In the wake of DC K.O., the DC Universe has turned its attention to the Superman family. More specifically, to the four Superboys who could potentially succeed Superman in… the Reign of the Superboys crossover event.
At least, this is what DC Comics advertised. However, the result is less a crossover story and more a thematic one running through several Superman Family titles, exploring the aftermath of the DC K.O. in the Super-Corner of the DC Universe. This leads us to a conclusion set in the celebratory issue, Action Comics #1100, and on to the next event!
Reign of the Superboys is also a clear reference and homage to the iconic Reign of the Supermen storyline, in which four potential Superman successors appear after the tragic death of Metropolis’ greatest hero. This time around, you have four Superboys stepping up: Young Clark Kent from Action Comics, Superboy Prime in Superman, Conner Kent appearing in Supergirl, and Jon Kent dealing with the return of his younger self in Superman Unlimited.
And so… Up, Up, and we go!
Collecting Reign of the Superboys
At the moment, DC Comics has only announced one trade paperback, collecting the Action Comics issues. The rest should be announced in the following months.
- Superman: Action Comics Vol. 2 – Reign of the Superboys: Future Shock [2026]
Collects Action Comics #1096-1099 and the story Mission Failure from Action Comics #1100 - More collected editions coming soon.
Reign of the Superboys Reading Order/Checklist
Reign of the Superboys is part of the Superman All In era. All the stories can be read independently from each other. The titles are connected only in the last stretch, as the conclusion introduces the elements for the next Super crossover. With that said, there is still a little order to follow…
I. Supergirl (Volume 8) #11-15: Hero of Kandor
Supergirl #10 concluded with Conner visiting Kara because Kandor was in big trouble. Superman’s cousin didn’t really have the time to go and see what was going on as DK K.O. was happening. Taking place before the events of Superman #40, this story follows Kara as she finally catches up with her responsibilities after the dust has settled, only to discover Kandor in ruins. The youngsters are in revolt and have set the city on fire.
Although Conner Kent is the Superboy of this story, his role is quite limited. Writer and artist Sophie Campbell used the story to confront Kara with her own doubts and frustrations about being in Superman’s shadow, and to help her accept her true place in the House of El.
For non-readers: This story deals with a recent fallout between Supergirl and her friends, Kandorian Lesla-Lar and Lena Luthor. You can check out Supergirl #9 if you want to know more about it – although I don’t think that is really necessary. Sophie Campbell’s run is also quite a low-stakes modernized Silver/Bronze Age type of run, which will not be to the taste of everyone. It’s slowly growing on me, but I would not recommend it.
II. Superman Unlimited #11-15
In Superman Unlimited #9–10, Mister Mxyzptlk warns Jon Kent that his archenemy, the Fourth Dimensional Demon Master Zzyx, is coming for him. He appears in Reign of the Superboys, in which adult Jon Kent must confront his torturous past when a young version of himself returns.
Taking place in parallel with Supergirl, Unlimited also focuses on Jon dealing with his trauma and accepting himself in order to take his rightful place in the Superman family. This does not necessarily mean becoming Superman’s successor. This story continues Jon’s work as a journalist for the Daily Planet in Smallville, as seen in previous issues, and concludes at the end of this crossover.
For non-readers: While Superman: Unlimited is generally new-reader-friendly, this arc will certainly have more impact for those who have followed Jon Kent’s painful growth over the past few years and experienced the trauma of seeing the cutest kid in the DC Universe become an adult far too quickly. That said, it’s still accessible, and Slott writes a good Jon Kent. I know Slott has his detractors, but as a disclaimer, Unlimited is my favourite Superman title.
III. Superman (Volume 6) #36-40: Prime Time
This is a meta story set before Justice League #18, with humorous undertones set directly in the aftermath of DC KO. Superboy Prime is filling in for Superman in Metropolis. He is determined to show the world and the superhero community that he can be a great Superman too as he is chasing his redemption arc for the next few issues and will learn some hard life lessons along the way.
On several occasions, Superboy-Prime addresses the readers directly, talking about the possibility of having his own comic if he does things right. While Joshua Williamson clearly uses this story to pay homage to the power of comic books, the tone does impact Prime’s development, making any revelations or possible growth less powerful than they could have been. From this perspective, this is the least effective story about a character dealing with Superman’s legacy.
For non-readers: Although this story is closely linked to previous events (Superboy Prime played an important role in the Superman tie-ins during DC KO), the meta writing makes it easier to understand without prior knowledge. I admit that I’m not fond of that style, but to each their own!
IV. Complementary: Justice League Unlimited (Vol.2) #18
This JLU issue is not part of the Reign of the Superboys story. It is an optional issue, with a few pages serving as a prelude to the Action Comics story. Booster Gold, Martian Manhunter and Mary Marvel start their time-travelling journey here, and the consequences are shown in…
V. Action Comics #1096-1100
The search for Superman has brought the heroes of tomorrow face-to-face with Clark Kent’s younger self! The members of the Justice League must join forces with Superboy to protect Superman’s legacy and stop Epoch before it’s too late.
What better way to explore Superman’s impact and legacy than alongside his younger self? Mark Waid bridges past and present to celebrate the iconic superhero, using young Clark Kent to offer a more introspective look at Superman’s place in the DC Universe.
It all culminates in the landmark issue Action Comics #1100. This celebratory issue is not filled with self-contained stories highlighting Superman from various creative teams, but instead serves as a lukewarm conclusion to recent events and an introduction to the next story. Mark Waid first concludes his tale in the past, before Joshua Williamson and Sophie Campbell continue the story in the present by reuniting the different members of the family. Dan Slott writes the final story, which serves more as a recap of recent events from Superman Unlimited, before delivering the twist that launches the next event… Kingdom of Zod.
After Reign of the Superboys
Whatever Happened to the Omega Champion? Superman’s story during this period is told in the Superman 2026 Annual: Year One Thousand #1, which is also presented as an epilogue to DC K.O.
After that, the Super-Family goes against General Dru-Zod in the 9-issue crossover event Kingdom of Zod that starts in Supergirl #16 and will take place in every Superman titles in the next two months.