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Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum #1
Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum #1
The team behind the critically acclaimed Ice Cream Man comic comes to DCto apply its singular storytelling style to none other than the Man of Steel!Four new Kryptonites have been discovered in deep space, and Supermanneeds to know just what, exactly, they do to him—lest the colorful rocks ofhis home planet fall into evil hands! With Batman at Superman's side, thisDC Black Label Superman event explores the consequences of each never-before-seen variety of Kryptonite—all in the formal and boundary-pushingfashion that W. Maxwell Prince, Martín Morazzo, and Chris O’Halloranare celebrated for!
Kindle Edition
Published August 13, 2025
10 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
W. Maxwell Prince
108 books189 followersW. Maxwell Prince writes in Brooklyn and lives with his wife, daughter, and two cats called Mischief and Mayhem. He is the author of One Week in the Library, The Electric Sublime, and Judas: The Last Days. When not writing, he tries to render all of human experience in chart form.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
September 12, 2025
I LOVED THIS!!! It took me 3 nights to read it as I savoured every panel
I would like to think of this as being set in the same timeline as the All-Star Superman, certainly the vibe and art are reminiscent of that series. It still manages to be it's own story, which is fun, clever and poignant in turn. The portrayal of Supes & Bats temporal muddled fight with Solomon Grundy was genius.
Worth reading for the banter between Batman and Superman alone.
I would like to think of this as being set in the same timeline as the All-Star Superman, certainly the vibe and art are reminiscent of that series. It still manages to be it's own story, which is fun, clever and poignant in turn. The portrayal of Supes & Bats temporal muddled fight with Solomon Grundy was genius.
Worth reading for the banter between Batman and Superman alone.
August 13, 2025
This was interesting. I like what they are going for and the time manipulation but the beginning felt very stiff and by the numbers intro to Superman. I will admit that I am curious as to what each new Kryptonite sample will do.
August 13, 2025
I found the beginning boring, by the numbers recap of Superman. However when he started his scientific study into the kryptonite, that was cool. And the fight with Solomon Grundy was decent. Next is blue.
November 23, 2025
Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum #1 is a DC Comics issue written by W. Maxwell Prince, art by Martín Morazzo, and colors by Chris O’Halloran.
Superman has discovered four new kryptonite variations and has asked Batman to help test them on him to see what they do. Purple K is the first on the list that warps Superman’s ability to process time. Solomon Grundy attacks Metropolis and Superman must try to defeat the mindless brute while his mind skips through time.
The writer and artist duo of Image’s Ice Cream Man tackles Superman. This first issue was very unique and I think this will be a very interesting series. Being a Black Label series, Prince and Morazzo will be able to tell a story without being forced to stay within continuity so I’m expecting some crazy things to happen in future issues. I really enjoyed Morazzo’s art and designs, especially the Fortress of Solitude robots. The art also reminds me of Frank Quitely’s work on All-Star Superman which is never a bad thing.
Superman has discovered four new kryptonite variations and has asked Batman to help test them on him to see what they do. Purple K is the first on the list that warps Superman’s ability to process time. Solomon Grundy attacks Metropolis and Superman must try to defeat the mindless brute while his mind skips through time.
The writer and artist duo of Image’s Ice Cream Man tackles Superman. This first issue was very unique and I think this will be a very interesting series. Being a Black Label series, Prince and Morazzo will be able to tell a story without being forced to stay within continuity so I’m expecting some crazy things to happen in future issues. I really enjoyed Morazzo’s art and designs, especially the Fortress of Solitude robots. The art also reminds me of Frank Quitely’s work on All-Star Superman which is never a bad thing.
August 14, 2025
anything with Lois being a relatable character I absolutely love, and the writing is genuinely great.
The art style however isn’t my cup of tea!
So seated for what’s coming <3
The art style however isn’t my cup of tea!
So seated for what’s coming <3
August 15, 2025
This was a fun read! I am a sucker for anything where Batman and Superman work together. I'm excited to continue the series and learn what each kind of Kryptonite does!
August 16, 2025
Love seeing the ICM team writing Superman (and Batman, Jimmy Olson, Lois, etc.)! Along with the fun structural stuff with time getting out of sync, there are plenty of smart moments of dialogue and visual gags reminiscent of Ice Cream Man. Lois with the frank conversation about the future of their relationship and Luthor’s henchman concerned about his 401k are fun bits that you wouldn’t normally get in a typical Superman issue. This is still very much a Superman story, though - Prince leans into the wackier sci-fi aspects of Supes’ legacy and Morazzo’s work is on par with Quitely’s All-Star Superman. Lots of nods to Morrison and Quitely, in fact, with the Professor Pyg cameo, too.
September 16, 2025
I am so glad this is a black label series because this has to be the stupidest thing Superman has ever done! And it’s so good! What do you do when you find a whole asteroid load of new Kryptonite? Call batman up and ask him to test them on you to see what they do of course!! Ahahahaha, what?! Even when Lex realized that Superman was testing them on himself, he thought he was a total idiot. How is this allowed to happen?! But at the same time, I have such a morbid curiosity to see what happens. I mean we already know gold takes away powers, what’s the chance of that happening again? I’m also in love with the art style, very reminiscent to Frank Quitely art, and there is even the rainbow coat from all-star Superman in the background in the fortress. Even though Superman was able to get to the Kryptonite first, that just means Lex is extra pissed he didn’t get it. So naturally he starts moving plans around to distract Superman so he can get his hands on the new colors of the crayon box that is Kryptonite. Four new versions were discovered, purple Kryptonite, cobalt Kryptonite, speckled Kryptonite, and rainbow K. Although batman tried as hard as he could to get Clark to throw this idea away, I really don’t think he argued hard enough for just destroying the samples compared to testing them out. M
But either way the time came to strap Superman down and commence with the first test with a dose of purple Kryptonite, batman standing at the ready for tests or to take him down if something goes wrong. And what I love about the effects of purple Kryptonite is just how properly disorienting it is for the reader alongside Superman. It takes a moment to figure out the effects as random flashes of dialogue and other events start to crowd Superman’s senses, but it’s finally confirmed that the part of his brain that deals with time is out of whack. Even just looking at a calendar, everything is out of order. Which means this is the perfect time for Lex to order Emil Hamilton to unleash Grundy on Metropolis as a distraction. Superman is never one to not respond to Jimmy’s call for help, even when he can’t tell how the events are playing out in front of him. But aside from the fight with Grundy, there is another event flashing in Clark’s mind…the dinner he is having with Lois that night as Superman, she is calling their relationship off. She is growing older and ironically time is not on her side, and she thinks they are just too different to maintain it as she feels the pressure from her mother to have children. It’s kinda hard to fight Grundy when events of the woman you love calling it off are getting slipped into the mix. But wow this fight with Grundy is a cluster of confusion and it’s so awesome, it’s like the team took the fight as it would play normally then randomly shuffled them. At one point we even see Clark inside his own mind piecing back the order of events to the point he finally knocks Grundy into space to win the fight. Of course Lex noticed everything and could tell Superman was off and testing it on himself. Later on they were able to completely drain the purple K from his system, with batman slipping a sample of it for himself, but that was only after the diner with Lois happened and she broke it off. Hmmm, I can’t help but feel this isn’t the end of their relationship, that somehow the effects of the Kryptonite will drive the two back together to get everything they want. But screw having a healthy relationship, let’s expose Clark to cobalt Kryptonite next!
But either way the time came to strap Superman down and commence with the first test with a dose of purple Kryptonite, batman standing at the ready for tests or to take him down if something goes wrong. And what I love about the effects of purple Kryptonite is just how properly disorienting it is for the reader alongside Superman. It takes a moment to figure out the effects as random flashes of dialogue and other events start to crowd Superman’s senses, but it’s finally confirmed that the part of his brain that deals with time is out of whack. Even just looking at a calendar, everything is out of order. Which means this is the perfect time for Lex to order Emil Hamilton to unleash Grundy on Metropolis as a distraction. Superman is never one to not respond to Jimmy’s call for help, even when he can’t tell how the events are playing out in front of him. But aside from the fight with Grundy, there is another event flashing in Clark’s mind…the dinner he is having with Lois that night as Superman, she is calling their relationship off. She is growing older and ironically time is not on her side, and she thinks they are just too different to maintain it as she feels the pressure from her mother to have children. It’s kinda hard to fight Grundy when events of the woman you love calling it off are getting slipped into the mix. But wow this fight with Grundy is a cluster of confusion and it’s so awesome, it’s like the team took the fight as it would play normally then randomly shuffled them. At one point we even see Clark inside his own mind piecing back the order of events to the point he finally knocks Grundy into space to win the fight. Of course Lex noticed everything and could tell Superman was off and testing it on himself. Later on they were able to completely drain the purple K from his system, with batman slipping a sample of it for himself, but that was only after the diner with Lois happened and she broke it off. Hmmm, I can’t help but feel this isn’t the end of their relationship, that somehow the effects of the Kryptonite will drive the two back together to get everything they want. But screw having a healthy relationship, let’s expose Clark to cobalt Kryptonite next!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2025
Great concept.
Does the obligatory info dump near the very beginning (to, I guess, catch you up on Superman lore, in case you're the one person in the world who literally knows nothing about Superman) but then, pretty quickly, it jumps right into it.
What I really enjoyed about this was the visuals.
The way a lot of the linework is almost like pointillism. Superman's [standard] overly exaggerated man-physique build exists here, but in certain scenes (like when his face is meant to convey a specific emotion... usually that of ultra-fear) he almost looks... ghoulish? How the bottoms of Batman and Superman's boots are all super-ribbed and actually look dope. The way Batman looks more svelte/slender whenever he is standing next to Superman. The way the Batman logo looks on Batman's chest. How, legitimately, when Batman takes off his mask, him and Superman both look like truly disturbed/distressed men (as they should be, since they are superheros and this is not normal, at all).
I wasn't a huge fan of the actual villain here (I don't really care for Solomon Grundy) but the villain does what the villain is meant to do. Serviceable, if anything.
More visual stuff to talk about. Actual fun use of colours. Very much like how the James Gunn Superman kinda pops more than the previous (more recent) iterations. You know? I like that. Also, tho I am not too familiar with Martín Morazzo's line work... I like it a lot. Reminds me a lot of Geof Darrow, without it being a Geof Darrow clone. I feel like Morazzo is a master at depicting things in the distance. He has a knack for providing just enough detail, without overdoing it (this is one of those things that, when done well, can be taken for granted). The overall visual look and style is less polished than your standard modern comic book, and for me, this is perfect. I believe a lot of modern comics all pretty much look identical, visually, because they have been diluted to a very specific style and look. So when you have someone like Morazzo who comes along and shows something that isn't so surgical and clean... I dig it.
This is only book #1 of many, so I can't judge it too harshly. Obviously designed to make us want to read more/the rest. And, did it work? Yes, absolutely. I am here and ready for #2.
Bring it on.
Does the obligatory info dump near the very beginning (to, I guess, catch you up on Superman lore, in case you're the one person in the world who literally knows nothing about Superman) but then, pretty quickly, it jumps right into it.
What I really enjoyed about this was the visuals.
The way a lot of the linework is almost like pointillism. Superman's [standard] overly exaggerated man-physique build exists here, but in certain scenes (like when his face is meant to convey a specific emotion... usually that of ultra-fear) he almost looks... ghoulish? How the bottoms of Batman and Superman's boots are all super-ribbed and actually look dope. The way Batman looks more svelte/slender whenever he is standing next to Superman. The way the Batman logo looks on Batman's chest. How, legitimately, when Batman takes off his mask, him and Superman both look like truly disturbed/distressed men (as they should be, since they are superheros and this is not normal, at all).
I wasn't a huge fan of the actual villain here (I don't really care for Solomon Grundy) but the villain does what the villain is meant to do. Serviceable, if anything.
More visual stuff to talk about. Actual fun use of colours. Very much like how the James Gunn Superman kinda pops more than the previous (more recent) iterations. You know? I like that. Also, tho I am not too familiar with Martín Morazzo's line work... I like it a lot. Reminds me a lot of Geof Darrow, without it being a Geof Darrow clone. I feel like Morazzo is a master at depicting things in the distance. He has a knack for providing just enough detail, without overdoing it (this is one of those things that, when done well, can be taken for granted). The overall visual look and style is less polished than your standard modern comic book, and for me, this is perfect. I believe a lot of modern comics all pretty much look identical, visually, because they have been diluted to a very specific style and look. So when you have someone like Morazzo who comes along and shows something that isn't so surgical and clean... I dig it.
This is only book #1 of many, so I can't judge it too harshly. Obviously designed to make us want to read more/the rest. And, did it work? Yes, absolutely. I am here and ready for #2.
Bring it on.
August 16, 2025
In this first issue of The Kryptonite Spectrum, Superman finds shards of abnormally colored Kryptonite on Earth and convinces Batman to test how each color will affect him, starting with purple. That's the whole plot.
The premise of this miniseries is pretty small-scale, but very effective in giving the reader something specific to look forward to in the next issue. The character writing is also great; Clark and Bruce's friendship is delightfully portrayed. However, the art is just... so ugly. It's not BAD and I know it's an intentional style that can and has worked for other comics, but in addition to being plain unpleasant to look at, I don't think it fits the vibe of what seems to be a simple lighthearted mystery story.
The premise of this miniseries is pretty small-scale, but very effective in giving the reader something specific to look forward to in the next issue. The character writing is also great; Clark and Bruce's friendship is delightfully portrayed. However, the art is just... so ugly. It's not BAD and I know it's an intentional style that can and has worked for other comics, but in addition to being plain unpleasant to look at, I don't think it fits the vibe of what seems to be a simple lighthearted mystery story.
September 30, 2025
It's really a 5-star book, at least conceptually, but the front half is an extremely tedious get-to-know-ya featuring maybe the lamest Batman and the most lumpen Superman.
Prince is a much better writer than that. I can only assume the intent was to introduce his Ice Cream Man, Volume 1: Rainbow Sprinkles readership to the capes-and-undies class because their (unreservedly amazing) indie darling has lOwErEd HiMsElF to writing a capes-and-undies miniseries.
Prince is a much better writer than that. I can only assume the intent was to introduce his Ice Cream Man, Volume 1: Rainbow Sprinkles readership to the capes-and-undies class because their (unreservedly amazing) indie darling has lOwErEd HiMsElF to writing a capes-and-undies miniseries.
August 24, 2025
Superman recruits trusted friend Batman to the Fortress to run a battery of tests on him. These tests are against 4 new colors of kryptonite found in space. Meantime, Luthor finds out about the kryptonite and sends Solomon Grundy out to wreak havoc in the interim into Metropolis. Grundy is dispatched by Superman and Batman but not easily. Very fun issue that made me laugh. Very silver age feel to it with art that reminded me of the fine line and large jaws and chins on characters of Frank Quitely/ All-star Superman circa 2008.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2025
Fun title so far. If you've just seen the new film, this feels very in-line with that version of those characters (especially Luthor), yet with an existential layer that sets it apart.
There’s more than just punch-ups — Superman makes risky choices, and the new kryptonite types (first up: purple, which warps Superman’s perception of time) are more emotionally resonant than they are clever. I'm digging it.
Morazzo’s art is phenomenal. I love his take on Batman. So cute and serious and helpful all at the same time.
I’m curious to see where this goes.
There’s more than just punch-ups — Superman makes risky choices, and the new kryptonite types (first up: purple, which warps Superman’s perception of time) are more emotionally resonant than they are clever. I'm digging it.
Morazzo’s art is phenomenal. I love his take on Batman. So cute and serious and helpful all at the same time.
I’m curious to see where this goes.
August 16, 2025
I enjoyed reading this issue of Superman.
Great storyline, but the artwork is not what I am
use to.
The character interaction keeps you interested,and
the different types of kryptonite is a new twist to an old story.
Great storyline, but the artwork is not what I am
use to.
The character interaction keeps you interested,and
the different types of kryptonite is a new twist to an old story.
August 17, 2025
The guy at the comic shop sold this to me as "Superman Experiments with Drugs," and that pretty much hits the mark. Very fun comic, and the writing, art, and overall tone reminded me of reading Morrison and Quitely's All-Star Superman for the first time. Highly Recommended. 4.5 (out of 5)
August 22, 2025
Okay ik im cheating here by reviewing a single issue but likeee it's really good 😔.. if you enjoyed Superman (2025) then this is a great segway into comics!
I do have to confess I'm not a huge fan of the artstyle but mayhaps it'll grow on me over time
I do have to confess I'm not a huge fan of the artstyle but mayhaps it'll grow on me over time
August 25, 2025
Very very good.
Don't listen to the hate. This is a really good comic book. Very smart and interesting plot points. Lots to love here. I don't understand the hate it gets. Its a really well thought out book. A breath of fresh air. I love it. Keep them coming DC!
Don't listen to the hate. This is a really good comic book. Very smart and interesting plot points. Lots to love here. I don't understand the hate it gets. Its a really well thought out book. A breath of fresh air. I love it. Keep them coming DC!
September 26, 2025
You had me at “From The Acclaimed Team Behind Ice Cream Man”. But seriously, I’ve been very excited to read this series and issue #1 was well worth the wait. It has All-Star Superman vibes. I’m looking forward to issue #2 and the cobalt blue kryptonite…
August 14, 2025
Reading for the creative team's take on Supes. not super interested in the story
August 15, 2025
the art in this is really nice, giving frank quitely vibes
August 21, 2025
Si alguien me dijese que no tiene ni pajolera idea de quién es Superman, le diría que lea este cómic.
En la línea de All Star Superman, una joya.
En la línea de All Star Superman, una joya.
August 29, 2025
Interesting premise but completely missed the mark for me both narratively and artistically. Just not my cup of tea.
September 1, 2025
3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Starts really boring, ends really great.
Starts really boring, ends really great.
September 4, 2025
One of my favourite superman stories I’ve read so far
September 4, 2025
they have batman running kryptonite tests on superman and they didn't take the opportunity to bring pink K back....
September 11, 2025
This was interesting and I look forward to the next issue. It was rather old school but I am alright with that.
September 20, 2025
gostei!! muito esperto!
September 26, 2025
Kinda liked the focus on the different colors of Kryptonite.
October 16, 2025
Super fun spin on Superman and his nemesis Kryptonite! The artwork really makes this comic shine aka "glow" like kryptonite!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews