2025 is shaping up to be a banner year for Superman, and DC’s Summer of Superman Special sets the stage for even bigger things to come while also keeping an eye towards the timeless elements that have made Superman such an unbelievable icon. Split into three chapters, each one takes a unique angle on a different aspect of Superman’s life, and yet it all feels like one continuous story that builds towards the future. While the title of Summer of Superman may have initially been aspirational, it ends up being completely true, with DC once again showcasing why Superman simply never goes out of style.
The Summer of Superman Special features a true all-star team of creators, with Mark Waid, Jorge Jimenez, and Dave Sharpe handling Chapter 1, while Dan Slott, Jimenez, Sharpe handle Chapter 2, and Joshua Williamson, Jimenez, Belen Ortega, and Sharpe handle Chapter 3. There’s also an Epilogue by Williamson, Dan Mora, and Sharpe that you absolutely cannot miss, and yes, I picked that term on purpose if you get my drift.
Let’s tackle this chapter by chapter, starting with chapter one, which takes us back to a time when a younger Clark Kent was attempting to process his feelings for Lana Lang. Waid, Jimenez, and Sharpe might have crafted my favorite chapter of the issue, as it only gets better with the additional context and events of chapters 2 and 3. Whether that’s the relationship between Clark and Lana, how Clark views that life-changing moment with what he discovered later in life, or the true meaning of Validus’ random appearances, they all enrich this initial story and make it even more impactful.
I truly can’t say enough about Jiminez’s work throughout the entire issue, let alone just the first chapter. The sheer amount of pivots on display is praise-worthy enough, shifting from small intimate moments full of nuanced expressions to epic slugfests on a dime. Whether it’s Waid, Slott, or Williamson at the writing helm, Jimenez never loses his stride, keeping it all feeling consistent and still delivering eye-popping showdowns with the Superman family.
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That’s especially true of chapter 2, which has Slott making his Superman debut rather effortlessly. Slott’s ability to deliver a grand showdown is well known, and that carries over to Summer of Superman. While Validus isn’t exactly the most compelling villain, Slott and Jimenez utilize him well, crafting a spectacle-style event that has a major impact on Superman’s world, just not in the way you might expect.
Chapter 3 is the calm after the storm, and yet it has an immense impact on the events that have preceded it. The theme of Williamson’s chapter is more about looking inward and recognizing what’s in front of you, and the retrospective nature of the chapter also directly changes how you view Clark and Lana’s journeys through life and where it ultimately took them. Then there’s the epilogue that adds a punctuation mark to the whole experience, and all together, it recontextualizes the story in a meaningful way.
All things considered, there aren’t too many nitpicks to mention. Validus is more of a plot vessel than an actual villain, but that seems to be by design, especially as the issue winds its way to a close. There’s also an odd bit of dialogue from Superman after the battle where he compares how people have treated Earth to how people treated Kyprton. While I see the parallel, the delivery and who he’s delivering the dialogue to just feels off. Again though, the smallest of nitpicks, and ones that didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the issue.
The Summer of Superman Special #1 is quintessential Superman through and through, highlighting the elements that have made him so iconic over so many decades but through a modern (and quite stunning) lens. The ramifications of this issue will be substantial as well, both for the Superman family and for the greater DC Universe, so if there’s an issue to miss, it is assuredly not this one.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Published by DC Comics
Released on April 16, 2025
Written by Mark Waid, Dan Slott, and Joshua Williamson
Art by Jorge Jimenez, Belen Ortega, and Dan Mora
Letters by Dave Sharpe
What did you think of the Summer of Superman Special? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things DC with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!
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