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Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor (2023) #1
Mark Waid and Bryan Hitch reunite to tell a tale centered on their favorite superhero. Superman learns Lex Luthor is dying, and he wants the Man of Steel to help him find the cure for whatever is causing his rapid decline. While the world wants to say good riddance to Luthor, Superman will go to the ends of the universe, through different dimensions, and across time to save his foe. But just why does he want to save the person who’s spent his life trying to destroy him? And will he even be able to find the solution?
50 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2023
About the author
Mark Waid
3,257 books1,308 followersMark Waid is an American comic book writer widely known for shaping modern superhero storytelling through influential runs on major characters at both DC Comics and Marvel Comics. Raised in Alabama, he developed an early fascination with comic books, particularly classic stories featuring the Legion of Super-Heroes, whose imaginative scope and sense of legacy would later inform his own writing. He first entered the comics industry during the mid 1980s as an editor and writer for the fan magazine Amazing Heroes, before publishing his first professional comic story in Action Comics. Soon afterward he joined DC Comics as an editor, contributing to numerous titles and helping shape projects across the company. After leaving editorial work to focus on writing, Waid gained widespread recognition with his long run on The Flash, where he expanded the mythology of the character and co-created the youthful speedster Impulse. His reputation grew further with the celebrated graphic novel Kingdom Come, created with artist Alex Ross, which imagined a future DC Universe shaped by generational conflict among superheroes. Over the years he has written many prominent series, including Captain America, Fantastic Four, Daredevil, and Superman: Birthright, bringing a balance of optimism, character depth, and respect for comic book history to each project. Waid has also collaborated with notable artists and writers on major ensemble titles such as Justice League and Avengers, while contributing ideas that helped clarify complex continuity within shared superhero universes. Beyond mainstream superhero work, he has supported creator owned projects and experimental publishing models, including the acclaimed series Irredeemable and Incorruptible, which explored moral ambiguity within the superhero genre. He later took on editorial leadership roles at Boom Studios, guiding creative direction while continuing to write extensively. In subsequent years he expanded his involvement in publishing and digital storytelling, helping launch online comics initiatives and advocating for new distribution methods for creators. His work has earned numerous industry awards, including Eisner and Harvey honors, reflecting both critical acclaim and enduring popularity among readers. Throughout his career Waid has remained a passionate student of comic book history, drawing on decades of storytelling tradition while continually encouraging innovation within the medium. His influence extends across generations of readers and creators, and his stories continue to shape the evolving language of superhero comics around the world today through enduring characters imaginative narratives and thoughtful reinventions of familiar myths within popular culture and modern graphic storytelling traditions.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
December 5, 2023
Arts good, story idea is great, but the actual telling feels...off? Almost a bit boring. Which is crazy cause Waid on World's Finest is KILLING it but this story is lackluster feel to it overall.
August 19, 2023
I just adore anything DC Waid does right now (well, other than Lazarus Planet) and he just *gets* Superman, for me. This is the best Hitch has looked doing DC characters for a long time too. I think he's more suited to Marvel for some reason, as his lanky proportions sometimes look weird for DC characters. But this was spot on.
August 6, 2023
Good first issue. A nice, well-written exploration of Superman and Lex’s…friendship? Really enjoyed the flashback of Clark and Lex’s friendship in their Smallville days. I loved the predicament and irony that Clark, in his early days just wanted so bad to share with someone who he really is, because of how different, only to be left not being able to share that with someone as perfect as Lex, who is longing desperately for someone else as different as him.
Maybe I’m thinking too much into things but I think there are some hints in here as to how Superman will be able to save Lex. Something with the Phantom Zone’s mental will? Great art by Hitch, too. Love the Black Label’s bigger magazine format. Really makes the panels feel cinematic.
Maybe I’m thinking too much into things but I think there are some hints in here as to how Superman will be able to save Lex. Something with the Phantom Zone’s mental will? Great art by Hitch, too. Love the Black Label’s bigger magazine format. Really makes the panels feel cinematic.
July 23, 2025
This comic book felt like a continuation of Waid’s “Superman birthright” an interesting else world story that brings more depth and complexity to the bitter rivalry between the man of steel and the most brilliant but dangerous mastermind of the DC universe. Lex is dying from excessive exposure to kryptonite and asked for help to the man he hates the most “Superman” to find a cure for his condition, can the man of steel trust his archenemy? Is Lex be planning something? May there be more into the situation than just their rivalry? Read the book for it, this 3 part story is bound to become a classic for the man of steel comic books, but is of course not without their flaws and the ending as much as it seems fitting for the story is not very elaborate in my opinion, other than that is a good book.
June 3, 2025
this is really an exploration of superman’s relationship with lex luthor and clark kent’s relationship with luthor. a lot of flashbacks showing how clark cared for lex from the start, but lex was such an outcast he was always going to reject his nature.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2023
Very, very good. Waid just does not miss with Superman. Worth the pickup for sure.
July 12, 2025
Lex Luthor: “In our long history, you’ve consistently demonstrated many irrational trails, but only one that’s utterly unfathomable to me. Superman always answers cries for help. Superman always puts others first. He saves people. Superman made a solemn vow to hold all lives sacred. Even mine.”
It was just another regular Tuesday for Lex, conducting some experiment with Kryptonite…but today everything went wrong, the experiment exploded and Lex went down. Coming into contact with the Kryptonite and whatever chemicals he had in his lab…and now he is dying at an exponential rate. He’s Lex Luthor after all, the smartest man in the world, if anyone can find a cure it’s him…but when he can’t, faced with certain death…who does he turn to? None other than Superman, the one who puts all life above all else. And how does he decide to get Superman’s attention? By stealing a giant robot and almost putting a small island under the ocean if it wasn’t for Superman stopping him and preventing the quakes. Maybe just invent a super signal next time. But that is perfectly Lex Luthor, putting his life above all others. But as we start this issue and we see as Clark is writing the events of this series as a story, it seems that he has some pent up regrets about Clark and Lex’s time in Smallville. We aren’t exactly sure what is happening in this vivid and traumatic flashbacks to a young and bald Lex inside a burning building, as a green and young Clark is trying to get inside. But in this continuity Lex Luthor was a resident of Smallville…and not everyone’s favorite. Even in his youth Lex was smarter than everyone else, but he was also brasher and spiteful. Not willing to take the time to explain his thoughts to people, rather than act on them. And to a lot of the town Lex was seen as different and an outcast, and he definitely felt it. For once this is another person Clark could actually relate to, the feeling that you don’t belong. But there isn’t a chance Clark could actually talk to Lex about it, even if he was the only person in town nice to him. Clark watched on, worried as he saw Lex drop out of school and spend all his days locked away in his lab with that strange…green…rock…oh, no.
As we divert away from memory lane and go back to the present, of course Superman already has a few things to try and save Lex. He knows Lex tried every human method to try and save his own life…so now they need to look extraterrestrial. And that means taking Lex to Superman’s most sacred place, the fortress of solitude, where they can shrink down and enter the bottle city of Kandor to consult the best doctor’s still left from Krypton. And they unfortunately couldn’t find anything either, only confirming that it is specifically targeting Lex’s DNA and is only getting worse. Well if you need to stop time completely, there is one way to do it…but it’s not pleasant. That’s why Superman arranged for Lex and himself to take a quick trip to the phantom zone do Lex can take a look around at what could be his home until they find a cure. The only way to stop the disease from getting worse. The phantom zone works a lot through psychic thought, especially as there is no atmosphere to host verbal communication. With enough power it’s even possible to make yourself physical. And a prison wouldn’t be a prison without prisoners. But it seems that Superman has walked right into a trap, as Zod, leading a group of prisoners, has pooled their psychic power to allow themselves to turn physical and force Superman to turn physical as well! They could actually do it, they could strike down the man of steel! They know the contempt Lex has for Superman and would like to see them join them, even allowing him to wield the blade that carves the heart out of Superman. And Lex would love nothing more…if he didn’t need Superman. Taking Zod hostage himself he forced them to let Superman go, allowing Superman to teleport back to the real world. It seems like this is the place where Lex can be, even when everyone hates him. Nothing really new there. He even has the advantage of already figuring out how he can use his mind in the phantom zone. But the difference between this plane of existence and ours, when enough people hate you so much they can actually pool their psychic power and force you out of the zone entirely! Wow, that’s a wild trick and now Luthor has nowhere he is safe. Kinda surprised they haven’t reversed that on Luthor to let him get free. That’s basically a get out of jail free card. But we are not at the end of the road just yet, we see only just getting started and it seems that Clark has a lot of trauma to work through during his youth for why he is helping Lex in this way.
It was just another regular Tuesday for Lex, conducting some experiment with Kryptonite…but today everything went wrong, the experiment exploded and Lex went down. Coming into contact with the Kryptonite and whatever chemicals he had in his lab…and now he is dying at an exponential rate. He’s Lex Luthor after all, the smartest man in the world, if anyone can find a cure it’s him…but when he can’t, faced with certain death…who does he turn to? None other than Superman, the one who puts all life above all else. And how does he decide to get Superman’s attention? By stealing a giant robot and almost putting a small island under the ocean if it wasn’t for Superman stopping him and preventing the quakes. Maybe just invent a super signal next time. But that is perfectly Lex Luthor, putting his life above all others. But as we start this issue and we see as Clark is writing the events of this series as a story, it seems that he has some pent up regrets about Clark and Lex’s time in Smallville. We aren’t exactly sure what is happening in this vivid and traumatic flashbacks to a young and bald Lex inside a burning building, as a green and young Clark is trying to get inside. But in this continuity Lex Luthor was a resident of Smallville…and not everyone’s favorite. Even in his youth Lex was smarter than everyone else, but he was also brasher and spiteful. Not willing to take the time to explain his thoughts to people, rather than act on them. And to a lot of the town Lex was seen as different and an outcast, and he definitely felt it. For once this is another person Clark could actually relate to, the feeling that you don’t belong. But there isn’t a chance Clark could actually talk to Lex about it, even if he was the only person in town nice to him. Clark watched on, worried as he saw Lex drop out of school and spend all his days locked away in his lab with that strange…green…rock…oh, no.
As we divert away from memory lane and go back to the present, of course Superman already has a few things to try and save Lex. He knows Lex tried every human method to try and save his own life…so now they need to look extraterrestrial. And that means taking Lex to Superman’s most sacred place, the fortress of solitude, where they can shrink down and enter the bottle city of Kandor to consult the best doctor’s still left from Krypton. And they unfortunately couldn’t find anything either, only confirming that it is specifically targeting Lex’s DNA and is only getting worse. Well if you need to stop time completely, there is one way to do it…but it’s not pleasant. That’s why Superman arranged for Lex and himself to take a quick trip to the phantom zone do Lex can take a look around at what could be his home until they find a cure. The only way to stop the disease from getting worse. The phantom zone works a lot through psychic thought, especially as there is no atmosphere to host verbal communication. With enough power it’s even possible to make yourself physical. And a prison wouldn’t be a prison without prisoners. But it seems that Superman has walked right into a trap, as Zod, leading a group of prisoners, has pooled their psychic power to allow themselves to turn physical and force Superman to turn physical as well! They could actually do it, they could strike down the man of steel! They know the contempt Lex has for Superman and would like to see them join them, even allowing him to wield the blade that carves the heart out of Superman. And Lex would love nothing more…if he didn’t need Superman. Taking Zod hostage himself he forced them to let Superman go, allowing Superman to teleport back to the real world. It seems like this is the place where Lex can be, even when everyone hates him. Nothing really new there. He even has the advantage of already figuring out how he can use his mind in the phantom zone. But the difference between this plane of existence and ours, when enough people hate you so much they can actually pool their psychic power and force you out of the zone entirely! Wow, that’s a wild trick and now Luthor has nowhere he is safe. Kinda surprised they haven’t reversed that on Luthor to let him get free. That’s basically a get out of jail free card. But we are not at the end of the road just yet, we see only just getting started and it seems that Clark has a lot of trauma to work through during his youth for why he is helping Lex in this way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2023
A solid issue, but something seems to be missing. I love the premise as it presents a great mystery to the reader and to Superman himself, “why save the life of the man who would see myself and everything I stand for reduced to dust?”
As Superman and lex begin their first tries at a cure we get flashbacks that harken to Clark and lex’s time in smallville to shed more light on their complicated relationship. I really enjoyed the smallville segment as it provides some interesting context as to why Lex the way he is and how ironically he and Clark are alike in a fundamental way.
The art is good, the dialogue isn’t bad per say but it is quite heady with scientific and medical terms that might make you feel like an imbecile. We get to see the scientific and intellectual side of Superman here which is something I haven’t really seen before but feels appropriate.
Overall though I didn’t love this issue, it just kind of washed over me and I don’t have a strong impetus to pick up issue 2. If I see it in the wild I will do so of course because I’m still curious, but I don’t know, something here didn’t quite click with me.
As Superman and lex begin their first tries at a cure we get flashbacks that harken to Clark and lex’s time in smallville to shed more light on their complicated relationship. I really enjoyed the smallville segment as it provides some interesting context as to why Lex the way he is and how ironically he and Clark are alike in a fundamental way.
The art is good, the dialogue isn’t bad per say but it is quite heady with scientific and medical terms that might make you feel like an imbecile. We get to see the scientific and intellectual side of Superman here which is something I haven’t really seen before but feels appropriate.
Overall though I didn’t love this issue, it just kind of washed over me and I don’t have a strong impetus to pick up issue 2. If I see it in the wild I will do so of course because I’m still curious, but I don’t know, something here didn’t quite click with me.
December 29, 2024
Just found out issues 2 and 3 were delayed to March and April 2025. Which is a shame because I love issue 1 and wanna see what happens next right away. I love how Lex has Superman all figured out, knowing he'd do the right thing and help him, but he also wouldn't be Lex if he broadcast the deal to the world. Imagine if a real life do-gooder ended up helping a reviled politician. This is really fascinating territory. I also like the way Superman explains Kandor and the Phantom Zone to Lex. Also thought it was funny seeing the WB logo at a drive in.
February 6, 2025
I dont think Hitch's art suits Superman, particularly his modern art. His JLA art with Waid and co in the early 2000s did work, but this isn't quite for me. .I'll probably buy this if it's in OHC. Waid is a legend.
So much set up in this story, I wish more happened. Only two oversized issues to go.
Maybe more happened than I remember. There was Kandor and the Phantom zone. But I feel mostly it was Lex and Superman talking about the situation and that the whole world is aware of Superman helping. That was a great play by Lex.
So much set up in this story, I wish more happened. Only two oversized issues to go.
Maybe more happened than I remember. There was Kandor and the Phantom zone. But I feel mostly it was Lex and Superman talking about the situation and that the whole world is aware of Superman helping. That was a great play by Lex.
April 29, 2024
I thought that Birthright--while excellent--didn't have as strong of a grasp on Lex Luthor as I wanted.
This does not have that problem.
I'm not knowledgeable at all about Kandor, and--yeah--it does seem like Lex would love it there, haha.
The book has a ton of heart and looks great. Love it.
I hope #2 comes out! I mistakenly believed that this was a complete graphic novel, so I do feel like I'm left hanging…
This does not have that problem.
I'm not knowledgeable at all about Kandor, and--yeah--it does seem like Lex would love it there, haha.
The book has a ton of heart and looks great. Love it.
I hope #2 comes out! I mistakenly believed that this was a complete graphic novel, so I do feel like I'm left hanging…
April 28, 2025
Can't be bothered to wait for a TPB entry to be added, so I'll just leave thoughts on the full thing here, on the first issue - which is also, sadly, the best one. It doesn't offer much in the way of novelty but it's a solidly written story, marred by art from Bryan Hitch. But the longer this thing goes on, the worse it gets, with schmaltzier moments, unnecessary twists, and a subpar finale that has little emotional impact.
September 11, 2025
Una maravilla de historia que explora la relación de Superman y Lex Luthor, dos enemigos de por vida que podrían haber sido muy diferentes si hubieran tomado otras decisiones.
Un dibujo fantástico y una cantidad de personajes haciendo pequeños cameos que para los lectores habituales de DC es un placer.
Un dibujo fantástico y una cantidad de personajes haciendo pequeños cameos que para los lectores habituales de DC es un placer.
October 4, 2025
Un paseo divertido por los lugares comunes de Superman.
Buen dibujo y buenos diálogos entre Lex y Kal-El.
Mola volver a ese pasado donde eran ¿amigos? de la infancia.
La enfermedad en sí da vibes de la era Byrne.
Esperemos que el listón se mantenga alto en el desarrollo y desenlace.
Buen dibujo y buenos diálogos entre Lex y Kal-El.
Mola volver a ese pasado donde eran ¿amigos? de la infancia.
La enfermedad en sí da vibes de la era Byrne.
Esperemos que el listón se mantenga alto en el desarrollo y desenlace.
August 1, 2023
Interesting take in the relationship of the Man of Steel and the Most Intelligent Man on Earth. Fun read. Hope the next one is just as good. Great artwork.
August 19, 2023
The first book in a new story line of Superman. This black label book is very interesting. The relationship between the two of them is explored in a new way. Very good so far.
August 31, 2023
I have so many questions but in the best way! Great art. Great story. Left me wanting more. Can't wait to read more.
September 9, 2023
This was great. Lex is dying, and he knows that Superman will help him find a cure, even though the world will hate him for it. Reminds me of early Smallville when Lex and Clark were buddy buddy.
December 11, 2023
Como punto de partida no está mal, aunque enseguida pierde fuelle. Además la historia ha entrado en un hiato y no parece que vaya a continuar pronto. Veremos que pasa.
December 22, 2024
Interesting story showing the lengths The Man Of Steel will go to save others, even his arch foe Lex Luther.
February 10, 2025
Very very good.
Can't believe this is finally getting finished. Been waiting so long. Its a really good story. Pick it up. Its well worth the money.
Can't believe this is finally getting finished. Been waiting so long. Its a really good story. Pick it up. Its well worth the money.
March 24, 2025
Excellent story that is a good mesh of story and art. Throw out any connection to an established continuity and just enjoy. I feel like readers who enjoy the show Smallville might like this? Has some parallels, to be sure. I recently read this, but I can't imagine having to wait two years to read the next issue.
March 22, 2025
re-reading to refresh myself before book 2. what a fantastic story waid and hitch have set up here
April 27, 2025
Luthor's dying, and the only man who can save him is Superman? A compelling look at Superman's life and the raging ego that drove Luthor to be his greatest enemy.
July 18, 2025
Love letter to Superman, Lex, and their interesting relationship.
December 14, 2025
Love it love it love it.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews