How do you follow up on the lauded, international anthologies Batman: The World and Joker: The World? If it’s the Summer of Superman and you’re DC Comics, you announce Superman: The World, a 208-page hardcover featuring stories all about the Man of Steel.
Hitting stores on June 25, just in time for the big-screen Superman, the book will launch not just in the US but all over the world in Argentina, Bosnia, Montenegro, Serbia, Brazil, Cameroon, the Czech and Slovak Republics, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Spain, and Turkey. And it’ll include stories from those country’s artists and writers, including a new tale from Dan Jurgens and Lee Weeks.
While the book is still a few months away from debuting, we’ve got some preview pages from the stories, as well we the official synopses for each, per PR provided by DC Comics. Read on for a look at Superman: The World.
“Let Slip the Dogs of War,” by Dan Jurgens and Lee Weeks
When a giant alien of unknown origin attacks Metropolis, the immediate response is a massive military strike that would eradicate the threat as well as the city itself. Dan Jurgens (Action Comics, Superman) and Lee Weeks (Superman: Lois and Clark, Batman/Catwoman) deliver a story in which Superman is challenged by an extraterrestrial threat and his own government’s worst instincts. It’s a singularly unique challenge for the Man of Steel, who finds himself trapped between two tough choices with little time to find a solution.
“The Last Seed of Krypton,” by Mauro Mantella and Agustín Alessio (Argentina)
Writer Mantella and artist Alessio book a trip for the Man of Steel to Argentina, where, in search of a story as Clark Kent and a potential threat as Superman, he encounters an ancient menace with ties to his past—one that threatens the entire planet and forces him to reconsider his very essence and biology.
“The Red Mantle,” by Jefferson Costa (Brazil)
In this story by writer/artist Costa, Clark Kent is in Brazil conducting a series of interviews following the opening of an exhibition at the national museum marking the return and restitution of the Tupinambá red cape, repatriated to Brazilian territory after 400 years. Clark is intrigued and enthusiastic about the history of the artifact, which holds such strong and significant symbolism, representing the cultural revival of a people, memory, and ancestry—a symbolism very similar to his own red cape. When the Tupinambá cloak disappears from the museum, Superman goes into action, determined to recover it.
“Chariot of the Gods,” by Dr. Ejob Gaius, E.N. Ejob, and Coeurtys Minko (Cameroon)
Following their groundbreaking story in Joker: The World, the Zebra Comics team of writer Gaius and artists Ejob and Minko tell their own unique story spotlighting the Man of Steel. Superman faces an unusual culture shock as his noble intentions lead to unforeseen consequences. Through this eye-opening journey, he discovers the profound importance of understanding and respecting cultural differences, adding to what it truly means to be a hero for the world.
“If Nihilism Is the Answer, What Was the Question?,” by Štěpán Kopřiva and Michal Suchánek (Czech and Slovak Republics)
Superman has always been a symbol of hope, but what happens when he encounters a community that doesn’t believe in hope? The Czech storytelling team of writer Kopřiva and artist Suchánek put this question to the Man of Steel when, in the distant future, he encounters “Prague,” a Czech space station with a single occupant, one who believes in absolutely nothing—order, values, hope—nor in the meaning of it all.
“Superman in Paris,” by Sylvain Runberg, Marcial Toledano Vargas, and José Manuel Robledo (France)
This short story by writer Runberg (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo/Millenium, Warship Jolly Roger, Under York) and artists Toledano Vargas (Ken Games, Dominants) and Robledo (Tebori) tells the tale of how Lois Lane and Clark Kent hope to escape their daily adventures for a brief getaway to Paris, the City of Lights. But there’s something lurking in the depths of the Seine River that may interrupt their romantic interlude.
“Man of Kruppstahl,” by Flix (Felix Görmann) (Germany)
In his unique style, award-winning writer/artist Flix (Spirou, The Humboldt Animal) tells a nostalgic and charming story from Superman’s past in which the Man of Steel thwarts the machinations of a villain in postwar Germany.
“To Be a Hero,” by Rana Daggubati and Sid Kotian (India)
In this story by Daggubati and Kotian, Clark Kent is covering a story in India and meets a woman studying history. They’re approached by a young boy, looking for help. It’s up to Superman to keep bandits from pillaging his local temple of its statues and artifacts.
“Superman’s Inferno,” by Fabio Celoni and Marco Nucci (Italy)
Acclaimed Italian comics creators Nucci and Celoni celebrate the incredible narrative of the Last Son of Krypton in this short story. In 2021, Clark Kent and Lois Lane are in the home city of the Sommo Poeta (the Supreme Poet), Dante Alighieri, on the 700th anniversary of his death. Suddenly, the earth splits open, with Lois and some bystanders swallowed up in a chasm that seems to lead directly to Hell. Superman’s only hope against the armies of Lucifer is tied to a formula seen in Dante’s visions that has been lost forever!
“Superman vs. Convenience-Store Dining Space,” by Satoshi Miyagawa and Kai Kitago (Japan)
DC and Kodansha will include an excerpt from the popular DC manga Superman vs. Meshi, by Miyagawa and Kitago, readable in Western style (left to right).
“Superman: The Left of the Hummingbird,” by Bef (Bernardo Fernández) (Mexico)
When Clark Kent visits Mexico for a simple news story, Superman ends up in a battle against the Aztec gods in this story by writer/artist Bef.
“Marzanna,” by Bartosz Sztybor and Marek Oleksicki (Poland)
Writer Sztybor and artist Oleksicki bring the Man of Steel to Warsaw, where an investigative assignment takes an unexpected turn. As Clark Kent delves into the local tradition of drowning the Marzanna effigy, he uncovers a chilling mystery tied to ancient legends and a looming threat over the city. In a race against time, Superman must confront forces beyond imagination to protect the people of Warsaw and prove that hope is the greatest power of all.
“My Choice, Protecting the Light,” by Stevan Subic (Serbia)
Storyteller Subic (The Riddler: Year One, Batman: Full Moon) both writes and draws this Superman story. After a big cosmic fight, recovering under the sun, Superman hears a faint cry for help coming from a town in Serbia, the only place on Earth that has Kryptonite, whose guardians are keeping the stash secure from anyone who might want to get their hands on it. A not-fully-healed Superman faces the challenge of helping the people protecting him from the substance most deadly to him while a deadly cosmic adversary pulls out all the stops to claim the hoard of Kryptonite.
“Superman in Granada,” by Jorge Jiménez and Alejandro Sánchez (Spain)
This short story, written and illustrated by Jorge Jiménez (Batman, Superman, Justice League, Super Sons) with colors by Alejandro Sánchez (Superman, Super Sons, Justice League), tells of how, after once again saving Earth from the imminent impact of a meteorite, Superman falls powerlessly into the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. Aware that his powers could return at any moment, he chooses to wander through the city in his costume like any other human and discover the beauty and culture Granada has to offer.
“The Hero and the Bull,” by Ethem Onur Bilgiç (Turkey)
Writer/illustrator/graphic designer Ethem Onur Bilgiç takes Clark Kent and Lois Lane to Istanbul to cover an archaeological symposium. They meet a scientist who introduces them to the rituals associated with celebrating the pagan deity Mithras, leading Clark and Lois to an unexpected encounter.
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