November 16's Superman: Son of Kal-El #5 - which features the series star Superman/Jon Kent officially coming out as bisexual, is getting "unprecedented orders," according to DC and now will get a second printing that will arrive in comic shops on Tuesday, December 28, the same day as Superman: Son of Kal-El #6.
Comic shop retailers must place their orders for the second printing by Sunday, November 28, so if you're a reader interested in obtaining a copy, consult your local comics shop.
While the publisher didn't put a number to it or specifically define "unprecedented" it announced retail comic shop orders for the first printing are exceeding orders for the series' debut issue, which indeed would be an unusual (if not unprecedented), albeit unspecific sales figure if accurate. Almost all DC and Marvel Comics series peak in sales with their first issue, with order numbers declining - sometimes rapidly - for subsequent issues.
In addition, DC announced it's reprinting the first four issues of the series, which will now feature the DC Pride logo on the covers. Orders for those reprints were cut off October 30 and will go on sale Tuesday, November 23.
Superman: Son of Kal-El #5 is written by Tom Taylor, drawn by John Timms, colored by Hi-Fi, and lettered by Dave Sharpe.
According to the publisher, following a scene where Jon physically and mentally burns out by the responsibilities of being Metropolis's Superman, his friend and fellow Daily Planet reporter Jay Nakamura "is there to care for the Man of Steel."
"It's been incredible to see all the positive fan reactions and I want to thank everyone who reached out to DC and our creative team to show their support," says Taylor in the second printing announcement. "I also want to acknowledge all the messages I received from all over the world from people who let me know what Superman coming out meant to them. I heard from people who burst into happy tears when they saw the news. I had messages from parents of LGBTQ+ young people, who told me how important this was for their families. I heard from people who read the news, and then came out to their family and friends that day. And not just young people, people in their thirties, in their forties. Superman has always been an inspirational hero. I'm glad he's still inspiring today."
"When you set out to tell a story like this, you hope the positive reaction will far outweigh any negative," adds Taylor. "It doesn't get much more positive than every single issue selling out. As a Superman fan, I couldn't be happier that this series and this Superman is going to be read by so many people."
Newsarama has more details here on why DC announced the story spoiler when it did.
