By Amelia McCracken
I’ve been to a lot of Comic-Cons, but this year I walked onto the show floor with a single-minded purpose: track down everything Superman that San Diego Comic-Con 2026 had to offer. Since the premiere of “Superman” 2025, and now with “Supergirl” 2026, our favorite superhero is finally back in the spotlight. DC leaned in all the way this year, and I was more than happy to follow suit.
The Superman Experience Photo Op
At the DC Booth on the show floor, Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood brought an extension of its Superman attraction all the way to San Diego. Though it was a beautiful photo backdrop with the Fortress of Solitude, from the articles I read from DC, I expected more of an interactive experience like in Hollywood. Nonetheless, in exchange for taking a photo, I was given a special edition of the “Superman Experience #1” custom comic, a Comic-Con exclusive written by Josh Trujillo with art by Bruno Abdias and a cover by Bernard Chang. Seeing Milly Alcock’s actual Supergirl costume on display in the DC booth was an unexpected bonus.
The Daily Planet Newsstand
A highlight of the DC booth at SDCC 2025 was the Daily Planet Newsstand that featured different exclusive comic every day. This year, they brought it back and themed the whole booth around the 1950s and the dawn of the Silver Age. The whole both leaned into classic Metropolis iconography, right down to a retro “Metropolis Electronics” display. Because MAD Magazine launched in 1952, DC was handing out a free facsimile of “MAD Magazine #1” filled with vintage ads and all. The Daily Planet back cover was left intentionally blank for creator signatures and artwork. Frank Cho happened to be doing signings after I got my copy and he drew Batman on my cover. Then the next day I went back to the newsstand, they gave away copied of “Krypto: Home Sweet Krypto”.
The Exclusives
I’ll admit it. A big chunk of my week was spent chasing exclusives. The store in DC’s booth had an assortment of limited-prints, and at the top of my list was “Absolute Superman #1” (foil cover by Terry Dodson and Rachel Dodson), “Absolute Superman Vol. 1: The Last Dust of Krypton” (covers by Dan Mora), and an Absolute Superman T-shirt. The DC team knew how to get you because with a purchase over $100, you also received a copy of “DC All In Special #1” (Williamson, Snyder, Sampere, Craig, Mora, Sánchez, Spicer, and Bonvillian) featuring Superman front and center. With a purchase over $200, you received “Adventure Comics #210” (featuring the first appearance of Krypto). And with a purchase over $300, you received “Action Comics #252” (featuring the first appearance of Supergirl). Take a look at my pics and see which comics I left with. Go Super or go home.
One of my favorite wins was the DC Universe Infinite table. There was a convention-exclusive bundle that was genuinely hard to pass up: one year of the DCUI ULTRA tier, an “Absolute Martian Manhunter #1” glow-in-the-dark variant by Frank Cho, and a member-exclusive Martian Manhunter enamel pin set, and an adorable Jon Kent “press badge” tied to “Jon Kent: This Internship is My Kryptonite” – all for $100. As someone who reads DC between conventions anyway, getting a year of access plus these premium physical goodies felt like a no-brainer.
To complete my scavenger hunt in the DC booth, I also found myself first in line for the DC Discord giveaway. Thankfully, I had been a member of the Discord since it’s inception and received an SDCC exclusive Scottie Young “Lobo #1” variant poster.
Outside the Booth
I also spent time working through DC’s citywide “Unlock DC” rewards program scanning QR codes at checkpoints around the convention and city to earn stars toward the mystery DC Reward Truck. I didn’t win any Superman items, but I did get a bag, lanyard, stickers, and even a watch. Beast Kingdom created 1000 “Superman: Son of Tomorrow” figures to sell exclusively for SDCC.
Now for the grail that nearly broke me. Over at the Funko booth, they debuted their first-ever Absolute Universe POP! figures of Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman. The “Absolute Superman Pop” was my white whale of the entire con. It’s a beautiful Pop that I desperately wanted for my collection. The catch is that only 1,000 were made, priced at $40, and access ran through Funko Funatic and SDCC online lottery system. Between the lottery and a fake wristband scandal during Preview Night, they were nearly impossible to get even if you were chosen for a spot to shop. I’d entered both lotteries hoping for a spot, but no luck. However, I did win tickets to the FunkO Fundays party the Thursday of con. I was able to trade my plus one ticket for “both the Absolute Superman and Wonder Woman Pops!
Super Panels
On Friday, I was able to sit front row in the Indigo Ballroom at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront for the “My Adventures With Superman” panel. Showrunners Jake Wyatt and Brendan Clogher, writer Karen Graci, and the core voice cast were all there including Jack Quaid (Clark Kent/Superman), Alice Lee (Lois Lane), Ishmel Sahid (Jimmy Olsen), and Kiana Madeira (Kara Zor-El/Supergirl). The team talked about keeping the show’s heart intact as the stakes climb in Metropolis and as the characters navigate found family and romance. As someone who’s been all-in on this series since Season 1, hearing where the show is headed was a genuine highlight.
As I was in Hall H all Saturday, I missed meeting the DC litter of the Guide Dogs of America and “DC’s Metropolis and Beyond” panel about publishing. The stage brought together Mark Waid, Joshua Williamson, Jeremy Adams, Morgan Hampton, Nicole Maines, and Sanford Greene and the next phase of DC’s All In initiative.
Though I missed publishing, I was still able to attend one of my favorite panels every year, Jim Lee and Friends. It is always refreshing to hear his passion and emphasis on comics over the movies. You could hear it during the Q&A when a guest asked how Jim Lee felt about the “current slump.” Lee was quick to push back that between Absolute and All In Compact Comics and more, publishing is killing it. His comments were met with enthusiastic applause from the fans, including myself.
Final Thoughts
By Sunday my feet were destroyed, my wallet was significantly lighter, and my bag was stuffed with Super-swag. SDCC 2026 was one of the best years to be a Superman fan. I came in on a mission to find all things Superman. Mission accomplished, and I’m already counting down to next year featuring the 2027 Superman “Man of Tomorrow”.