We all know about Kryptonite—the glowing green radioactive chunks of Krypton that happen to be Superman's achilles heel. Throughout the years, we have seen many different types of Kryptonite, all with distinct effects on Kryptonians—the widely known green, of course, but also red, black, gold and pink. But what happens when four new colors are discovered? What effects would they have on the Man of Steel? In the wrong hands, the consequences could be disastrous for Superman and the world he protects.

DC’s newest Black Label title, Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum #1 debuted this past Wednesday. In the series, the Man of Steel discovers some never-before-seen variants of Kryptonite: purple, cobalt, speckled and rainbow. He’s determined to figure out how these new variants affect Kryptonians by experimenting on himself with the help of a very reluctant Batman. The potential dangers of unraveling this intergalactic mystery are truly endless, from potentially turning into a Doomsday monster…or something way, way worse.

Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum is written by W. Maxwell Prince (Swan Songs, Haha), illustrated by Martín Morazzo (Great Pacific, Art Brut), colored by Chris O’Halloran (Rogue Sun, The Boy Wonder) and lettered by Good Old Neon (Swan Songs, Haha). It’s the same creative team that gives us the dark comedy horror series Ice Cream Man from Image Comics. Seeing Superman through the lens of this very stylized creative team makes perfect sense for DC’s Black Label.

The first color explored in this limited series is purple Kryptonite, which poisons Clark’s brain so he experiences everything out of time, meaning he can no longer perceive linear time properly. His senses are useless to him, which puts him at an incredible disadvantage. He’s disjointed and confused. He’s experiencing the past, future and present all at once. (I think I’ve literally had nightmares like that.) And when the Man of Steel is called to action, can he fight through the effects of purple Kryptonite and be the hero Metropolis needs?

Prince and Morazzo have done a masterful job of bringing to life the not-simple concept of Superman experiencing nonlinear time through their incredible page spreads and paneling. Issue #1’s pages exemplify what’s capable in the visual medium that is comics, and how effectively a sharp creative team can brilliantly bring complex ideas and concepts to life.

There’s a lot to love in this first issue. Adding more Kryptonite colors to the DC mythos—in continuity or otherwise—is incredibly ambitious and exciting as readers get to discover what they do alongside Superman. New Kryptonite variants open up so many avenues of exploration for future DC Comics storylines and the ever-expanding DC Universe.

This comic also explores Batman and Superman’s relationship as trusted colleagues and friends. Batman is the only person Clark could trust in this situation but is also one of the few people truly capable of conducting these experiments. He is the World's Greatest Detective for a reason, and he has a deep understanding of Kryptonian physiology. He also has a genius level intellect that’s on par with the antagonist of the series, Lex Luthor. Luthor is Kryptonite’s #1 fan, and with these new colors discovered, he’s already scheming. Metropolis is merely a chess board and its people the pieces. The question is…what does Luthor have planned for Solomon Grundy?

There are so many incredibly fun elements in Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum that are reminiscent of what we’ve seen in other Superman stories, like the Fortress of Solitude robots, recently seen in the new Superman film. We also get to see Jimmy Olsen’s watch in action, which is essentially Jimmy’s own personal “Bat Signal,” but for the Man of Steel. And it wouldn’t feel like a classic Superman story without seeing Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen helping Superman keep Metropolis safe! I look forward to seeing Clark and Lois’s relationship in these next few issues. It seems there is a bit of trouble in paradise. With Clark focused on super heroics, and now Kryptonite experiments, where does that leave Lois?

Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum #1 shows just how much potential this new DC Black Label series holds. Its stylized exploration of these new forms of Kryptonite hooks the reader and leaves you asking for more, with grounded moments focusing on the humanity of these characters that round out this first issue flawlessly. Up next is cobalt Kryptonite! What dangerous effects will this type of Kryptonite have on the Man of Steel? Only time will tell with issue #2 of Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum!
 

Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum #1 by W. Maxwell Prince, Martín Morazzo and Chris O’Halloran is now available in print and as a digital comic book.

Sami DeMonster writes about superheroes, horror and sci-fi for DC.com and reviews comics every week on social media. Follow her at @samidemonster on Instagram and Substack.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Sami DeMonster and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.