REVIEW: Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum #5
Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum #5 is the fifth and final chapter of DC Black Label’s entertaining limited series written by W. Maxwell Prince, with art by Martín Morazzo, colors by Chris O’Halloran, and letters by Good Old Neon.
Just when I thought the wackiness of this series had ended with Book IV, Book V delivers not only more wackiness, but more action, recaps of the newly discovered Kryptonites, more actions, more story and a very endearing and heartfelt ending that I totally didn’t expect. The creative team for this series really knocked it out of the park with this saga. After eagerly anticipating each new installment the past couple of months, the saga has concluded, for now…
At series begin, Superman entrusted Batman with helping him conduct tests on new versions of Kryptonite (purple, cobalt, speckled) and a rainbow-colored S.O.S. shaped to look like a Kryptonite crystal. There were also some appearances of classic Kryptonites like red and green. It’s been a fantastic and weird ride and this book’s cover and variant covers capture that journey this month.
Morazzo’s and O’Halloran’s standard cover is haunting in its simplicity, placing Superman in a moment of pure psychological shock as the Kryptonite Spectrum manifests through his fingers. The stark grayscale Superman is contrasted by vivid, unnatural colors of the Kryptonite fingers. It immediately tells the reader this story isn’t just about strength—it’s about loss of control.
Juan Ferreyra’s variant cover delivers raw motion and danger as Superman collides midair with a deadly, new form of his home world: Kryptonite Man, as streaks of color slice across the page like unstable energy. The action stance of the combatants makes the fight feel chaotic and unbalanced in a life-or-death battle.
Alex Eckman-Lawn’s cover zooms inward, focusing on Superman’s face as his eyes glow with unsettling precision, charted by strange crystal-like markings. It feels clinical, intimate, and deeply unsettling, as if his very perception is being dissected and rewritten. The result is a powerful visual statement: the battle isn’t just external—it’s happening inside him.
Together, these covers reflect the true heart of Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum—a story less concerned with how hard Superman can hit, and more focused on what happens when his very nature is pushed beyond recognition. Each image captures a different fracture in the Man of Steel, from fear and confusion to raw resistance and internal transformation. It’s Superman tested not by enemies alone, but by the terrifying question of who he becomes when his power and senses no longer obey him.
I really applaud Prince, Morazzo, O’Halloran and the rest of the creative staff for such a fascinating and thought-provoking tale and as I’ve said in previous reviews of the books in this series, a great gateway to the character of Superman, his beliefs, his friends and his world for those unfamiliar with him. I will really miss this series and the fun exploration of the Man of Steel.
We have seen Clark time-whacked and confused by purple Kryptonite, blown up to the size of a skyscraper by cobalt Kryptonite, revisited his childhood as via speckled Kryptonite, and traveled to the fifth dimension using a rainbow crystal believed by Clark to be rainbow Kryptonite. All the while, we were treated to lots of appearances by Batman, Krypto, Lois, Jimmy, Justice Leaguers, Superman robots and a very, angry, aggressive and vengeful Lex Luthor. The final issue let us in on just how much Lois and Jimmy know about Superman, which wasn’t immediately clear in the beginning of the series.
The art has been consistent and works throughout and pairs well together with the emotional gravity of Prince’s words in this finale. Prince, with precision and pacing, cultivated a story that put Superman and the readers through their emotional, spiritual and mental paces and delivered an ending that should have been seen as a possible outcome after one looks back at the entire series. In the end, Superman proves that he’ll do what ever he has to do to help those he loves.
(10/10) Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum #5 is a great ending to a series that has been spot on from the beginning. The ending was a great pay off from the strong Book I’s opening issue. It’s a great end to the Spectrum tests and hopefully a doorway to a follow up in the very near future.
I still don’t know how I didn’t see that ending coming and I’m kicking myself for not seeing things play out as they did. I love it, even though I was expecting a more traditional superhero ending, But, the ending we got opens so many doors of possibility and weirdness of its own that the creative team has to come back and give us more tales. Right?
