heighten the deadly battles, as one character expresses his will with red letters in white clouds with red borders. Thanks to DC Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

When the four champions travel to Darkseid’s domain, they battle heroes shaped by a harsh world that forces heroes to fight harder to survive. As they fight for the right to battle the Heart of Apokolips, DC K.O. #4 provides crucial backstory to help readers understand how evil took over the universe.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my preview of DC K.O. #4. 

DC K.O. #3 Review

 

Writers: Scott Snyder & Joshua Williamson

Artists: Javi Fernández & Xermánico

Colorist: Alejandro Sánchez

Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Editors: Marquis Draper & Paul Kaminski

Cover Artists: Javi Fernández & Alejandro Sánchez; Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer; Mike Del Mundo; Carla Cohen; Lucio Parrillo; Cully Hamner; Sanford Greene; Dan Mora; Ben Oliver

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $5.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: January 14, 2026

 

Superman has been here before: forced to fight to impress others. But the stakes were never so big. As he battled in a graveyard of the elder gods to reshape reality in his image, Clark Kent's objective was to ensure that Lex Luthor lost. Instead, Lex Luthor survived, while Clark's friends and fellow heroes died.

 

Before all this began, Bruce Wayne encouraged Clark to think outside the box. But Batman has fallen while Superman fights on. After two championship rounds and individual battles to trim the field, eight combatants remain. As he prepares for the third round, what kind of King Omega will Clark fight to become? The President, who oversees a mighty nation? Or the fireman who rescues imperiled individuals from agony and death? Let’s leap into DC K.O. #3 and see!

 

Story

The Heart of Apokolips wants the contestants to fight for the world they want. So, it gives them a vision of the utopia they could craft if they win. Before Clark and the others can glimpse the cracks that threaten any civilization, the Heart snatches the dream away, leaving only hunger in its place.

 

Superman may belong to the Justice League Unlimited. But this story began with a conversation with Bruce and Diana. When they learned that Darkseid had conquered reality and conceived this contest to stop him, Batman and Wonder Woman convinced Superman to embrace the plan. Now, allies and enemies surround Clark. But the person he initially looks to for support and camaraderie is Diana.

 

Scott Snyder divides the narrative between the eight combatants as they battle in four rings. As each entrant chooses a partner to fight alongside, the reasons behind their decisions vary. Most partners are grateful to have a second chance to prove themselves. But the Heart of Apokolips rewards those who channel Omega energy by dominating others. While the Joker delights in chaos, Lex Luthor knows the power of the Kryptonian menace. But as the focus keeps returning to Clark, others share Luthor’s belief in DC K.O. #3.

 

Amid the battles, some partnerships work better than others. As in life, a forward-thinking person can awaken something unexpected in their partner. And as Joshua Williamson points out, everyone has a different definition of victory. But in this battle like no other, the combatants who can harness their partner’s wisdom, strengths, and abilities most effectively survive.

 

Art

When Clark Kent dreams, he does so in circles. Straight lines don't mar Superman’s utopia in DC K.O. #3. People walk along circular platforms, connected to round towers by gently arcing pillars. Like the freedom in which the citizens thrive, cities float among the clouds, tracing gleaming diagrams across the world as they meet each new day. But at the Earth’s core, Superman awakens in darkness. A ghostly glow surrounds him and the other competitors. Statues of fallen champions surround them. The giant likenesses evoke mummies, preserved to commemorate their battles.

 

Scenes stretch across pages as Javi Fernández follows each battle. The combatants fight in rings atop stone pillars surrounded by boiling lava. As on Mustafar, the primary colors are yellow, orange, and a hint of red. And in a remembrance of Clark’s game night with Bruce and Diana, Alejandro Sánchez paints the same fiery colors over the kitchen range in Xermánico’s art. Instead of tracing designs of liberty across a globe, white signals magical attacks. Close-ups of the teammates appear in pink bandage-like panels. Green represents dire threats, while gold celebrates perfection.

 

The Heart of Apokolips narrates DC K.O. #3, etching tall white letters into black fields. When they awaken, the combatants also speak white uppercase letters into the darkness. As Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou places black dialogue in white balloons, the letters grow bold for intonation and swell for raised voices. The letters shrink with lowered voices and turn lowercase with distance. Colorful sound effects accompany this quartet of battles, while enlarged purple laughter resounds in this realm of Omega energy. Thanks to DC Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Everyone has dreams they'd like to realize. As heroes and villains fight for the power to pursue those goals without restraint, DC K.O. #3 asks if perfection is worth striving for, or something you should avoid at all costs.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my preview of DC K.O. #3. 

Superman #30 Preview

 

 

Darkseid's Legion wants Superman to lose hope. Kal-El knows that giving into fear, pessimism, and despair never improved anyone's life. Yet even the Kryptonian has his weaknesses. Can Superman retain his optimism while corrupted versions of his friends torment him? 

Here's all the info from DC Connect: 

Superman #30

Writer: Joshua Williamson

Artist: Dan Mora

Colorist: Alejandro Sánchez

Letterer: Ariana Maher

Cover Artists: Dan Mora, David Aja; Ariel Olivetti, Saowee; Claudio Castellini & Tom Reilly

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Release Date: September 24, 2025

 

Booster Gold…Fugitive of the Darkseid Legion!

 

Superman has found the mysterious hero known as Booster Gold. Together, they must return to the present day to warn the Justic League, but Darkseid’s Legion stands in the way. The shocking events of this issue lead into next month’s massive next chapter in the All In saga!!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

Amazing Spider-Man #45 Review

 

Writer: Zeb Wells

Artist: Carmen Carnero

Colorist: Marcio Menyz

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: John Romita Jr, Scott Hanna & Marcio Menyz; Carmen Carnero & Alejandro Sánchez; Alex Maleev; Vitale Mangiatordi

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: March 13, 2024

 

Peter Parker brought a poorly decorated cake to Anna Watson’s birthday party. Mary Jane’s enraged aunt attacked her niece, Peter’s aunt May, and her other party guests. Mary Jane's quick thinking and Spider-Man's timely thwipping landed Aunt Anna in New York’s Ravencroft Institute. Can Spider-Man cure Anna Watson and help her return home? Let’s thwip into Amazing Spider-Man #45 and find out!

 

Story

Shay Marken wears a brave face as she carries out her duties. Yet the inmates at Ravencroft Institute frighten her. Chief among those is Anna Watson. Sure, the kindly senior citizen projects an air of sweetness and gentleness. But when Anna’s Krakoan Derangement Syndrome manifested last year, she hurled her party guests around like a supervillain. Anna unleashes a torrent of abuse upon Shay as the young nurse arrives to feed her. It's a good thing the Ravencroft staff keep Anna in a straitjacket. Were Anna to get Shay in her clutches, there’s no telling the violence she could unleash.

 

Peter Parker feels sorry for Anna when he sneaks into her cell. He promised Mary Jane he would carry her out of the Ravencroft Institute after delivering the antidote, but Anna objects. The woman’s manipulative and malicious ways vanish. She remembers hurting the people she cared about. In Amazing Spider-Man #45, Anna Watson refuses to leave until the Ravencroft staff releases her.

 

 

 

Norman Osborn has led a troubled life. The businessman has spent far more time as a villain than a hero. Peter hasn't seen Norman much lately, as his boss sat out the Gang War to protect Oscorp. In their last interaction, Peter fears how Norman will react to his latest proposal. It could cost him his job and livelihood, but Peter believes it's the right thing to do.

 

Like leaving Aunt Anna in the Ravencroft Institute for the Criminally Insane until the staff and the city of New York release her. 

 

 

 

Art

Lights reflect off the transparent cell walls and floor, leaving the hallway in Ravencroft’s residents’ wing awash in light. While the blue in Spider-Man’s costume blends with the light blue ceiling, the red webbing seems impossible for Nurse Marken to miss. Norman looks far more interested in his food when Peter visits his office. Norman seems more remote than before he freed Peter from the sins that turned Peter into Black Spider-Goblin. Is it just business concerns that cloud Norman’s mind?

 

Marcio Menyz enhances Stormbreaker artist Carmen Carnero’s institutional scenes with cool blues, beiges, and grays. Menyz imbues Carnero’s realistic faces with warm skin tones. Foliage casts dappled shadows across Spider-Man’s red and blue suit as he peers through the orange-and-yellow sky at the Ravencroft Institute. Mary Jane’s vibrant hair and red, white, and black Jackpot attire stand out amid the surrounding greenery as the two friends meet, then turn away.

 

 

 

Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase black lettering into white dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. The font grows bold for inflection and rarely shrinks. Enlarged colored letters and colored balloon borders enhance sentences. Zeb Wells’ story doesn’t give Caramagna much license for sound effects. Yet a crunch and resultant yowl could hint at future developments in Amazing Spider-Man #45.

 

Thanks to Marvel for providing this essential chapter of Peter Parker’s life for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Former villains remind Spider-Man that no one is above the law, Dr. Curtis Connors has something on his mind, and a new coalition threatens to give Peter Parker nightmares in Amazing Spider-Man #45.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Spider-Boy #3 Review

 

Writers: Dan Slott

Artists: Paco Medina; Ty Templeton

Colorist: Erick Arciniega; Dee Cunniffe

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Humberto Ramos & Edgar Delgado; David Baldeón & Jesus Aburtov; Paco Medina & Edgar Delgado; Federico Vicentini & Alejandro Sanchez; Leinil Francis Yu & Sunny Gho

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: January 31, 2023

 

Once, Bailey Briggs had a home, a mother, and a life. Now Bailey lives in a homeless shelter, a framed photo of his mother is his only possession, and many regard him as a monster. Can Bailey rebuild his life and gain others' respect? Let's thwip into Spider-Boy #3 and find out!

 

“Nonstop Action Figure”

Story

When he sees a woman fall from her balcony, Bailey races to save her and her cat. Yet he seems more focused on developing a theme tune, and when she gushes with appreciation, he suggests $20. Thankfully, his friend Christina Xu is nearby and talks Spider-Boy out of a faux pas. Yet Bailey has a point. Shouldn't superheroes get paid for defending others? It worked out for Luke Cage, as the former Hero For Hire is now New York City's mayor.

 

Spider-Boy helped Captain America prevent Taskmaster from stealing the Super Adaptoid for his client. While Taskmaster only brings Killionaire the powerful robot’s hand, the precocious child grows incensed and threatens to kill the skull-faced villain. Killionaire’s chief scientist, Dr. Shannon Stillwell, appeases the Evil Richie Rich by rebuilding the robot hand into a remote-control action figure. Imbued with all the powers of the Avengers, the pint-sized hero can transform to suit Killionaire’s desires. Best of all, it’s an exclusive!

 

In his Spider-Boy #3 story “Nonstop Action Figure,” Dan Slott contrasts Bailey's plight with Killionaire. The young villain has money and power but only finds amusement by hurting others. Bailey let a thief abscond with his cellphone—filled with pictures of his mother—when his spider-sense alerted him to someone in need. When the influencer threatens to steal the shoes Mr. Fantastic gave Bailey (when his fellow superheroes accepted and respected him), Spider-Boy overcomes his anxiety over losing another piece of his identity. Instead of employing force, Bailey uses his wits to defuse the confrontation and turn a villain into a hero.   

 

 

 

Art

While security agents in black suits scan the surroundings, Killionaire looks up at Taskmaster and Dr. Stillwell. Taskmaster crosses his arms over his chest. Shannon wears an exoskeletal suit. Light glints off her monocular as she pulls off a cloth. As in her creator's first appearance, the action figure rests its hands on its hips. Killionaire removes his shades. The letter K hangs from a chain link necklace. The young villain’s eyes widen, and he rests one hand in the pocket of his tracksuit as he orders Toy Soldier to destroy Taskmaster. Thank goodness Killionaire doesn't have a freeze-ray gun!

 

Erick Arciniega lavishes full spectrum color on Paco Medina's art in Spider-Boy #3. While Toy Soldier remains green despite changes in appearance, bold colors provide appeal and contrast. Bailey's luminous yellow eyes highlight his striking red-and-blue costume. Yellow suggests Bailey's power as he catches a dog hurtling through the air and the impact Spider-Boy absorbs when hitting the ground.

 

 

“Spi-lingual”

Story

The lighting striking a construction site beckons bystanders to investigate. As Christina and Bailey merge with the crowd, she urges him to help Thor battle a giant spider. His Spider-Boy abilities grant him super strength, leaping, and wall-crawling, but Bailey realizes that only his monster mode can aid the Asgardian’s efforts. Although reluctant, Bailey summons the physical changes. Additional eyes appear on his face, and fangs sprout from his jaws.

 

Dan Slott’s second story in Spider-Boy #3 requires that Bailey risk the goodwill he's gained. People respect hard work, but they also respond to appearances. Despite Thor's insistence that your belief in yourself matters most, Bailey knows he's inviting more front-page articles in the Daily Bugle and other media declaiming the monstrous new Spider-Boy.

 

Like “Nonstop Action Figure,” “Spi-lingual” also pits Bailey against an opponent with far greater powers. While we don't learn about the resilience and magical properties of the Uru in his opponent’s armor, Thor finds the giant spider a worthy foe. Once again, Spider-Boy must break his mentor’s rule of only fighting lesser threats. But like Thor, Bailey finds communication a powerful weapon.

 

 

 

Art

The armored spider stands equal with Thor but forces the Asgardian back. His mighty thews wield a cracked Mjolnir to no avail. Ty Templeton's early panels focus on Christina and Bailey in Spider-Boy #3. The camera and cellphone-wielding crowd fade away as Christina gives Bailey “The Look.”  A metal Y adorns the spider’s battle helmet, and dreadlocks frame the fang-filled mouth of the Lockjaw-sized monster. Thor clutches one of its limbs as the spider pushes his winged helmet toward the ground. The Asgardian struggles to keep his booted feet beneath him.

 

Dee Cunniffe’s loaded palette softens this all-ages tale. Bright blue surrounds crackling white lightning, while the sky grows brown as it nears the ground. When Thor whirls his hammer, he unleashes a rainbow of color reminiscent of the Asgardian hero’s Silver Age adventures. In the final panel, a purple-adorned figure works in a room dominated by green video screens.

 

 

 

Joe Caramagna thwips black uppercase dialogue into white balloons in "Nonstop Action Figure" and "Spi-lingual." Word size shrinks for lowered voices, grows bold for intonation, and enlarges and changes color for shouts. Toy Soldier speaks green dialogue, while Thor summons a distinctive font. Caramagna helps us hear the tiny green Avenger battle Bailey and Mjolnir clang off Uru armor. Yet Bailey’s monster-mode utterances remain Caramagna’s most unique contributions to Spider-Boy #3.

 

Thanks to Marvel Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Giving triumphs over getting, seeking the best in others prevails where strength fails, sacrifice wins respect, and people prize their pets in Spider-Boy #3.

 

Rating: 9.6/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.