I know it’s nerdy, but I genuinely love a bit of multimedia synergy, when the comics publishers pull out the stops to push a character that’s getting some mainstream exposure through a movie or tv show. Another thing I love is when print comics take a step outside of the regular format, and fully explore how different sizes, aspect ratios or orientations can be utilised to enhance or amplify the reading experience. And while I’m at it; I love a single comic that is a complete package, with a start, middle and end, and provides a fulfilling read in-and-of-itelf. The Superman Treasury 2025: Hero For All delivers on all of those; and as an added bonus, is the feel-good comic of the year!
Published in August 2025 to coincide with the release of director James Gunn’s tent-pole summer blockbuster Superman; DC released the Superman Treasury as part of their Summer of Superman initiative. Their mission was clear; to produce a crowd-pleasing and easily accessible self-contained adventure that can be enjoyed equally by newcomers and by Superman aficionados alike. Both a tribute to what’s come before, and a taster to tempt new audiences back for more. Thankfully, DC tasked this job to a team of all-time greats, who knew exactly how to pull it off.
Dan Jurgens is a veteran writer and artist who had a hand in some of the most beloved DC storylines of the 90’s, including the classic Death of Superman and subsequent Reign of the Supermen. He brings his decades of storytelling experience and knowledge of the DC universe and uses them to spin a fast-paced sci-fi epic that starts with a bang and doesn’t let up for its duration. The plot structure sees the heroes of the Justice League struggle to defend the earth against an unstoppable alien invasion; while a series of flashbacks give snippets of Clark Kent’s upbringing and earlier life, although with some crucial details mysteriously askew.
It’s a conceit that has a lot in common with the classic Alan Moore story “For the Man Who Has Everthing”, from Superman Annual #11 in 1985; but my assumption is that Jurgen has deliberately carried this out as a pastiche to one of the Superman’s most celebrated issues. It’s just one of the many nods to beloved DC comics from the classic late-80’s period onwards, and I was particularly pleased to see appearances from Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, Fire and Ice, members of the classic incarnation of Justice League International from that time. I’m still holding fast to my fan-theory that James Gunn will be mining the stories from this era as he builds out the new DC cinematic franchise.
Artist Bruno Redondo has found success in DC comics much more recently, and has exploded in popularity over the last decade with fan favourite runs on Suicide Squad and Nightwing. His style is perfectly suited to action-packed storytelling, and so is a great match for the break-neck pace and breathless battles in this story. Redondo also has a history in Nightwing of experimenting with the comic-book format; including an issue of that series that was told as one continuous panel spread across 24 pages, and another issue that was told entirely from the first-person perspective of the title character. He brings that same storytelling flexibility to the Treasury format of this issue, which has been published on pages that are twice the size (ie. surface area) of a traditional US comic page.
Redondo uses the extended height and width of the pages to capture the widescreen cinematic action; and to give a sense of depth and scale that totally immerses the reader. A lot of work has been put in by the art and production team to make the visuals truly pop off the page, and one double page spread in particular utlilises some cutting edge coloring and printing effects to trick the eye into an almost 3-D effect. It’s an astonishing visual which ranks amongst my favourite moments in all comics (although I’m not going to spoil it here).
The price point for the issue is $15 (approx. £11.50), which I would understand might be off-putting to some, but the page count is a whopping 74 pages; which is over three times the length of a regular superhero comic. Considering the increased page size and the high production values, and I reckon this is great value. The stakes feel high, and this issue feels important. I really hope that this comic finds an audience with younger readers, because if I’d had this comic as a teenager I would likely have read and re-read it until the staples fell out. If your local comic shop still has supply of this, I thoroughly recommend treating yourself to a copy.