Superman #31: “Man of Apokolips, Part One” is a comic that throws you straight into the deep end, and honestly, it’s fun. The simple premise (Darkseid is coming and will win, so the heroes need to go inside the planet and fight in a tournament) is completely bonkers. Still, writer Joshua Williamson and the art team of Eddy Barrows & Eber Ferreira make this high-stakes, emotional roller coaster work.
The real strength of this book isn’t the giant spaceships (He needs a dozen of them for evacuations) but the quiet, character-driven moments. Clark’s visit to the Fortress of Solitude to consult the Jor-El simulation is a standout. He’s looking for an edge against Darkseid, but all the simulation can offer is the simple, powerful truth: he was saved because his parents loved him. The line where Jor-El confirms that if he could have, he would have saved “Everyone” is the kind of heartfelt emotional beat that gives Clark the resolve he needs to face the impossible.
While the main Superman/Lois relationship falls into their usual, slightly predictable trope (Clark worries, Lois cheers him up with a big kiss, and he flies off to win), Lois Lane absolutely shines when she’s on her own. Refusing to accept Clark’s plan or the idea that he’s planning to lose, Lois takes a detour and confronts the Jor-El program herself. Her relentless reporter-instinct demand for answers triggers a secret program: Lara Zor-El. The conversation they have is fantastic, and I’d love to see Lara get way more screen time in the future.
Lois’s journalistic persistence pays off with a massive retcon that changes everything. Lara reveals that Krypton had a legend of a “Final God,” a destroyer. And here’s the kicker: the monster designed to stop him, the Alpha to the Omega, was created by Kryptonian scientists. That monster? Doomsday. Suddenly, the thing that killed Superman has a whole new, cosmic significance. Doomsday is the key.
The issue ends with a bang and a promise of more craziness, including the sudden appearance of Superboy-Prime (who’s always a hilariously un-grating good time) and the tease of Superwoman’s return.
The art team of Barrows and Ferreira, with coloring by Alejandro Sánchez, does a fantastic job of conveying the scale of this epic story. The Fortress of Solitude scenes, with their icy-blue Kryptonian holograms, are beautiful, creating a striking contrast with the looming red-and-black menace of Darkseid and the Time Trapper.
‘Superman’ #31 Review: Doomsday’s New Origin Revealed
Superman #31 is a strong start to the “Man of Apokolips” arc. It reads quick, delivers big emotional stakes, and drops a huge Doomsday retcon that will have fans buzzing.
