65 Years Later, DC Is Rebooting Iconic Superman Lore

Published Oct 26, 2026, 11:59 PM EDT

An experienced Editor representing Canada via ScreenRant's Team Anime, J.R. has been reading manga since the first printing of Shonen Jump in North America. This passion drove him to write about anime, manga, and manhwa since 2022, having recently served as Lead Anime Editor for ComicBook.com.

His favorite moments in media coverage include reviewing the series premieres of Zom 100 and Bleach: TYBW Part 2 back-to-back and briefly meeting Junji Ito at a VIZ gallery event in 2023.

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One of the coolest things about Superman is just how much his story in particular broadly affects much of the functioning DC Universe. His influence is immensely felt across an infinite variety of superheroes, yet some of his concepts feel broadly unique, if somewhat products of their era. One such case is the Phantom Zone, the pocket dimension featuring in Superman stories that acts as a prison most famously for characters like General Zod. Originally released in 1961 for Adventure Comics #283, this concept was appropriately to-the-point and with a punchy title straight out of the Silver Age. But in the Absolute Universe, it's time for the Phantom Zone to get its own mini reboot.

Superman has been broadly able to imprison his foes conventionally or outright help them rehabilitate into society like in the case of Metallo or Atomic Skull. While there's perhaps no more fitting a place than an inescapable pocket dimension for Absolute Brainiac, much like the rest of the Absolute Universe, the Phantom Zone's function may be shifting. First teased in the solicits for Absolute Superman #27, Kal-El's journey away from Earth appears to be setting up a key encounter, with him ominously hearing familiar voices at night.

Superman's Reboot Brings Back The Phantom Zone For Its Next Mystery

Following his fateful clash with Brainiac releasing with November 4's Absolute Superman #25, it was still broadly a mystery when solicits went out about the next issue in which Superman abandons Earth. But looking back on previous issues now with knowing what's in store for #27, namely, the fact that these voices are familiar, Kryptonian, and calling out to him at night, it makes more sense why John Henry Irons was so perplexed how Kal-El would almost never be seen sleeping. In between improving the lives of everyone around him, Superman's likely been hearing these residual voices for quite some time, and with Brainiac's threat seemingly resolved, this appears to be his next priority.

Everyone on Krypton died when the planet exploded…everyone but Kal-El, last son of a doomed world. So why does Superman keep hearing Kryptonian voices calling to him at night? Why does he hear frightened whispers from a shadowy, indescribable realm…called the Phantom Zone?

However, also for those who have read Absolute Superman through to this point, it seems far less ambiguous what exactly happened to Krypton as Kal-El was sent away. The planet was destroyed by its society's ceaselessly careless mining and ecological abuse, collapsing into radioactive waste, Green Kryptonite emerging from the surface, with the planet dying a painful, violent death. Though Kal-El's parents aren't seen explicitly dying amid the catastrophe, it was heavily implied, so it's uncertain just how any Kryptonian voices would be left to call out to him, unless they were already imprisoned as part of the Science Guild's yet-unseen draconian deeds.

Kal-El Might Be A Little Less Alone In The Universe Soon

Despite quickly ingratiating himself to Earth's citizens and inspiring many to better walks in life such as his universe's Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, Kal-El encountering Kryptonians for the first time since his early teen years in Absolute Superman would be a massive step. Early cover artwork suggests Kal-El running into familiar connections, possibly even the Labor Guild to which his parents belonged, given the matching "S" shield insignias on their garments. But the artwork also teases that such an encounter might not be what Superman hopes. There's only so much that can be speculated on with vague glimpses of cover artwork, though.

But the mystery becomes just who Kal-El will encounter in the Phantom Zone for Absolute Superman. Could it be a new ally like Kara Zor-El aka Supergirl, or classic antagonists but given the Absolute Universe twist, like General Zod, Ursa, or others like them? And, should they be released from the Phantom Zone, will they act responsibly like Superman has, or drive another planet to its destruction either slowly over time, or by drastic terraforming? For now, anything seems possible, so keep an eye out for Absolute Superman #27 on January 6, 2027, where Jason Aaron's story takes a new turn and possibly shifts courses with its art from Rafa Sandoval to Mirko Colak.