Superman Treasury 2025: Hero for All

 DC's latest treasury edition takes full advantage of its larger size to tell an epic story. 

Superman Treasury 2025: Hero for All is the perfect appetizer or dessert for the new Superman movie. Written by Dan Jurgens and illustrated by Bruno Redondo (with "ink assists" by Caio Filipe and "Resurrection Sequence Art" by Jurgens, Brett Breeding, and Adriano Lucas), this story starts big and keeps going. 

I haven't read the monthly Superman titles for a long time, so some of the character changes were challenging to process (for instance, Lois and Clark having a son). Not to worry, because Jurgens brings new readers up to speed quickly and efficiently. 

This is essentially a Superman vs. alien invaders story that encompasses the major heroes of the DC pantheon—Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, Batman, Aquaman, and others. Jurgens even manages to incapacitate Superman early in the story but nevertheless keeps him onstage. His imprisonment becomes an opportunity for him to remember (and, in some cases, misremember) key moments of his life. By the time he's back in action, the entire ensemble cast is ready for an all-out battle sequence where the stakes, as always, are high. 

The real star here, however, is the artwork. I'm unfamiliar with Redondo, but this book makes me want to seek out other stories he has illustrated. His art is bold and dynamic, and his storytelling skills, even in the battle scenes, never leave the reader confused over who is doing what. Jurgens's script gives him ample room for gorgeous two-page spreads—Superman flying into action against a giant robot, Superman dramatically shaking off hypnotic captivity, and a stunning view of DC's entire cast of heroes. Lovely work.

The book ends with a few pages promoting the new film, the monthly comics, and some seminal collections. It is also printed on a better stock of paper than recent DC treasury reprint issues (which, to be fair, use newsprint to replicate the feel of the original books). 

Superman Treasury 2025 is as much fun as I've had reading a comic book so far this year. The creative team goes all out to provide audiences with a reading experience that could compare with the theatrical return of Superman, and they have succeeded.