Based on the strong marketing push from Warner Bros. marketing, I think it’s safe to assume the vast majority of people are well aware that there’s a new Superman movie arriving this July. To say that there’s huge amount riding on its success is an understatement. If early hype is any indication, filmmaker and DC Studios co-head James Gunn has a smash hit on his hands. To whit, when the film was first announced citing the seminal All-Star Superman miniseries from writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely as an influence, sales very quickly spiked. So it won’t come as a surprise that DC has announced an All-Star Superman audiobook drama in collaboration with Penguin Random House Audio
Available next month on June 24, 2025, this preeminent Superman storyline was adapted for audiobook listeners by Meghan Fitzmartin and features cover art by Quitely, a full cast of 25 voices, an original music score, and sound effects.
Fans are likely well aware that an animated adaptation was released back in 2011
Official press release description below:
The All-Star Superman story is widely considered one of the greatest in the iconic character’s history. The Man of Tomorrow is an enduring DC Super Hero whose story has taken many forms over the years, from page to audio to screen and back again. Adapting All-Star Superman as an audiobook hearkens back to the earliest years of Superman, when more than 2,000 episodes of the radio show The Adventures of Superman were broadcast from 1940 to 1951.
In the audiobook, which directly adapts the complete 12-issue run of the original comic, Superman goes toe-to-toe with Bizarro, his oddball twin, and the new character Zibarro, also from the Bizarro planet. And Superman faces the final revenge of Lex Luthor in the form of his own death! All-Star Superman is a spectacular reimagining of the Superman mythos, from the character’s origin to his greatest foes and beyond.
The audiobook features the voices of:
Marc Thompson as Superman/Clark Kent & Zibarro
Kristen Sieh as Lois Lane
Christopher Smith as Lex Luthor
Sean Kenin Elias-Reyes as Bizarro & Atlas
Brandon McInnis as Jimmy Olsen
Matthew Amendt as Leo Quintum
Ray Porter as Jor-El
Jessica Almasy as Nasthalthia Luthor
Pete Bradbury as Perry White
Scott Brick as Bar-El
Brennan Brown as Steve Lombard
Will Damron as Leader of the Superman Squad
Lauren Ezzo as Lana Lang
Robert Fass as Pa Kent
James Fouhey as Pete Ross
Todd Haberkorn as Klyzyzk Klzntplkz
Neil Hellegers as General Lane
Dominic Hoffman as Judge Morris
Đavid Lee Huỳnh as Kal Kent
Joshua Kane as Samson
January LaVoy as Agatha
Saskia Maarleveld as Lilo
Salli Saffioti as Ma Kent
Catherine Taber as Cat Grant
Oliver Wyman as Parasite
Anne DePies, SVP and general manager of DC, revealed the hope of reaching a wider audience with the All-Star Superman audiobook:
“As DC continues to connect with a wider audience of fans through innovative, accessible, and high-quality adaptations of our cornerstone Superman narratives, partnering with Penguin Random House Audio to adapt the classic DC comic book All-Star Superman will continue to expand our commitment to reach a broader fan base,” said Anne DePies, SVP and general manager of DC. “With the All-Star Superman audiobook, we aim to provide an ideal entry point for newcomers to the Superman legacy while also drawing them into our rich literature. At the same time, we’re capturing the imaginations of longtime fans, podcast lovers, and audiobook aficionados by offering direct adaptations that faithfully bring their beloved stories to life.”
Lance Fitzgerald, SVP, Content and Business Developmen, added:
“I’ve been a fan of All-Star Superman since its initial publication 20 years ago, and we’re thrilled to work with DC to adapt Morrison and Quitely’s extraordinary vision in a fresh way unique to the audiobook,” says Lance Fitzgerald, SVP, Content and Business Development. “In her adapted audio script, Meghan Fitzmartin takes listeners inside the minds of the characters, including their inner thoughts. We hear Zibarro wrestling with his uniqueness, Lex Luthor’s imperiousness, and Superman’s own reflections on his world and his mortality.”
The press release also teased that this All-Star Superman audiobook is the first release collaboration between DC and Penguin Random House Audio, and fans can look forward to four additional classic DC comic book titles to be published on audio for the first time.
I don’t know if anyone would remember, but these audiobook adaptations used to be all the rage during the mid-90’s. I still have a audio adaptation of Kingdom Come (based on Elliot S. Maggin’s novel adaptation) lying around on cassette tape somewhere and I recall one time that a sampler was passed around at Comic Con during that same decade featuring excerpts of Knightfall, The Death of Superman and Star Wars: Heir To The Empire. Glad to see some sort of comeback since I’m a big fan of old time radio shows and CBS Radio Mystery Theater.
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Coat
Knightfall and Death of Superman were likely the BBC adaptations directed by Dirk Maggs. They and associated productions are worth tracking down, for commutes and long journeys.
I remembert the audiobook adaptations made for the blind community (and others with disabilities).
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