Kingdom of Zod Reading Order Checklist

Who is the best Superman villain? If you polled Superman fans, General Zod would likely be in the top three alongside Lex Luthor and Brainiac. However, with the latest Superman crossover event, Superman: Kingdom of Zod, it’s very possible that he may cement himself in an even higher position in Superman’s rogues gallery.

Not to be mistaken with the song by Canadian punk band Billy Talent, Superman: Kingdom of Zod will see General Zod return as a major force. A major coup has hit the sovereign state (and the source of kryptonite on Earth) of El Caldero. However, in an unexpected twist, the leader of this takeover is none other than General Zod himself. What does a Kryptonian general want with all that krptonite? You’ll have to read to find out.

Make sure you don’t miss an issue of this crossover with the Superman: Kingdom of Zod reading order. You’ll find the prescribed way to read this massive story, along with other helpful details like background reading, creator credits, and release dates.

Background reading

Are you looking to do some catch-up reading before jumping into Kingdom of Zod? If so, here are the comics I recommend checking out.

Kneel Before Zod #1-8
Written by Joe Casey. Art by Dan McDaid.

Kneel Before Zod is one of the more recent General Zod stories, which should give you a good indication as to what he’s been up to.

Superman Unlimited #1-12
Written by Dan Slott and Jeremy Adams. Art by Rafael Albuquerque, Mike Norton, and Lucas Meyer.

Superman Unlimited introduces two concepts that you may need to know about current Superman comics. The first is that kryptonite is now abundant, and anyone can buy it if they have enough money after a kryptonite meteor crashed to Earth. The other is the introduction of El Caldero, a sovereign state with the mining rights to the kryptonite, as that’s where the meteor hit.

Reign of the Superboys
Written and art by Various.

After Superman’s death back in the 1990s, four other Supermen rose up to replace him. After the DC K.O. line-wide comic book event, Superman has gone missing, and four Superboys will rise up to fill the void.

Reign of the Superboys is not strictly a crossover event. Instead, it’s more parallel stories that are thematically/conceptually connected and running through the Superman family titles.

It runs through the following comics:

• Action Comics #1096-1099 (Superman is replaced by his younger self)
• Supergirl (2025 series) #11-15 (Superman is replaced by Superboy, Conner Kent)
• Superman Unlimited (2025 series) #11-15 (Superman is replaced by his son, Jon Kent)
• Superman (2023 series) #36-40 (Superman is replaced by Superboy-Prime)

Action Comics #1100
Written by Mark Waid, Joshua Williamson, Sophie Campbell, and Dan Slott. Art by Skylar Partidge, Ryan Sook, Daniel Sampere, Dan Mora, and Lucas Meyer.

This milestone issue will explain what Superman has been up to.

Superman: Kingdom of Zod reading order

Discover all the issues involved in the Superman: Kingdom of Zod crossover and the prescribed reading order.

Supergirl (2025 series) #16 (Part 1)
Written by Sophie Campbell. Art by Joe Quinones.
Available 12th August

Action Comics #1101 (Part 2)
Written by Mark Waid. Art by Montos.
Available 12th August

Superman Unlimited #16 (Part 3)
Written by Dan Slott. Art by Rachel Stott.
Available 19th August

Superman (2023 series) #41 (Part 4)
Written by Joshua Williamson. Art by Eddy Barrows.
Available 26th August

Supergirl (2025 series) #17 (Part 5)
Written by Sophie Campbell. Art by Joe Quinones.
Available 2nd September

Action Comics #1102 (Part 6)
Written by Mark Waid. Art by Montos.
Available 9th September

Superman Unlimited #17 (Part 7)
Written by Dan Slott. Art by Rachel Stott.
Available 16th September

Superman (2023 series) #42 (Part 8)
Written by Joshua Williamson. Art by Eddy Barrows.
Available 23rd September

Superman: Kingdom of Zod Special #1 (Finale)
Written by Mark Waid, Dan Slott, Joshua Williamson, and Sophie Campbell. Art by David Messina, Sophie Campbell, Paolo Villanelli, and Bruno Frenda.
Available 30th September

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After Superman: Kingdom of Zod

Which direction will the Superman family of comics go after Kingdom of Zod? October 2026 will see the start of new stories in the Superman-family comics.

Supergirl (2025 series) #18
Written and art by Sophie Campbell.
Available 14th October

Action Comics #1103
Written by Mark Waid. Art by Patricio Delpeche.
Available 14th October

Note: Action Comics #1103 will start Lex Luthor: Year One, a story that explores the early days of Lex Luthor.

Superman Unlimited #18
Written by Dan Slott. Art by Lucas Meyer.
Available 21st October

Superman (2023 series) #43
Written by Joshua Williamson. Art by Xermánico.
Available 28th October

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