Cover: Patrick Gleason & Mick Gray

Superman #5

Oct 2016 · DC · 2.99 USD

📊 ~81,339 copies sold its debut month

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“Son of Superman, Part Five”

About this Issue

Superman (vol. 4) #5 is the penultimate chapter of 'Son of Superman,' the opening arc of DC's 2016 Rebirth relaunch that re-centered the Superman mythos on the pre-Flashpoint Clark Kent as a family man and father. The issue crystallizes the thematic engine of the entire Tomasi/Gleason run — the Kent family as an inseparable unit — by staging a lunar battle in which Lois Lane dons Batman's Hellbat armor and young Jon fights alongside his parents, firmly establishing all three Kents as active participants in the story rather than mere supporting cast. As part of the 'Son of Superman' arc collected in Superman Vol. 1 (issues #1–6 plus the Rebirth one-shot), this issue contributed to a run widely credited with restoring critical and reader enthusiasm for the Superman titles. It also advances the early arc of Jon Kent, who would go on to become one of the most significant new DC characters of the era, eventually taking on the Superman mantle himself.

In "Son of Superman, Part Five," Superman takes his family to a hidden Batcave on the dark side of the moon, seeking refuge—but the Eradicator arrives, determined to erase the last of Krypton’s legacy. With Jon’s courage and Lois’s unexpected aid in Batman’s Hellbat suit, Superman fights to reclaim himself and stand against the Eradicator’s relentless purge. Written by Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason, with art by Doug Mahnke and colors by Wil Quintana, this pivotal issue delivers high-stakes emotion and action, all framed by Patrick Gleason and Mick Gray’s striking cover.

writer Peter J. Tomasi · writer Patrick Gleason · artist Doug Mahnke · inker Jaime Mendoza · colorist Wil Quintana · letterer Rob Leigh · cover Patrick Gleason, Mick Gray

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta

Raw (NM) $5

CGC 9.8 · 7 in census $55,169*

CGC 9.6 $34,086*

CGC 9.4 · 1 in census $23,592*

CGC 9.2 none in existence

CGC 9.0 none in existence

CGC 8.5 $14,818*

Show all 16 grades ▾

CGC 8.0 none in existence

CGC 7.5 none in existence

CGC 7.0 none in existence

CGC 6.5 none in existence

CGC 6.0 $7,284

CGC 5.5 none in existence

CGC 5.0 $4,109

CGC 4.5 none in existence

CGC 4.0 none in existence

CGC 3.5 $2,324

* estimate — limited direct-sales data at this grade

Our model’s value — refined as new sales data arrives · CGC census counts shown where available

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History

The 2016 Superman series (vol. 4) was the direct product of DC's Rebirth initiative, which replaced the New 52 Superman with the post-Crisis, pre-Flashpoint version of Kal-El — now living in secret with Lois Lane and their son Jonathan. Writers Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason were recruited specifically because of their celebrated Batman and Robin collaboration, bringing the same father-son dynamic to Clark and Jon that they had previously applied to Bruce and Damian. For issue #5, Gleason served as co-writer and cover artist while Doug Mahnke handled interior pencils — with inks by Jaime Mendoza, colors by Wil Quintana, and letters by Rob Leigh — representing a deliberate split between Gleason's cover sensibility and Mahnke's kinetic interior storytelling. The creative team had previously worked together on Superman/Wonder Woman, making issue #5 a reunion of collaborators who understood each other's strengths on the character.

Trivia · 8 facts

Part five of the six-part 'Son of Superman' arc (Superman vol. 4, #1–6), the opening storyline of DC's 2016 Rebirth relaunch for the title.
Written by Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason; interior pencils by Doug Mahnke; inks by Jaime Mendoza; colors by Wil Quintana; cover by Patrick Gleason and Mick Gray; variant cover by Kenneth Rocafort.
Published August 17, 2016; cover-dated October 2016; 32 pages; rated Teen.
The issue is set primarily on the dark side of the Moon, in a secret Batcave built by Batman — a location that allows Superman to fight the Eradicator without holding back to protect civilians.
Lois Lane dons Batman's Hellbat armor to battle the Eradicator after it absorbs Superman, a defining character moment for Lois in the Rebirth era.
Serves as a key chapter in establishing Jon Kent (Jonathan Samuel Kent) as an active superhero figure; the arc concludes in #6 with Superman formally introducing Jon to the Justice League as the new Superboy.
Jon Kent was originally created by Dan Jurgens and first appeared in Convergence: Superman #2 (July 2015); the 'Son of Superman' arc, including this issue, is where his Superboy identity was fully developed in the ongoing continuity.
The full 'Son of Superman' arc (including this issue) was collected in Superman Vol. 1: Son of Superman (Rebirth) trade paperback, alongside Superman: Rebirth #1 and issues #1–6.