Kneel Before Zod: Joe Casey returns to DC's Superman line to align with the iconic villain

“Kneel Before Zod.”

The line — which first appeared in 1980’s Superman II — is arguably one of the most iconic lines in superhero fiction, and especially Superman stories, transforming General Zod from a minor villain to an instantly recognizable name that inspires fear across the DC universe and generations of fans. He was the scourge of Earth in no fewer than three films, and now, DC Comics is bringing readers deeper into his world with a new series called (what else?) Kneel Before Zod, launching in 2024.

Announced at San Diego Comic Con 2023, Kneel before Zod unites the talents of writer Joe Casey and artist Dan McDaid, with the latter making his DC debut with the project. Following a prelude by the creators appearing in this December’s Action Comics #1060, the series — which is an ongoing title, and not the miniseries many believed when it was first announced — will debut in January.

What is Kneel Before Zod about?

Set in current Superman continuity, Kneel Before Zod begins with Zod settled with his family on New Kandor — a planet where he and other Phantom Zone criminals have established an outpost of their own. But things are… not going to go well for him, to say the least, as the series progresses.

The story begins in Action Comics #1060 in a back-up strip by Casey and McDaid, which DC describes thusly: “Zod’s son begins to suspect New Kandor isn’t as peaceful as it seems.” That strip leads into January’s Kneel Before Zod #1, which has the following description from DC:

“General Zod was Krypton’s most notorious criminal. Now he has an entire planet to rule — but what happens when the most dangerous individual in the universe gets everything he ever wanted? Obviously, he wants more — and he’ll stop at nothing to get it, in the most brutal series you’ll read this year! This is not a hero’s journey. This is a dark ride, brought to you by the sick and twisted minds of Adventures of Superman writer Joe Casey and the artist Dan McDaid in his monumental DC debut. For General Zod and his family, the descent into hell has just begun.”

“The most brutal series you’ll read this year”? That sounds like something that Superman himself is going to have to get involved in before too long…

Popverse has an upcoming chat with Casey about the series that will shed a little more light on what to expect; look out for that next week.

Who is responsible for Kneel Before Zod?

The core creative team of the series is Joe Casey — who’s no stranger to Kryptonians, having written a much-loved run of Adventures of Superman in the early 2000s — and Dan McDaid; the two have worked together previously on Dark Horse Comics’ Catalyst Comix. Covers for the first issue come from Jason Shawn Alexander, Nathan Szerdy, Björn Barents, Rafael Sarmento, and Ariel Colón. You can see the covers in the gallery below.

of

Caption

Attribution

When is Kneel Before Zod released?

The Action Comics prelude story will appear December 12, 2023, in Action Comics #1060, which also features a main story by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Eddy Barrows, while Nicole Maines and Max Raynor provide a second back-up story, featuring Dreamer. The first issue of Kneel Before Zod will be released January 2, 2024.

Popverse saw it and did most of it, and you can find all about our guide to All the big news, magic, and moments from San Diego Comic-Con. And if you want to go to SDCC next year, we have the San Diego Comic-Con 2024 dates as well.

Michael Shannon's portrayal of Zod served as the antagonist for Man of Steel. Ten years later, Popverse's Graeme McMillan took a look back on the film.