Warning: MAJOR spoilers for World of Krypton #1 ahead!
The debut of the new DC Comics 6-issue limited series World of Krypton promised to delve deeper into the unknown history of Superman's ancestral House of El prior to Krypton's untimely destruction, and its first issue certainly lives up to its promise. Set during the height of the House of El's reign over Krypton, World of Krypton #1 explores the shady political and familial undercurrents of Krypton's most lasting legacy, all during the backdrop of baby Kara Zor-El's naming ceremony with the destruction of Krypton looming in the near future.
The planet of Krypton was first created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster and introduced to the world in Action Comics #1 (1938) alongside the debut of Superman, the Last Son of Krypton. Since then the world of Krypton, and most notably its destruction, has been a focal point of many Superman, Supergirl, and other DC Comics characters' storylines. The hidden history of Krypton was briefly explored in the 1988 miniseries World of Krypton, but that storyline featured Kryptonians from well before the House of El's reign, leaving much room for exploration of the months and years leading up to the death of Krypton and the fall of the House of El.
World of Krypton #1 - by Robert Venditti and Michael Avon Deming - features Jor-El and Lara, the current rulers of the House of El (and Superman's parents), attending the naming ceremony for Jor-El's niece Kara Zor-El, the child of his brother Zor-El and sister-in-law Alura. During the ceremony, it is established that the House of El has ruled peacefully for a long time, and there has not been political turmoil within Krypton's government for a while. However, after Alura announces to Lara that her child's name will be Kara, a group of "dissidents" attack the ceremony attempting to kill Jor-El, Zor-El, and the "whelp" (the newly named Kara).
Earlier in the night a cousin of Jor and Zor-El is introduced, the clearly distant and disliked Kru-El. Kru-El is immediately set up as a suspicious and politically manipulative character, and by the end of the night he has been established as the downright villain of the series. After the attacking terrorists are defeated, the classic Superman villain Dru-Zod accuses cousin Kru-El of masterminding the entire attack, since if Jor-El, Zor-El, and Kara Zor-El all were killed, then Kru-El would be next in line for the throne. However, it has been established in past comics that Dru-Zod himself attempted a coup of the House of El, before being imprisoned in the Phantom Zone, so could this attack and accusation all be a long-con by Zod?
To add to the intense personal family drama occurring in World of Krypton #1 during Kara's naming ceremony, a scientist of Jor-El's named Nira-Ur reports to Jor-El that a natural disaster has occurred in the wilds, foreshadowing the eventual destruction of the planet Krypton.
The history of Superman's familial dynasty has been explored in comics before, but it is clear that World of Krypton will provide fans with a more personal, and dramatic, story about the fall of the House of El and the planet Krypton. With DC's Future State event having already featured a future version of Superman's family dynasty in House of El, it will be interesting to watch how DC chooses to continue telling the story of Clark Kent's lineage in the past and the future in World of Krypton.