For more than a year’s worth of comics, Superman (aka Kal-El aka Clark Kent) has been off-planet. As detailed in Action Comics, he’s been staging an uprising on Warworld, a gladiatorial world harshly ruled by Mongul. While Superman has busy with that, his son Jon Kent has filled the void in Metropolis. Taking up the mantle of Superman, Jon has been learning what it takes to walk in his father’s shoes.
In the Superman: Kal-El Returns crossover event, readers will see Superman’s triumphant return from Warworld. This will see Kal-El reunite with his family, friends, and peers. However, the father and son Supermen will be required to team up to take on the threat of Lex Luthor.
Below you’ll find a reading order for Superman: Kal-El Returns. Not only does it give the recommended way to read this crossover, but also other helpful details such as background reading, creative teams, and release dates. Through this checklist, you won’t miss out on any action!
Background reading
Want to get some context before reading Superman: Kal-El Returns? The below comics will get you up to speed with what has been happening for Superman/Kal-El and his son Superman/Jon Kent.
Superman: Warworld Saga
Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson. At by Sami Basri, Adriana Melo, and Miguel Mendonca, Brandon Peterson, and Will Conrad.
Want to read Superman’s adventures in Warworld? You’ll want to check out Action Comics #1030-1046 and Superman: Warworld Apocalypse.
The Warworld Saga has been collected in the following:
- Superman: Action Comics Volume 1: Warworld Rising (collects Action Comics #1030-1035)
- Superman: Action Comics Volume 2: The Arena (collects Action Comics #1036-1041)
- Superman: Action Comics Volume 3: The Arena (collects Action Comics #1042-1046, Action Comics 2022 Annual #1, and Superman: Warworld Apocalypse #1)
Superman: Son of Kal-El
Written by Tom Taylor. Art by John Timms and Cian Tormey.
Superman: Son of Kal-El is a comic series that focuses on Jon Kent as Superman. This series garnered lots of attention for it’s 5th issue, where Jon came out as bisexual. Read Superman: Son of Kal-El #1-15 if you want to read everything up until Kal-El Returns.
Superman: Son of Kal-El has been collected in the following:
- Superman: Son of Kal-El Volume 1: The Truth (collects Superman: Son of Kal-El #1-6)
- Superman: Son of Kal-El Volume 2: The Rising (collects Superman: Son of Kal-El #7-10, Nightwing #89, and Superman: Son of Kal-El 2021 Annual #1)
- Superman: Son of Kal-El Volume 2: Battle for Gamorra (collects Superman: Son of Kal-El #11-15)
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Kal-El Returns reading order
Below is the recommended reading order in order to read all of Kal-El Returns.
Action Comics #1047 (Part 1)
Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson. Art by Riccardo Federici and David Lapham.
Available 27th September.
Superman: Son of Kal-El #16 (Part 2)
Written by Tom Taylor. Art by Cian Tormey.
Available 11th October.
Action Comics #1048 (Part 3)
Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson. Art by Mike Perkins and David Lapham.
Available 25th October.
Superman: Son of Kal-El #17 (Part 4)
Written by Tom Taylor. Art by Cian Tormey.
Available 8th November.
Action Comics #1049 (Part 5)
Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson. Art by Mike Perkins and David Lapham.
Available 22nd November.
Superman: Kal-El Returns Special (Tie-in)
Written by Mark Waid, Sina Grace, Alex Segura, and Marv Wolfman. Art by Max Raynor, Dean Haspiel, Jack Herbert, and Clayton Henry.
Available 29th November.
Note: Superman: Kal-El Returns Special contains multiple stories that spotlight Superman’s reunion with Batman, Jimmy Olsen, The Justice League, and others. It also includes a stealth tie-in to Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Superman: Son of Kal-El #18 (Part 6)
Written by Tom Taylor. Art by Cian Tormey.
Available 13th December.
Action Comics #1050 (Part 7)
Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Tom Taylor, and Joshua Williamson. Art by Mike Perkins, Clayton Henry, and Nick Dragotta.
Available 27th December.
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After Kal-El Returns
The conclusion of Superman: Kal-El Returns rings in a new era for the Superman comics, which coincides with the Dawn of DC publishing initiative. There are new new creative teams and a retooling of the line to include the wider Superman Family of characters. Find the details below:
DC Universe: Lazarus Planet
Written and art by various.
Available January-February.
DC Universe: Lazarus Planet is a comic book event that will see big changes happen to many characters in the DC Universe. These include some members of the Superman Family such as Power Girl and Jon Kent.
Find out more about this comic book event in the DC Universe: Lazarus Planet reading order.
Action Comics #1051
Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Dan Jurgens, and Leah Williams. Art by Rafa Sandoval, Lee Weeks, and Marguerite Sauvage.
Available 24th January.
Action Comics is becoming an anthology series with this issue. These will be a headlining Superman story and two others featuring other members of the Superman family. For Action Comics #1051, that will include Lois and Clark 2: Doom Rising and a Power Girl story that will spin out of Lazarus Planet.
Superman (2023 series) #1
Written by Joshua Williamson. Art by Jamal Campbell.
Available 21st February.
The self-titled Superman comic will get a brand-new creative team, kicking off new stories for an easy jumping-on point.
Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #1
Written by Tom Taylor. Art by Clayton Henry.
Available March.
Superman: Son of Kal-El finished with issue #18, there are still adventures to be told with Jon Kent. This miniseries will tell his next lot of adventures and explore the changes that happened to him in Lazarus Planet.
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