Superman #31 Is a Near-Perfect Supplement to DC’s Brutal New Crossover (Review)

Superman has been one of the best DC books since writer Joshua Williamson relaunched the book in 2023. It’s given readers the kind of Man of Steel action they’ve always wanted from the character, mixing big-time superheroic action with the kind of character work that perfectly exemplifies Superman and his supporting cast. With James Gunn’s DC reboot making the character more popular than ever, Superman became a flagship DC title, and with DC K.O. paying off the line-wide story started in DC All-In #1, it’s more important than ever. Superman #31 shows that off beautifully, and pays off long-time readers of the title with a big-time return.

Superman #31 takes place in the week where the heroes evacuate the Earth in DC K.O. #1. The story is all about Superman coming to terms with the heroes’ decision, all while Lois Lane’s news senses start tingling. Williamson helped do a lot of the set-up for DC K.O. in Superman, and a lot of that is referenced in this issue. It also continues a sub-arc established in Justice League: Dark Tomorrow special, which revealed that the Kryptonians knew about the threat of Darkseid and the concept of “King Omega”. A lot is going on in this issue, and Williamson paces it all wonderfully for the reader before ending with the return of the best form of Lois Lane.

Tie-in comics have a lot of weaknesses, and Williamson sidesteps them in this issue. Superman #31 works both for fans who have been following the book since it started, digging into the subplots that Williamson has set up for the last year, and for readers picking it up because they want a DC K.O. tie-in story. While it deals with ideas that have been percolating in the book, Williamson does a fantastic job of explaining those ideas for new readers without feeling like the book is repeating itself. Williamson nails a “rising action” feel throughout the book, each event playing into the next and getting bigger every time until an ending that made this Superman fan very happy. As a Superboy-Prime fan, I love what Williamson has been doing with the character, and hope that we get him in Williamson’s forthcoming Legion of Superheroes book.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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Superman #31 Looks Fantastic

Superman has been an artistic masterpiece since it started, and Superman #31 keeps that up. Regular artist Dan Mora isn’t here this issue, but regular fill-in artist Eddy Barrows does a fantastic job on pencils. Barrows came back to the Superman books with last year’s Gail Simone-written Action Comics #1067-1069, and has been killing it on Superman since he became the regular fill-in guy. This issue sees him bringing all of his skill to bear, giving readers images like the above, as well as capturing the interplay between characters and the script’s emotional stakes with aplomb.

If there’s one drawback to Barrows’s art, it’s that Superman’s face looks a little weird. Other than that, the art is basically flawless. I love the way he draws the Fortress of Solitude; he’s able to capture the anti-septic nature of the Fortress wonderfully while still making it visually interesting, and does a fantastic job with holograms of Jor-El and Lara. This issue isn’t an action-packed romp (and hopefully Barrows will get to draw some of that in the coming issues), but Barrows’s art does the heavy-lifting perfectly.

Tie-in comics can get pretty annoying at times, mostly because they pause everything a book is doing to tell a story that doesn’t always fit. Superman #31 isn’t one of those tie-in comics. It helps that so much of the last year of Superman has been mined for DC K.O., even then, Williamson’s grasp of the characters makes this issue a joy to read. This issue is a near-perfect tie-in comic, yet another example of how great DC has been doing in 2025.

Superman #31 is on sale now.

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