Superman Reborn (Comics) | Review

Here's why this crossover hits different: Superman Reborn actually delivered on its promise when most DC events stumble over their own complexity. This four-part storyline threads the needle between nostalgia and necessity with surgical precision that feels effortless.

DC had been juggling two Superman continuities since Rebirth launched, leaving fans restless about which was the "real" Man of Steel. What makes this crossover brilliant isn't the plot mechanics of merging New 52 and Post-Crisis Superman.

It's how writers Dan Jurgens (Action Comics: Path of Doom, Action Comics: The New World), Patrick Gleason and Peter J. Tomasi (Blackest Night: Batman, Forever Evil: Arkham War) turn what could have been a tedious continuity fix into an emotionally charged thriller that puts Clark Kent's family at the center of reality itself.

When Jon Kent is kidnapped by mysterious forces, Clark and Lois start to lose their memories of him, Superman must discover who's behind the attack. The culprit is Mr. Mxyzptlk, the fifth-dimensional imp manipulating Superman's timeline since Rebirth began.

But here's where it gets interesting: instead of delivering another reality-threatening villain monologue about cosmic domination, Mxyzptlk reveals he's been trying to "fix" Superman by deliberately splitting him into two incomplete versions across different timelines.

The beauty of this approach is that Mxyzptlk isn't portrayed as purely malevolent. His motivations stem from witnessing Superman's struggles across different realities, making him a surprisingly sympathetic antagonist who believes he's helping rather than harming.

The crossover weaves seamlessly through Action Comics and Superman titles, showing how the New 52 Superman and the Post-Crisis Superman merge to form a new singular continuity and unified history. What really works here is how the story treats this complex merger not as a cheap retcon but as genuine character evolution.

Both versions of Superman bring their diverse experiences together, creating a more complete and nuanced hero who remembers his cherished pre-Flashpoint relationships while maintaining the valuable lessons learned during the New 52 era.

The process isn't clean or easy. Clark experiences disorienting flashes of conflicting memories, moments where he remembers both dying against Doomsday and surviving. These psychological struggles make the merger feel earned rather than convenient

The Jon Kent subplot drives the entire emotional core of this story with incredible power and depth. Watching Clark and Lois desperately fight to remember their beloved son while reality continuously reshapes around them creates genuine tension and heart-wrenching anxiety that goes far beyond any typical superhero stakes.

What elevates the family drama is how it reflects every parent's worst nightmare: not just losing a child but forgetting they existed. The story uses this universal fear to ground its cosmic concepts, making readers invested regardless of their DC continuity knowledge.

The story connects brilliantly to broader Rebirth themes about legacy and lost relationships, effectively setting up crucial future storylines while resolving the ongoing confusion and continuity issues that had been plaguing Superman comics since 2016.

This crossover also introduces several key elements that would become critically important in later DC stories, particularly the ongoing mystery of Mr. Oz and the larger Watchmen integration that would eventually culminate in Doomsday Clock.

The crossover also succeeds in addressing fan complaints without feeling like editorial mandates disguised as storytelling. Questions about which Superman was 'real' get answered organically through character moments rather than exposition dumps, respecting longtime readers and newcomers discovering these characters.

The merger creates a Superman who can reference both his classic adventures and more recent experiences with ease, giving writers a much fuller and more comprehensive toolkit for crafting compelling future stories and meaningful character development arcs.

Artists Doug Mahnke (Batman: The Man Who Laughs, Black Adam: The Dark Age) and Patrick Gleason (Action Comics: Men of Steel, Superman: Son of Superman) split art duties across the four issues and both bring their A-game to the reality-bending sequences.

The artwork is consistently beautiful throughout, especially near the end, where the visual representation of two timelines merging becomes genuinely spectacular. Mahnke's dynamic action sequences complement Gleason's more intimate character moments, creating visual flow that matches the story's emotional rhythm.

The writing team deserves credit for making complex continuity feel accessible. They avoid over-explaining multiversal mechanics, instead focusing on how changes affect characters emotionally while maintaining natural dialogue and steady pacing.

Where the artwork occasionally stumbles is in some of the rushed sequences, particularly during the middle chapters where both artists seem pressed for time but when the story reaches its climax, both Mahnke and Gleason delivers some of their finest work.

Superman Reborn succeeds where most continuity-fixing crossovers fail because it prioritizes character over mechanics. Instead of treating the Superman merger as a editorial mandate to be grudgingly executed, Jurgens, Tomasi and Gleason craft a story that makes the merger feel like the natural evolution of the character.

The result is a Superman who feels more complete than either of his previous versions. This isn't just essential reading for Superman fans; it's a masterclass in how to handle complicated continuity without alienating new readers.

The story works whether you've been following Superman since the 1980s or picked up your first comic during Rebirth. Most importantly, it delivers an emotionally satisfying conclusion that strengthens Superman's mythology rather than simply reorganizing it.

Superman Reborn complete storyline is available in the Superman Reborn trade paperback, which collects all the connected issues and can be found across Amazon. For digital readers, it’s also available on ComiXology, Kindle and DC Universe Infinite.