Absolute Superman’s Jason Aaron Teases Heartbreaking Fate of Krypton, Impact on Kal-El, and More

DC has been building to one of the critical points in Superman over the course of Absolute Superman first four issues, and now the event is finally happening. In Absolute Superman #5, Krypton’s fate is finally revealed, as well as the impact it has on a young Kal-El, both in past and in the present day. ComicBook had the chance to speak to Absolute Superman writer Jason Aaron all about the anticipated issue, including what these events will mean for Kal-El and for the series moving forward, and how hard it was for Aaron to set the Krypton’s final demise into motion.

One of the biggest changes Absolute Superman makes to the Superman mythology is the relationship Kal-El has with Krypton compared to Earth. In Absolute Superman Kal spent formative years on Krypton with Jor-El and Lara-El, while his time on Earth with the Kents is still rather mysterious. That changes everything about how Krypton and its destruction impacts Kal-El both in the past and in the present, and the switch-up was something that excited Aaron about the project from the very start.

“Yeah, I mean that was one of the things I was, I think I was most excited about. And it should feel important because it’s important, it’s an important piece of Kal-El, right? His Kryptonian heritage and identity, I think if anything is more important to this version of the character because he remembers it, he lived it,” Aaron said. “Like that defined, he was a person before that planet ever blew up and before he ever came to Earth, so I was always really excited about that part of it and kind of shifting exactly what you’re saying.”

“Some of those things that we normally associate with the Kents and with Smallville, shifting that to Krypton and making Kal-El very much a Kryptonian immigrant when he comes here, and very much the last son of Krypton, so the only person alive who remembers his family, his friends, his culture, his, his planet, all that stuff,” Aaron said.

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In fact, because of Kal-El’s life on Krypton and the bond with his parents, Aaron feels he could have extended the time on Krypton to a full 12 issues. “I mean, part of me looks at the book now and thinks, man, I feel like I probably could have done a whole 12 issues just of Krypton, right? Just like gone full Bendis Ultimate Spider-Man, and just leaned into young Kal-El on Krypton for a whole year,” Aaron said.

“Because I enjoyed that stuff so much, it was hard writing issue 5. It was hard blowing it all up because I enjoyed going there so much,” Aaron said. “But I also think that’s good. I think it’s good that I felt that writing it, and hopefully people feel that reading it and feel the loss in the same way that Kal-El does.”

The good news is that while this is Krypton’s swan song, we won’t be completely saying goodbye to Kal-El’s time on Krypton, as it will continue to play a role in Kal’s story.

“I don’t think we’ll ever close that chapter. I mean, just because Kal-El never closes that chapter. Who he is was defined by his life on Krypton. That he’s the only person who remembers that it ever existed, but he’s got very vivid memories of his life there and in the ways that shaped him into the person that he is,” Aaron said. “And I think that’ll continue to be the case as he’s dealing with very tough situations in the present day on Earth and very much untethered and rudderless and that he doesn’t have connections, he doesn’t have people around him.”

“He is completely and utterly alone. All he has are those memories of his parents and what they taught him on Krypton, and I think that’ll continue to be a guiding light for him going forward,” Aaron said. “So, yeah, I think we will always, as long as I’m writing the book, which I plan on being a long, long time. I think we’ll. I’ll always want to go back to Krypton through Kal-El’s memories.”

As you can see in the preview, Absolute Superman is going to give fans an expanded look at the chaos of Krypton’s final hours, and the amazing team of Rafa Sandoval, Ulises Arreola, and Becca Carey have brought this heartbreaking sequence of events to life in a way we haven’t really seen before.

“You know, you see the chaos sweeping across the planet, riots happening everywhere. The redlands, the rural lands being bombed, the cities exploding, ships crashing. I think you really feel the destruction of that planet in a much more visceral way in this issue than we’re really used to. So I think Rafa’s been killing it on all that stuff in terms of designing the look and feel of Krypton,” Aaron said. “And then also the emotions of what Kal-El is going through in the present day with Lois and now with Jimmy, who is a part of the Omega Men. I won’t say too much about where we go from there.”

Absolute Superman hits comic stores on March 12th.

What have you thought of Absolute Superman so far, and what do you want to see from the series in the future? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things comics with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!