Superman: Gail Simone, Eddy Barrows Tapped for 3-Part Action Comics Story Arc

Gail Simone and Eddy Barrows are working on a new three-part Superman arc for Action Comics.

DC has announced that Simone and Barrows will tell a new Superman story set in the early stages of the Man of Steel’s career in the pages of Action Comics. The story, “Superman and the Challenge from the Stars,” follows Jason Aaron and John Timms’ “I, Bizarro” and Joshua Williamson and Rafa Sandoval’s “House of Brainiac” arcs.

What will Simone and Barrows’ Superman arc be about?

“The first of Simone and Barrows’s three issues kicks off when a massively powerful alien race makes Earth their arena. Superman, DC’s Man of Steel, must stand alone against impossible challenges that threaten locations all around the world and the lives of those he loves,” DC teased.

“I love the classic Superman cast, and this story is deliberately meant to echo my all-time favorite Superman time period,” Simone said. “We didn’t want to tell a quiet story of Superman in a diner; we wanted to have a massive threat, a war taking place all over the world, and only Superman could possibly protect his adopted planet. It is unapologetically huge in scope and fun as hell, with one of the best art teams I’ve ever worked with…Eddy Barrows, Danny Miki, and Rex Lokus on colors!”

Barrows added, “For me talking about Action Comics is something that goes beyond the title itself. I remember when I was 7 years old, I was playing on the sidewalk, and suddenly I was run over by a truck, right there. I spent 3 days fighting for my life, and during that whole year that followed I remained in bed, doing lots of physiotherapy, lots of meds, and exams. Going to the doctors was a very regular thing. And it was during that time that Superman came to my life, reading Action Comics. Kal-El became a good friend of mine, making my days better. His adventures and his behavior were things that stuck with me! Reading his stories were the highlight of my days, for a 7-year-old recovering from an accident like I was. Back then I wouldn’t have imagined that one day I would be helping to build his legacy: illustrating his stories. The stories of my all-time favorite superhero… SUPERMAN!”

Simone and Barrows’ “Superman and the Challenge from the Stars” begins in Action Comics #1067, which releases in July 2024. Miki, Lokus, and Dave Sharpe are additionally part of the creative team.

Action Comics #1067 features cover art by Barrows, Miki, and Tomeu Morey, while Wes Craig, Pablo Villalobos, and Ben Oliver provide variant covers. The main cover will also be released as a foil variant.