Each Friday, we'll be letting a different DC.com writer share what they'll be reading over the weekend and why you might want to check it out. Here's this week's suggestion for a perfect Weekend Escape!
 

The Summer of Superman is here, which means we’re celebrating some of the Man of Steel’s greatest stories. Today we’re spotlighting Superman: Lost, a recent under-the-radar gem about the Man of Steel trying to find his way home after being lost in space. It’s often said that a character as overpowered as Superman is hard for most readers to relate to. I’ve never really bought into that, but if you feel that way, then Superman: Lost may be the comic you’re waiting for. After all, who can’t relate to wanting to go home?
 

THE PREMISE:

Lois Lane and Clark Kent are enjoying a quiet evening together when the Man of Steel is called away for a Justice League mission. Hours later, a shellshocked Superman returns home, but something is amiss. While hours have passed for Lois, Superman has spent the last twenty years lost in space, trying to return to Earth.

The story divides its time between flashback scenes, showing Superman’s adventures in space, and present-day moments, as Lois tries to help Clark readjust to his life back on Earth. However, it soon becomes clear that Superman’s time away has changed him. The Man of Steel also has unfinished business in space. Superman saves people, after all, and he can’t forget about the strange planet and the imperiled population he left behind.
 

LET’S TALK TALENT:

Superman: Lost is written by Christopher Priest and Carlo Pagulayan and illustrated by Pagulayan, the creative team behind the Eisner-nominated 2016 Deathstroke series. Superman: Lost recreates the creative team’s magic, while telling a much different type of story.

Priest is one of the first African-American writers to have scripted a mainstream superhero comic. He helped launch Milestone Media, where he co-created Static and many other characters. With Superman: Lost, Priest has created one of the most thought-provoking Superman stories ever published. In addition to being a fun cosmic odyssey, the story breaks Superman down in a way other stories rarely try to do.

It’s worth noting that artist Carlo Pagulayan is credited with shaping the plot along with providing the book’s art. Pagulayan’s illustrations are nothing short of cinematic here. The alien worlds and the imaginative technology are breathtaking. Plus, Superman’s solar suit looks cool on every page and on the graphic novel cover.

Most importantly, Pagulayan’s art goes a long way in telling us the story of Superman’s psychological state.  Just look at the page in Superman: Lost #1 where he returns home to Lois. There is so much nuance in how Carlo depicts the shellshocked Superman.
 

A FEW REASONS TO READ:

  • Superman: Lost is set outside of mainstream continuity, so you don’t need to be up to speed with the latest in the DC Universe to enjoy it. The comic is a self-contained tale that readers can enjoy whether they’re new to comics or seasoned fans. 
  • If you’re a fan of science fiction and fantasy, this is the perfect Superman story for you. Superman: Lost is a cosmic odyssey in which the Man of Steel travels to a strange new world, meets unusual aliens and plays with some cool gadgets.
  • What happens when Superman is put in a situation where he can’t save a planet? What would he do if he was forced to leave people behind? Superman: Lost explores those questions, challenging the Man of Steel’s worldview, while staying true to who the character is at his core.
  • The Lois Lane and Lex Luthor storylines are interesting character studies of two of the most important people in Superman’s world. We see Lex try to provoke a Superman who is too shellshocked to care, and we see Lois do what she does best—find the truth.
  • Did I mention that there’s a scene where Superman travels with a herd of space dolphins? Yeah, that happens, and it’s awesome.
     

WHY IT’S WORTH YOUR TIME:

Superman: Lost is a fascinating limited series that challenges Superman’s core beliefs and breaks the character down psychologically. It puts the Man of Steel in a situation he doesn’t often face—trying to save people who can’t be saved and who don’t want to be saved. What happens to a hero when he’s transported to a land where heroism isn’t welcome? How would being separated from Lois and Earth for twenty years change Superman? If any of these questions interest you, then Superman: Lost will electrify your brain and it’s the perfect choice for your next weekend escape.


Superman: Lost by Christopher Priest, Carlo Pagulayan, Jason Paz and Jeromy Cox is available in bookstores, comic shops, libraries and digital retailers as a softcover graphic novel. It can also be read in full on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE.

Joshua Lapin-Bertone writes about TV, movies and comics for DC.com, is a regular contributor to the Couch Club and writes our monthly Batman column, "Gotham Gazette." Follow him on Bluesky at @joshualapinbertone and on X at @TBUJosh.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Joshua Lapin-Bertone 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.