Steel returns in new miniseries written by Michael Dorn

Word Balloons #1163: Character was introduced following the death of Superman

The armored hero with a heart of gold returns in a new series starting in June.

The superhero known as Steel, aka John Henry Irons, will star in “Steelworks” #1 from artist Sami Basri, colorist Andrew Dalhouse, and writer Michael Dorn. This six-issue series marks the writing debut of Dorn, known as “Worf” on “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” but also known for voicing Irons in “Superman: The Animated Series.”

Steel marks his 30^th anniversary in 2023 after debuting in 1993’s “Adventures of Superman” #500 following the “Death of Superman” story arc.

Dean Compton, 1990s comics expert and proprietor of the website theunspokendecade.com, said Steel was an important addition to the Superman mythos.

"The Reign of the Supermen was a great story in and of itself, but what it also did so magnificently was add depth to the Superman corner of the DC Universe,” Compton said. “Superboy and Steel both became important characters in the Superman orbit, and in their own right. Steel being a Black man also served to add some diversity to the Superman mythos that it hadn't had much of before.”

In the 1990s, Steel’s influence went beyond the Superman titles.

“Steel quickly became a very well-liked character and an important one, serving in the JLA during the acclaimed Grant Morrison run,” Compton said. “The world of superheroes in general and the world of Superman in particular, are so much better having Steel in them!”

Steel most recently appeared in the story “Steel: Engineer of Tomorrow” in “Action Comics.” The new series will also feature Steel’s niece, Natasha Irons, who also has suited up under the Steel moniker.

“Writing a comic book is a completely new experience for me,” said Dorn in a news release. “But working with Sami and seeing his art has really helped me bring the personality of John I crafted in the series to the page. I can’t wait for fans to see what we’ve got planned!”

Before you jump into the new “Steelworks” series, here are suggestions of five previous “Steel” stories to check out. 

5. Steel #47

Steel had a 52-issue run (plus two annuals and an issue zero) in the mid-to-late 1990s as the title character of his own comic-book series. Some of the best issues were by the team of writer Priest and artist Denys Cowan, who in issue #47 create a Christmas-themed issue in which John Henry Irons must deal with how he’s using his superhero identity as a shield for his true feelings for Dr. Amanda Quick.  

4. JLA #16

Steel joins the Justice League in 1998’s “JLA” #16 – his appearances through the end of the “World War III” storyline in the Morrison run are well-worth reading.

3. Worlds Collide

When the DC Universe crosses over with the universe containing the Milestone heroes, including Hardware, Static, and Icon, Steel is a big part of the storyline, facing off with Hardware, another tech genius with a superpowered suit. 

Issues in this storyline include Superman: The Man of Steel #35; Hardware #17; Superboy #6; Icon #15; Steel #6; Blood Syndicate #16; Worlds Collide #1; Superboy #7; Hardware #18; Superman: The Man of Steel #36; Icon #16; Steel #7; Blood Syndicate #17; Static #14.

2. 52 #s 1-52

Irons is one of the protagonists of this yearlong, 52-issue weekly series that sees the DC universe coping without Superman, Batman, or Wonder Woman. It ran from May 2006 to May 2007.

1. Reign of the Supermen

John Henry Irons first puts on super-armor to try to defend Metropolis after the Death of Superman and finds himself one of four heroes vying to replace the Man of Steel.  Irons is most featured in “Superman: Man of Steel” Nos. 22-26 but is a key part of the entire storyline, which is available as a trade paperback collection and in “The Death and Return of Superman” omnibus hardcover collection.

Matthew Price, matthew@matthewlprice.com, has written about the comics industry for more than two decades. He is the co-owner of Speeding Bullet Comics in Norman, Oklahoma.