If you’ve been following W. Maxwell Prince and Martín Morazzo’s work on Ice Cream Man, you know they specialize in making the familiar feel deeply unsettling. In Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum #5, they bring that same existential dread energy to the Man of Steel, delivering an issue that is as much about the philosophy of home as it is about a giant green monster wearing Lex Luthor’s face.
The Plot: A World Made of Achilles’ Heels
The issue kicks off in a Metropolis that has seen better days, featuring a brutal showdown between Superman and Kryptonite Man. This villain is described as Superman’s ‘destroyed home planet incarnate.’ I’ll be honest, I wasn’t familiar with this character, but this version is literally a resurrected planet in the silhouette of a man. To make matters worse, he looks just like Lex Luthor.
As Superman takes a literal and metaphorical beating, the narrative fractures. We see him pummeled by Lex Luthor in a giant power suit while being bombarded with a spectrum of Kryptonite effects we’ve seen over the last four issues. The arrival of Batman and friends provides a brief tactical reprieve, but the real battle is happening inside Clark’s body.
The Power of the Asterisk
The core theme of this issue is Home. Lex Luthor taunts Clark, claiming that his “home” is actually weaponized debris that hates him. However, the issue counters this cynical view with a beautiful needlepoint sentiment: “Travel east, travel west… after all, home is best.” Through the haze of radiation, Clark realizes that home is more than just a place or a planet—it’s the people.
The most poignant motif is the Asterisk. Clark tells Lois a neat but brilliant little trick: if you don’t like how a sentence sounds, you just add an asterisk at the end. It’s a meta-commentary on comic book continuity and the hope that no story is ever truly final.
The twist in the final act is pure Prince. Batman discovers that Superman is suffering from radiation exposure; his alien biology has synthesized the Kryptonite into a unique strain of “Fifth Disease”. While this is a common pediatric come-and-go virus for humans, for a Kryptonian adult, it behaves like stage four cancer. It’s a heartbreaking irony that the Man of Steel is being brought down by a child’s illness, leaving him dying on a gurney with less than an hour to live.
Visuals: The Art of Disintegration
Martín Morazzo’s art is perfect. His linework captures the blemishes and blotchy rashes on Superman’s skin with a visceral detail that makes you feel Clark’s pain and exhaustion. The action is chaotic but purposeful, especially during the Bizarro bot intervention. Chris O’Halloran’s colors are the MVP here. Dealing with a Kryptonite Spectrum requires a bold palette, and he delivers, from the sickening greens of Lex’s suit to the vibrant, reality-warping Rainbow K that ends the issue in a kaleidoscopic splash. Last but not least, Good Old Neon’s lettering plays with the narrative’s fractured nature, using distinct styles for the Bizarro bots’ digital chatter and the heavy, emotional dialogue between Clark and Lois.
Final Verdict
The Kryptonite Spectrum #5 is a masterful example of a Black Label story. It takes the toys out of the sandbox and breaks them in ways that feel meaningful. It’s a story about a man losing his life to his heritage but finding peace in his community. If you like your Superman stories with a side of existential crisis, this is a must-read.
KPB Comics’ Superman: Kryptonite Spectrum Related:
The Beautiful, Broken Heart of “Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum” #5
The Kryptonite Spectrum #5 is a masterful example of a Black Label story. It takes the toys out of the sandbox and breaks them in ways that feel meaningful. It’s a story about a man losing his life to his heritage but finding peace in his community.
