Superman: Kingdom of Zod Special Sets Up a Father-and-Son Era for Clark and Jon Kent

Superman: Kingdom of Zod Special #1 closed out the "Kingdom of Zod" storyline this week, and in doing so laid out where DC's Superman line is headed next. The one-shot brought together writers Joshua Williamson, Mark Waid, Dan Slott, and Sophie Campbell alongside artists Paolo Villanelli, Bruno Frenda, and David Messina for a reveal-heavy send-off.

The biggest news is for Jon Kent, who steps into a new "Tomorrow Man" identity and will headline a father-and-son era alongside Clark in the upcoming Superman Unlimited. Superboy-Prime, meanwhile, is stepping back from the cape to return to civilian life at Midtown Comics' Metropolis location, with Superman and Lois shown making peace with his presence. Lex Luthor isn't sitting still either, claiming fatherhood of a Superclone and retreating to the old Smallville farmstead, a setup that reads like the opening move of his next long game against Superman.

The special also drops a handful of threads for later: a revived Ursa was apparently pregnant, promising a Kryptonian birth down the line, a Black Lantern ring surfaces, and Brainiac is shown manipulating bottled Legion futures. Cryptic references to a "House of Zero" and an eclipse suggest DC is already seeding its next big Superman event.

Original reporting: Bleeding Cool.