Slugfest is a roundup of cool announcements about projects coming to a shelf near you. This edition focuses on DC’s April 2025 solicitations. Hit the links for more information.
With James Gunn’s Superman film arriving this summer, it’s no surprise that the Man of Steel is front and center in DC’s publishing plans for the year. The “Summer of Superman” will officially kick off in April with Summer of Superman Special #1.
The one-shot will be written by three writers — incoming Superman Unlimited writer Dan Slott, current Superman writer Joshua Williamson and all-around Krypton-ologist Mark Waid. They’ll be joined by artist Jorge Jiménez for a three-act story that will feature the wedding of Lana Lang and John Henry Irons.
Here’s the full solicitation text:
The Man of Steel and his universe of friends, family, allies, and rogues is in for some big changes, and it all starts in the Summer of Superman Special! Brought to you by Superman series architects Joshua Williamson (Superman), Mark Waid (Batman/Superman: World’s Finest), and (making his grand entrance to the world of tomorrow) Dan Slott, this special oversize issue will set the stage for all the major events exploding throughout the Superman titles! When John Henry Irons and Lana Lang take their vows, everyone turns up for the big day—but trouble is brewing on the horizon, as threats from the past, present, and future kick off major new conflicts for the Superman Family. Brought to stunning life by the incomparable art of Jorge Jiménez (Batman, Super Sons), the Summer of Superman Special is the ground floor to the most exciting action imaginable in 2025!
It’ll arrive in stores on the last day of April.
You might remember back in 2021 when DC released Batman: The World, an anthology graphic novel featuring stories about Batman by creators from all over the world. They’re doing the same thing in June with Superman: The World, which they are advanced soliciting in April.
The graphic novel will include contributions from creators from 15 different countries, including Dan Jurgens, Jorge Jimenéz, Satoshi Miyagawa, Stepan Kopriva, Dr. Ejob Gaius, Jefferson Costa Sylvian, Lee Weeks, Jorge Jimenéz, Kai Kitago, Michal Suchánek, Jefferson Costa, Marcial, and more. The Man of Tomorrow usually soars through the skies in Metropolis, but no matter where in the world a cry for help comes, Superman will always be there to save the day.
Look for it in stores June 24.
Jumping back to April, Superman and a bunch of other DC characters will take part in the “We Are Yesterday” crossover, which will kick off in April and run through Batman/Superman: World’s Finest, Justice League Unlimited and Batman/Superman: World’s Finest 2025 Annual before continuing in May.
As you might have guessed from the titles involved, Mark Waid is spearheading this one, but he’ll be joined by co-writers like Christopher Cantwell and Morgan Hampton on some of the titles, which will feature art by Clayton Henry, Travis Moore and more.
The story will revolve around Gorilla Grodd, Lex Luthor, Cheetah, the Joker and the rest of the Legion of Doom:
On April 16, Gorilla Grodd takes center stage as “We Are Yesterday” kicks off in Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #38. The Man of Steel and the Dark Knight will be hard-pressed as it is to keep up with the psychic powers of DC’s sinister simian, but this time there’s something different, as if Grodd has knowledge of the future. And it remains to be seen what any of this has to do with the death of Darkseid!
Fire and Ice are back in April, as they return in a new miniseries by Joanne Starer and Stephen Byrne. In Fire & Ice: When Hell Freezes Over, the duo finds their powers switched following the events of Absolute Power:
Prior to Fire & Ice: When Hell Freezes Over launching in April, as seen in the pages of DC’s Absolute Power, Fire and Ice had finally achieved what Fire always wanted: the dynamic duo made a glorious return to the ranks of the Justice League—and during a major world crisis, no less! But when the crisis was overcome, the smoke had cleared, and all the superpowers were restored, Ice found herself shooting off uncontrollable spurts of fire, and Fire had ice crystals forming at her fingertips. Oops!
“Fire and Ice’s last series, Welcome to Smallville, really focused on the ladies figuring out how their friendship worked when they weren’t saving the world,” said Starer, “and of course there was a lot of conflict that came with that. With this new series, I wanted to showcase how well Bea and Tora understand each other and how strong they are when they work together.”
Fire & Ice will return to Smallville to figure out their new status quo. Look for the first issue of six on April 9.
Tom Taylor’s run on Detective Comics has brought some surprises, and in April it’s bringing an annual. Working with “all-star roster of collaborators,” Taylor will send the Dark Knight against several of his foes in a quest to solve a case he can’t seem to crack.
For more on DC’s April titles, see our previous coverage on:
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