Bizarro: Year None #1 (2026) Review

A bizarre start to the new Bizarro comic book!  Yeah, I know. A bizarre Bizarro; who would have figured, huh? The start of the 4-part miniseries, Bizarro: Year None #1 is an interesting, but different, origin story for Bizarro, the backwards clone/duplicate of Superman.

The original, Silver Age Bizarro was created by a Professor Dalton, who had a duplicate ray that created a Bizarro duplicate of Superboy in Superboy #68 (October 1958). The adult version of Bizarro first appeared in Action Comics #254 (July 1959). Since then, through DC Comics’s multiple Crisis reboots and rebirths, Bizarro has persevered.

 

But, now, to complement the most recent reboot,* Kevin Smith, he of the backward hat and omnipresent hockey jersey, has teamed up with artist Nick Pitarra to create a new origin story for Bizarro, his world, and his people.

 

I decided to read this comic because:

1. I find Bizarro interesting in a messed up sort of way
2. I logged into DC Universe Infinite (Ultra) and this comic popped up, having recently been added to the online collection.
3. The art looked like Frank Quitely’s work (it’s not), plus Kevin Smith’s words.

 

The story takes place 18 months after Superman’s first appearance in Metropolis, according to the narration.  We see a giant toy soldier, damaged, sticking his bayonet into the Daily Planet building. What’s not to love about that scene?  This is clearly a scheme by the Toyman, who happens to be one of my favorite weird Superman villains of the Golden and Silver Ages. Alas, we don’t actually see Toyman, just his giant robot soldier.  

 

As it turns out, this story centers, not on any superheroes, (we only see Superman in flashback, as he takes out the giant toy trooper), but on Jimmy Olsen and Perry White.  Clark Kent and Lois Lane are not in this story, as they were attending the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C.  (I note the irony that this comic became available just a few days after the real-life 2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner that proved very eventful and newsworthy).  

 

So far this is a Jimmy/Perry/Bizarro story.  It is mentioned that Professor David Dalton is demonstrating his Duplicator Ray in Metropolis later in the day. It is mentioned that a previous demonstration of this device “failed” to duplicate a copy of a Daily Planet newspaper.

 

Professor Dalton, back in  Superboy #68, was the guy whose Duplicator Ray created the Bizarro version of Supes. In this new and modern version, he duplicates something else that, according to Bizarro, lays the foundations for society on Bizarro’s world.

 

Not wanting to give out spoilers, that is the limit to my detail on the story.  I will say that this tale is so far intriguing, and I am looking forward to issue #2.  The story is interesting, as is the dialogue written by Kevin Smith.  The conversations involving Perry White, Jimmy Olsen, Cat Grant, and Steve Lombard are in-character and well-done. 

 

As I mentioned earlier, the art, which is by Nick Pitarra, strongly reminded me of Frank Quitely’s work.  Digging a bit deeper, I uncovered an interview with Pitarra, in which he explains that his initial exposure to comic book art was Frank Quitely’s

Quitely’s Authority series in 2000.  That interview is at Between the Panels: Artist Nick Pitarra on Discovering ‘The Authority,’ Turning Negatives to Positives, and the Biggest (Literally) Project of His Career.

 

This is an interesting interview where Pitarra talks about how he became a comic book artist. Worth reading.

 

Now, I know that Frank Quitely-style artwork is not everyone’s cup of tea, but his work on New X-Men, All-Star Superman, and The Authority, I thought, were all excellent. And this is from a fan who loves Kirby, Buscema, and Alex Ross!  For a Bizarro comic, the art is spot-on. Keep in mind, this version of Bizarro intentionally (I think) looks different than the typical pasty-faced version with the very angular facial structure. This Bizarro also generally speaks normally, though we do see quick views of the usual Bizarro look and syntax. Smith and Pitarra are setting up their story for some surprises over the rest of the mini-series I think.

 

That is it for now, Comics Fans!  We will review the upcoming issues as they hit my digital reader.

 

*The latest reworking of the already confused and convoluted DC Universe, is detailed in New History of the DC Universe #1-4 (2025-2026)