DC is rolling out the “Summer of Superman” initiative with a special one-shot Superman comic by a trio of acclaimed writers, a new Superman: The World graphic novel, and Superman Day exclusives for comic shops centered around April 18, the anniversary of the first appearance of Superman in Action Comics #1 in 1938. All this is in advance of the upcoming Superman movie set to premiere on July 11, 2025 (see "Superman Trailer").

Summer of Superman Special #1, a 48-page one-shot by writers Dan Slott, Mark Waid, and Joshua Williamson and artist Jorge Jiménez, will kick things off with a complete three-part story in which new threats emerge as family and friends gather for the wedding of Lana Lang and John Henry Irons/Steel. The special issue will be released on April 16 with main and variant covers by Jiménez and additional variants by Alexander Lozano, John Giang, Mahmud Asrar, Dan Jurgens, and Chrissie Zullo-Uminga, the latter featuring Superman’s dog Krypto.

The one-shot will be Slott’s Superman debut; his new series Superman Unlimited will launch in May (see “DC to Launch New ‘All In’ Series by Dan Slott and Rafael Albuquerque”).

In addition to the one-shot, DC has a number of new releases and special editions that will tie in Superman Day, including All-Star Superman Deluxe Superman Day Edition, a hardcover with a new dust jacket featuring art by Frank Quitely, and Superman Unchained Deluxe Superman Day Edition, also a hardcover, with a new dust jacket featuring art by Jim Lee; both of these will be available in bookstores other retailers. Four titles will be exclusive to the direct market:

  • All Star Superman #1 Special Edition by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely
  • Superman For All Seasons Book One Special Edition by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale
  • An excerpt from the YA graphic novel Jimmy Olsen’s Supercyclopedia by Gabe Soria and Sandy Jarrell
  • Action Comics #1 Golden Age–Size Facsimile Edition with an homage cover by Dan Mora

DC announced several other titles that will tie in with the “Summer of Superman.”

Superman #25, by Williamson and artist Dan Mora, will also be a 48-page issue and will tie in to Summer of Superman Special #1 as well as kicking off a new story arc in its own continuity. This issue, to be released on April 23, will have a wraparound cover by Mora and variants by Guillem March, Jeff Dekal, Rafael Grassetti, Dave Johnson, Laura Braga, and Fico Ossio, plus an April Fools’ Day variant by Dan Hipp.

Superman: The World, an anthology along the lines of the previously released Batman: The World (see “Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo Kick Off ‘Batman: The World’”) and Joker: The World (see “Geoff Johns, Satoshi Miyagawa Take Joker International in New Anthology”), will be released on June 24. This graphic novel will be helmed by Dan Jurgens and Lee Weeks and will include stories by fifteen creators from around the world. The 184-page hardcover will have an MSRP of $24.99.

Also included in DC’s “Summer of Superman” initiative are the first volume of the new early-reader series Superman’s Good Guy Gang, by Rob Justus (see “DC Launches Early-Readers Graphic Novel Line”) and Action Comics #1085, by G. Willow Wilson and Gavin Guidry, which is due out on April 9 with a main cover by Brad Walker and variants by Davide Paratore, Cully Hamner, and Danny Earls.

Click Gallery below for covers!