In this review of Action Comics #1100, Clark Kent returns after his disappearance in the DC K.O. tournament, but so does an old foe.
ACTION COMICS #1100
Written by MARK WAID, JOSHUA WILLIAMSON, SOPHIE CAMPBELL, and DAN SLOTT
Art by SKYLAR PATRIDGE, RYAN SOOK, DANIEL SAMPERE, DAN MORA, LUCAS MEYER
Main Cover: RYAN SOOK
Variant Covers: DAVID TALASKI, MARK SPEARS, DANIEL SAMPERE, JIM CHEUNG, RAHZZAH
Page Count: 56 pages
Release Date: 7/22/26
This review contains spoilers
The first two stories in the four-story milestone Action Comics #1100, “Mission Failure” and “Superman Meets Superboy”, blend together smoothly.
In the first one, Superboy teams up with Booster Gold, Martian Manhunter, and Mary Marvel to take on Epoch, a villain from the future.
Together, they’re able to defeat Epoch and, kicking off the second story, use his future tech to build a small ship in which they can travel through space-time to search for Superman. Although they expose Superboy to major future events in his life, his presence is required so the ship can lock on to Clark’s signature, rescuing him from a void at the end of time.
In the third story, “Game Night”, Lois is busy dealing with a house full of superfamily. Kara (Supergirl), Conner (Superboy), Jon (Tomorrow Man), and Thundergirl are playing video games and making a mess of the place when Superboy Prime shows up. Conner and Prime get into a fight, due to Prime’s previous villainous ways.
The final story of Action Comics #1100, “End of Reign”, takes us to El Caldero where President Castilho rules over his Kryptonian castle, although he needs some technical help from his right-hand, Bruno, to turn off the Kryptonian holograms calling out an intruder.
With the holograms deactivated, Castilho soon realizes that Green K, which is harmful to humans, is spreading rapidly throughout the world and he tells Bruno it must be destroyed.
Bruno objects to this, striking Castilho down and taking over as ruler of El Caldero. Bruno then removes his mask, revealing that he’s actually Zod.
Analysis
Major milestone issues can sometimes be a bit of a letdown when it comes to the overall storyline, but Action Comics #1100 does a terrific job of transitioning from the current “Reign of the Superboys” event to the upcoming “Kingdom of Zod” one. It does so on the backs of current super-title writers Mark Waid, Joshua Williamson, Sophie Campbell, and Dan Slott.
These four writers bring together recent Action Comics, Superman, Supergirl, and Superman Unlimited stories seamlessly in an effort to lead these books into the next major event. If you haven’t been reading all four titles, there’s no need to worry about being completely lost. Recent events are recapped in enough detail to avoid confusion, making this a great jumping on point for new readers.
Of course, the big event here is the return of Superman. He’s been gone since the end of DC K.O. #5, giving other characters some time to shine in his place. We’ll find out more details on what he was doing during that time away in the upcoming Superman Annual 2026: Year One Thousand #1. While I enjoyed Clark’s replacements, especially Superboy Prime, it’s good to have the Man of Steel back again.
All of the stories in Action Comics #1100 are entertaining and I enjoyed each one for different reasons. Mark Waid’s opener had good action with the fight against Epoch. Joshua Williamson featured the time traveling flythrough of key moments of Superman’s past. Sophie Campbell included Prime, so I was automatically a fan of that one because of how fun that character has been lately. Dan Slott gives us the lead-in to the next big event with Zod’s return.
The artwork in each story is distinctive, featuring fantastic illustrations from Skylar Patridge, Ryan Sook, Daniel Sampere, Dan Mora, and Lucas Meyer. Those drawings are brought to life with vibrant colors from Ivan Plascencia, Ryan Sook (pulling double duty), Alejandro Sanchez, Tamra Bonvillain, and Giuliano Peratelli. I take the time to list all of them because their talents make this issue all the more enjoyable. Yes, the stories are fun and exciting, but in this medium, the artwork is at least as important. This showcase of artists doesn’t disappoint.
Final Thoughts
Action Comics #1100 ties together multiple ongoing stories in an effective and impressive manner, setting the stage for Superman’s return just in time to take on Zod. If you’ve been keeping up with “Reign of the Superboys”, this issue is a satisfying conclusion to the event. If you’re new to Superman, this is a great point to join in on his story. Have fun, comic lovers!
