Superman Villain General Zod Getting Solo DC Comics Series

Superman villain Zod is getting the spotlight in a new DC series launching in January. First announced at San Diego Comic-Con, DC has officially listed Kneel Before Zod #1 in its latest round of solicitations. Writer Joe Casey (Adventures of Superman, Superman/Batman, WildC.A.T.s) teams with artist Dan McDaid (Superman 80-page Giant, Firefly, Dega) for a Zod-focused story that DC describes as “The most brutal series you’ll read this year.” A Kneel Before Zod prelude will appear as a backup story from Casey and McDaid included in Action Comics #1060 (on sale in December), in which “Zod’s son begins to suspect New Kandor isn’t as peaceful as it seems.” Here’s DC’s synopsis for Kneel Before Zod #1:

“General Zod was Krypton’s most notorious criminal. Now he has an entire planet to rule—but what happens when the most dangerous individual in the universe gets everything he ever wanted? Obviously, he wants more— and he’ll stop at nothing to get it—in the most brutal series you’ll read this year! This is not a hero’s journey. This is a dark ride, brought to you by the sick and twisted minds of Adventures of Superman writer Joe Casey and artist Dan McDaid in his monumental main-line DC debut. For General Zod and his family, the descent into hell has just begun.”

Who is General Zod?

Robert Bernstein and George Papp created General Zod (full name General Dru-Zod, of the planet Krypton) for DC in 1961, first appearing in Adventure Comics #283. Zod has long been a relatively obscure Superman villain in the DC universe. His Silver Age stories typically involved him and other Kryptonian criminals escaping containment in the Phantom Zone only to be imprisoned again by Superman. 

Zod has had a more significant presence in the Superman movies. Terence Stamp played General Zod in 1978’s Superman and 1980’s Superman II, where he delivered the iconic “Kneel before Zod” line that inspired this new DC series’ title. Michael Shannon played the DC Extended Universe version of Zod in Man of Steel. Superman (Henry Cavill) controversially kills Zod in the film, in a moment seemingly inspired by 1988’s Superman #22, which introduced Zod to the modern DC timeline only for Superman to feel compelled to executive him and his cohorts. Zod’s corpse appears in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice with Shannon’s likeness, though Shannon did not work on the film’s set. Shannon did reprise his role as Zod in an alternate timeline in this year’s The Flash movie.

General Zod has appeared semi-regularly in DC’s Superman comics since the New 52 reboot in 2012. Recent stories include attempts to recruit Zod into the Suicide Squad. Zod ultimately escaped Earth and set himself up as the authoritarian ruler of the planet Jekuul, or New Krypton, which brought him into conflict with the Green Lanterns.

Kneel Before Zod #1 goes on sale on January 2nd. Additional covers and solicitation information follow.

• KNEEL BEFORE ZOD #1
• Written by JOE CASEY
• Art by DAN McDAID
• Cover by JASON SHAWN ALEXANDER
• Variant covers by NATHAN SZERDY and BJÖRN BARENDS
• 1:25 variant cover by RAFAEL SARMENTO
• 1:50 variant cover by DAN McDAID
• Special foil variant cover by ARIEL COLÓN ($5.99 US)
• $3.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
• ON SALE 1/2/24
• General Zod was Krypton’s most notorious criminal. Now he has an entire planet to rule—but what happens when the most dangerous individual in the universe gets everything he ever wanted? Obviously, he wants more— and he’ll stop at nothing to get it—in the most brutal series you’ll read this year! This is not a hero’s journey. This is a dark ride, brought to you by the sick and twisted minds of Adventures of Superman writer Joe Casey and artist Dan McDaid in his monumental main-line DC debut. For General Zod and his family, the descent into hell has just begun.