Superman #42: Kingdom Of Zod Part Eight Review

 

Superman #42: Kingdom Of Zod Part Eight Review

Writer: Joshua Williamson

Pencillers: Eddy Barrows & Eduardo Pansica

Inkers: Eber Ferreira & Júlio Ferreira

Colorist: Ulises Arreola

Letterer: Ariana Maher

Cover Artist: Lucas Meyer & Giuliano Peratelli

Variant Cover Artists: Mark Spears; Daniel Sampere & Tomeu Morey; Marcio Takara; Christian Ward

Editors: Jillian Grant & Paul Kaminski

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: September 23, 2026

 

After traveling through time to repair the damage Darkseid did to the future, Superman returned to find Earth drastically changed. Saving the Earth necessitated further changes. His son, Jon, now calls himself Tomorrow Man. Clark Kent's childhood friend, Lana Lang, no longer wields superpowers. As for Presidente Eduardo Castilho, his beloved kingdom of El Caldero is no longer an economic powerhouse.

 

Although he doesn't realize it, Superman's troubles are far from over. A younger version of Dru-Zod is traveling to Earth. He holds Superman's cousin and his younger self hostage. And this Zod is more ambitious and armed with Ursa's knowledge of the future. Can Kal-El and Kara Zor-El's Super Force defend Earth against Zod and Ursa? And, with the aid of Booster Gold's Time Bubble, can Superman find a way to preserve his homeworld? Let’s leap into Superman #42 and see what happens!

 

Story

Good news travels fast. While heroes in orbit realize that Zod’s weaponized Green-K has lost its sting, superheroes in El Caldero discover they can turn the tables on their oppressors. Amid the celebrations, those imprisoned or separated during the fighting enjoy reunions. Yet Martian Manhunter confirms Jon Kent’s assertion that young Clark and Kara are no longer in El Caldero.

 

Superman may not be the world's greatest detective. Still, Clark Kent must piece together what happened to Supergirl, his younger self, and General Zod in Superman #42. Lena Luthor's inventions failed to protect the Super Force as she had hoped. So, she's anxious to help. But while Superman investigates, Presidente Eduardo Castilho struggles to come to grips with his failure. He believed he had the stranglehold on the most valuable resource on Earth. Instead, Zod used his gift from the stars to attack the rest of the world. Then the man who gave Eduardo the means to protect El Caldero took it away.

 

As everyone adapts to the new normal, they must decide how to resume their lives in Joshua Williamson's story. But once again, the question of Krypton looms. While Dru-Zod uplifted El Caldero to transform Earth into a new Krypton, Booster Gold's Time Bubble gave Ursa and Zod the potential to save Krypton. No one wants Krypton to die. But Zod and Ursa are perfectly willing to destroy everything and everyone in their way to get what they want in Superman #42.

 

Art

While Red Tornado watches events on monitors in the Justice League Watchtower, the inert El Calderan Green-K continues to aerosolize. Rectangular panels portray the captives locked in their cells in the Kryptonite Castle. Yet when Princess Shark barrels through the translucent barrier, the panels resemble shards. A splash page of Superman confirms the prisoners' suspicions. But nothing heralds the return of normality like superheroes filling the skies above El Caldero.

 

As Eddy Barrows, Eduardo Pansica, Eber Ferreira, and Júlio Ferreira showcase Superman’s search for young Clark, Supergirl, and Zod, Ulises Arreola fills Superman #42 with a vibrant and nuanced palette. Green dominates backgrounds and tinges scenes as Zod's Green-K continues to lose color. The gold surrounding Superman's attempt to free the imprisoned evokes the streaks of light that filled the skies across the globe.

 

While the Krypto-Knights' armor foretells the violet and indigo of the time stream, Princess Shark’s attire remains violet as she frees captives, protects civilians, and assists with the cleanup. Conner Kent and Superboy-Prime have struggled to get along. Yet, their red, gold, and dark blue costumes underline their evolving relationship. Still, as Presidente Eduardo Castilho confronts the future dressed in red and yellow, his former source of wealth echoes Lois Lane’s blue slacks and white shirt.

 

White letters with blue outlines identify locations, while black and colored uppercase words fill white balloons. Uppercase letters in colored narrative boxes convey offscreen dialogue. Princess Shark and Zod speak forcefully with dark letters in white balloons outlined in red. Giant dialogue accompanies a cry for help. Still, sound effects enhance the fight to free the imprisoned, an arrival that forces Superman to make difficult choices, and a battle to save billions. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

Ursa has seen too many failures. Young Zod is ambitious and unused to failure. Superman wants everyone to be healthy and happy. Still, he must decide if he's willing to compromise for the good of all in Superman #42.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see Superman #42 Preview. 

 

For more in the Kingdom Of Zod storyline:

For General Zod's rise to power, see Action Comics #1100: End Of Reign Review. 

For the mission to El Caldero, see Supergirl #16: Kingdom Of Zod Part 1 Review. 

For the battle in El Caldero, see Action Comics #1101: Kingdom of Zod Part 2 Review. 

For how Superman takes the fight to Zod, see Superman Unlimited #16 Review.

For Zod's revival of Ursa see Superman #41: Kingdom Of Zod Part Four Review 

For Ursa, Kara, and young Clark's arrival on Krypton, see Supergirl #17: Kingdom Of Zod Part 5 Preview 

For what happens when Ursa, Kara, and young Clark meet Zod on Krypton, see Action Comics #1102: Kingdom Of Zod Part 6 Preview. 

For how Superman saves the world, but perhaps made more enemies, see Superman Unlimited #17: Kingdom Of Zod Part 7 Review.  

 

Mind Mgmt: New & Improved #4 Cover Preview

 

Cover A By Matt Kindt

When Jon Swon passed his entry exams with flying colors, his superiors partnered him with Agent Delphi in Detective Services. After investigating murders in Arizona, their superiors send them to Europe. At the crime scene, Swon and Delphi meet more Mind Mgmt agents. They belong to the agency’s toughest department. The agents in the Mind Over Body department should be immortal. Yet one of their number died when a tree fell on him.

 

Can Swon and Delphi explain Agent Zippo's death? And can they connect his death with the murders in Arizona, and the Dutch death cult that invaded their motel rooms?

 

Here's all the info from Oni Press:

 

 

Mind Mgmt: New & Improved #4 Cover Preview

Writer & Artist: Matt Kindt

Cover A By Matt Kindt

Cover B By Martín Morazzo

Full Art Variant (1:10) By Martín Morazzo

3-D Variant (1:20) By Matt Kindt

Variant Cover (1:50) By Patricia Martín

Publisher: Oni Press

Issue Description: 24 Pages, Full Color

Price: $4.99 US

Release Date: September 30, 2026

 

 

From New York Times bestselling cartoonist and multiple Eisner Award nominee Matt Kindt (BRZRKR, Dept. H), the newest chapter of the mind-bending magnum opus that AiPT calls “an unsettling, must-read return” reaches a critical turning point!

 

After locating their quarry, Detectives Delphi and Swon find it hard to believe the identity of their murderous foe and his unique connection to Mind Management. However, the detectives discover that their employer has been manipulating their operatives from the very beginning. Now, armed with the knowledge that Mind Management might be the root behind Swon’s missing memories, he can’t trust the agency, his mission, nor his partner Delphi . . . Will he be able to uncover the truth, or is it all just a ploy targeting Mind Management from the inside out?

 

 

Here are more cover options:

 

 

Cover B By Martín Morazzo

 

 

Full Art Variant (1:10) By Martín Morazzo

3-D Variant (1:20) By Matt Kindt

Variant Cover (1:50) By Patricia Martín

Thanks to Oni Press for sharing this cover preview with us.

For all the action in Arizona and France, see Mind Mgmt: New & Improved #3 Review. 

Adventures Of Superman: Book Of El #12 Preview

 

Families don’t always get along. But when Kara Zor-El rallies her Super Force in Superman’s absence, she strives to get two warring members to work together. Just as Superboy Prime must recognize the wrong he did to Conner Kent, Pyrrhos seeks reconciliation with Osul-Ra in Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s intergalactic epic. And just as Dru-Zod strives to regain the family he has lost, Kryl-Ux seeks to reunite his family. But like Zod, Kryl-Ux refuses to learn the truth that Jon Kent acknowledged. There’s no going back in life. Progress is all about going forward.

 

Can Superman help Kryl-Ux recognize that, instead of freeing himself from Mongul’s chains, he has made himself more of a prisoner than he ever was on Warworld? Or will Kryl-Ux carry out his threat to obliterate the House of El from existence forever?

 

Here's all the info from DC Connect: 

 

 

Adventures Of Superman: Book Of El #12 Preview

Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson

Artist & Cover Artist: Scott Godlewski

Variant Cover Artists: Lucio Parrillo & Kyuyong Eom

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Series Length: 12 Issues

Price: $3.99 US/Variant $4.99 US (Card Stock)

Release Date: September 2, 2026

 

 

The Final Battle for Tomorrow!

 

 

In the final chapter of the Book of El, Starchild and Red Son are reunited with the surviving heads of the House of El to save existence from a man driven beyond madness—to godhood—by grief. If Superman lives up to the legends, he’ll find a way to save the universe from Kryl-Ux and save Kryl-Ux from himself. Don’t miss the heartrending, inspiring conclusion of Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s vision for Kal-El!

 

 

Now, here's a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

For Superman's discovery among the fallen Promethean Giants, see Adventures Of Superman: Book Of El #11 Preview. 

For what happened last time, see my preview of Adventures Of Superman: Book Of El #10. 

For what happened before that, see my preview of Adventures of Superman: Book of El #9.

For what happened even before that, see my preview of Adventures of Superman: Book of El #8.

For how this series started, see my preview of Adventures of Superman: Book of El #1. 

 

Superman: Father of Tomorrow #5 Review

 

Superman: Father of Tomorrow #5 Review

Writer: Kenny Porter

Artist: Danny Earls

Colorist: Nick Filardi

Letterer: Lucas Gattoni

Cover Artists: Danny Earls & Nick Filardi

Variant Cover Artists: Gabriel Hardman & Matt Hollingsworth; Taurin Clarke

Editors: Michael McCalister & Andrew Marino

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99 US/Variant $5.99 US (Card Stock)

Release Date: September 23, 2026

 

Seeing Jonathan Kent die, and knowing he could have saved him, propelled Jor-El on a crusade. Yet while he seeks to upgrade Earth's technology, villains adapt his Kryptonian tech to build even more powerful weapons. Even Batman believes Jor-El's attempt to help Humanity adversely altered his life.

 

Now, his former ally, General Sam Lane, wants to kill or control Jor-El. Will he receive help from another of Jor-El’s former friends? And can Lois Lane prevent her father from killing Humanity’s great benefactor? Let’s leap up, up, and away into Superman: Father of Tomorrow #5 and see!

 

Story

Lex Luthor's father wanted Lex to follow in his footsteps. Instead, he bought into Superman's vision of the world. But when he deviated from the plan, Superman cast him aside. So, Lex bolstered his scientific expertise by mastering magic. Then, in the time-honored manner of tyrants everywhere, Lex killed his teachers so they could never defy him. Now, he wields Nabu, Dr Fate's former helmet, as a sword. And he intends to impose his own order on the world.

 

In Superman: Father of Tomorrow #5, Lex Luthor is in good company. General Sam Lane has become Captain Atom to kill all metahumans he cannot control. Then there’s Jor-El. After failing to save his family and his planet, Jor-El intends to insulate Humanity against its weaknesses. Each man believes he’s smart enough to save the world. But as Martha counsels Jor-El, wielding too much power creates problems instead of solving them.

 

As Kenny Porter weaves his story about three perfectionists, he also gives other characters a chance to shine. But while people strive to give Lex Luthor, General Sam Lane, and Jor-El wake-up calls, each must recognize that they have become the dangers that they dedicated their lives to combating. Still, the revelation may come too late. All of them, in their own ways, have created a threat that may destroy the world, unless they can resolve it in Superman: Father of Tomorrow #5.

 

Art

The Spectre may have sympathized with John Constantine in Bobo’s bar. But when John confronts a Lex Luthor clothed in shimmering green armor and a green cape, Lex offers him disdain instead. While General Lane's skin now resembles a diamond, the red image on his chest reinforces his status as the hardest soldier to kill. But as forces battle in Metropolis, Jor-El sits in his farming clothes at the Kent Farm. Martha wants him to be open with her. So, she pours him a mug of coffee.

 

As Danny Earls contrasts Jor-El’s futuristic Metropolis with Martha’s little-changed Kent Farm, Nick Filardi adorns Superman: Father of Tomorrow #5 with a vibrant palette. Captain Atom’s red symbol and blue skin represent his hope for the world and his anger at metahumans. Lex Luthor’s armor links him with Krypton and Jor-El’s attempt to protect his world. Yet while the orange Kryptonite in the Fortress of Solitude shows what Lex Luthor desires, the destruction he unleashes hints at his love for the world. Jor-El feels as misguided as General Lane and Lex. Yet the costume beneath his shirt and overalls expresses his belief that doing right by others should be black-and-white.

 

Lucas Gattoni fills white balloons and boxes with black uppercase letters. The words grow bold for intonation and change color when casting spells. Black letters in beige boxes locate readers in time and space. Yet amid all the fighting, energy blasts, and explosions, the rumbling ground shows how Luthor views his place in the world. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

When people are struggling, it's natural to want to help them. But when Jor-El tries to make Earth more like the world he lost, he gives them new problems to contend with. Her friend from the stars may be feeling sorry for himself. Still, Martha isn't letting Jor-El bask in self-blame in Superman: Father of Tomorrow #5.

 

Rating 9.8/10 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

For a look inside see Superman: Father Of Tomorrow #5 Preview. 

For the battle at the United Nations, see Superman: Father Of Tomorrow #4 Preview. 

For Intergang's attack on upgraded public transportation, see my preview of Superman: Father of Tomorrow #3. 

For how Jor-El fares against Kryptonite, see my preview of Superman: Father Of Tomorrow #2.

For how this series started see my preview of Superman: Father Of Tomorrow #1.  

 

Solomon Kane: The Lion Errant #3 Cover Preview

 

Cover A: Nick Marinkovich

Solomon Kane doesn’t feel in control of his life. After reuniting with his friends, he tells Abramo Bensaid and his daughter Diamanta about his wanderings. But Abramo, mystic and scholar, is most interested in Solomon’s staff. The wooden staff topped with a cat’s head has protected Solomon from the Undead. It also helps Solomon Kane communicate with N’Longa, the shaman who gave it to him.

 

When Solomon seeks N’Longa’s insight, how will the shaman advise the Puritan? And can the Atlantean carvings on the staff protect him amid the war brewing between provinces of the Mughal Empire?

Here's all the info from Titan Comics:

 

Solomon Kane: The Lion Errant #3 Cover Preview

Writer, Artist & Colorist: Patch Zircher

Cover Artists: Nick Marinkovich, Patch Zircher & Paolo Parente 

Publisher: Titan Comics

Issue Description: 32 Pages, Full Color

Price: $4.99 US

Release Date: September 23, 2026

 

 

Solomon Kane is no stranger to the impossible. But the mythic storm gathering in the heart of India may be his greatest test yet. Guided by a mysterious black-maned lion, Solomon Kane is drawn to India, and a confrontation between the warrior queen Rani Durgavati and the mighty Mughal Empire. But the coming battle is more than a clash of armies. Ancient powers are stirring, gods and demons walk among the living, and Kane's arcane Atlantean staff may hold the key to it all. Legend meets legend. Steel meets the divine. The Sword of Vengeance answers a higher call.

 

 

Here are more covers to collect:

 

 

 

 

Cover B: Patch Zircher

Cover C: Paolo Parente

Cover D: Nick Marinkovich Virgin Cardstock

Cover E: Paolo Parente Virgin Cardstock

 

Available from local comic shops. For UK & Europe visit Forbidden Planet

 

For more details, visit Titan Comics.

 

Thanks to Titan Comics and Heroic Signatures for sharing this cover preview with us. 

 

For Solomon's reunion with Abramo & Diamanta Bensaid, see Solomon Kane: The Lion Errant #2 Review.

 

For how Solomon befriended a lion, see Solomon Kane: The Lion Errant #1 Preview.

 

 

Bleeding Hearts #8 Preview

 

Poke didn’t ask for his heart to start beating. But when it did, the blood pumping through his cold, dead veins changed everything. He’s tried to walk a line between embracing the Live Ones while remaining in the dead community. Yet, keeping a foot in both camps has forced him to start killing his fellow Zombies. He’s lost his best friend, Mush. And for what? A Live One who’d prefer he vanished from their lives? And a Live One girl that he cannot understand?

 

A half-alive Zombie doesn’t belong anywhere. At least, anywhere that he knows of. Can Poke help Rabbit and her mother reach a place of safety? And can Poke make peace with his past and embrace this unique new form of existence? 

 

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

 

Bleeding Hearts #8 Preview

Writer: Deniz Camp

Artist: Stipan Morian

Variant Cover Artist: Martín Morazzo

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $3.99 US/Variant $4.99 US (Card Stock)

Release Date: September 30, 2026

 

 

Bones and All!

 

 

Poke knows he can’t keep the secret of his beating heart and changing sympathies forever. But who can he trust without bringing the whole Horde down on his head? And what has Rabbit found in her new hiding place?

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

For Poke, Rabbit, and Mama's art appreciation, see Bleeding Hearts #7 Review. 

For the Out-Break mall hunt that changed everything, see my preview of Bleeding Hearts #6.

For how Rabbit met Ms Ruby, see my review of Bleeding Hearts #5. 

For Rabbit's Tea Party, see my preview of Bleeding Hearts #4.

 

For the strange emotions that stress Poke out, see Bleeding Hearts Preview #3. 

 

For why Rabbit likes bunnies, see Bleeding Hearts #2 Preview. 

 

For Poke's full name, see my preview of Bleeding Hearts #1. 

 

Fort Psycho #2 Review

 

Fort Psycho #2 Review

Writer: Matt Kindt

Artist: Brian Hurtt

Colorist: Bill Crabtree

Letterer: Becca Carey

Cover Artists: Brian Hurtt; Lewis LaRosa & Rico Renzi; Mike del Mundo; Joe Palmer

Publisher: Oni Press

Price: $5.99 US

Release Date: September 23, 2026

 

When the Seven Seals destroyed a sovereign nation, the United Nations responded with more than condemnation. They quietly raised an army to tackle the international terrorist organization. The Strategic Alliance Worldwide killed most of the Seven Seals’ operatives. SAW agents assassinated their leader, the Blue Bishop. Then, the United Nations rounded up Seven Seals and SAW agents with equal zeal and consigned them to separate prisons.

 

What struggles do the world’s former heroes endure? And how will Jason, the newest inmate, fare among his fellow “war criminals?” Let’s leap into Fort Psycho #2 and see!

 

Story

Jason evaded capture for a year. But when he let his disguise slip for a moment, the authorities captured him and sent him to Fort Cyclone. Once, it was SAW's base of operations. Now, it's an all-inclusive resort. Jason has his own house. Boxes from IKEA await his assembly. And thanks to the regular airdrops, the mercenaries can get most anything they want in the commissary. For Jason, that's a comic he used to read to his nephews. But the myths retold in Legendary Action Stories also shaped Jason's life.

 

In Fort Psycho #2, the United Nations wants to keep its highly skilled assets available in case they need their services again. While it's taken steps to hide them from public scrutiny, the authorities also provide all the amenities in case they need them again. But while most of his fellow inmates enjoy their retirement, the people who captured Jason gave him a mission. The suits believe Blue Bishop is hiding among SAW personnel at Fort Cyclone. And if Jason doesn't find and kill him, they'll kill his brother and nephews.

 

After reconnecting with some of his former comrades, Jason begins his hunt in Matt Kindt’s story. One of his fellow inmates mentioned a possible connection on the day he arrived. When Jason tries to follow up, some help. Others warn him off or try to divert him. And all the while, his fellow prisoners show Jason how enjoyable life in Fort Cyclone can be.

 

The Blue Bishop may be hiding among them. Or the authorities got it wrong. Regardless of what the suits told Jason, the mercenaries’ jailors don’t have to treat them so nicely. And like the suits’ threat to kill his family, the authorities could decide to stop sending them the antidote pills to the poison they injected everyone with in Fort Psycho #2.

 

Art

When his team reaches the rotunda at the heart of the concentric defensive walls, Jason pulls a statuette from a smoking domed enclosure. After evading the guards who patrol the grounds, Jason’s team races beneath those watching from atop the wall. Colored gas rises. Arrows fly. A comrade atop a roof provides cover fire with a machine gun. A mushroom cloud rises from elsewhere in the city as Jason and his team reach the hang gliders. Then, they soar on artificial wings toward their escape vehicle.

 

While Brian Hurtt fills Fort Psycho #2 with memorable characters, Bill Crabtree clothes them in vibrant colors. Yet like the bird statuette Jason secured for SAW, Zeus has traded his pink mohawk for pink-and-orange shades. The inmates wear gray, white, and pale shades of green and blue as they walk the lush grounds beneath a bright blue sky. Still, the vibrant blue pool area provides amusement and community as the mercenaries seek to enjoy their retirement.

 

Becca Carey fills white dialogue balloons with lowercase black letters, while Jason's recollections inhabit beige narrative boxes. Giant uppercase black letters fill deformed balloons as people pay the price for their leader's decisions. Orange machine gun fire and block letters herald cause and effect. Then, a red boom connects with the stripes of their leader, and the uniform of a soldier amid gray rubble. A two-page extract from Legendary Action Stories and character files close out this second issue. Thanks to Oni Press and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

While the people who defended the world against terrorism pay the price for their methods, the leader of the terrorists may lurk among them. Some of the former soldiers obey orders without question. Others have spent their lives deceiving comrades and foes alike. So, the jailers pick an idealist to investigate their suspicions. Amid his search for the truth, Jason studies the island's laccolithic butte and awaits opportunities to communicate with higher intelligences in Fort Psycho #2.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

For more cover art see Fort Psycho #2 Cover Preview.