Action Comics #1103 (2026) | Ryan Sook Foil Variant Cover E | Lex Luthor: Year One Begins | DC Comics

Action Comics #1103 is the October 21, 2026 issue that launches Lex Luthor: Year One, Mark Waid and Patricio Delpeche's origin story for Superman's greatest enemy. This listing is Cover E, the Ryan Sook foil variant: a Clark Kent-style shirt rip that reveals not an S-shield but Lex's green-and-gold warsuit, printed on reflective foil stock with a wraparound back cover.

Quick Facts

• Title: Action Comics #1103
• Publisher: DC Comics (DC All In)
• Release Date: October 21, 2026
• Cover: E — Ryan Sook foil variant (wraparound)
• Cover Price: $7.99 — Ages 13+
• Writer: Mark Waid
• Art: Patricio Delpeche
• Storyline: Lex Luthor: Year One, Part 1
• UPC: 76194134388110351
• Other covers: Chris Brunner main; Ryan Sook, Don Aquillo, Ariel Olivetti, Dave Wilkins card stock variants

The Story

He was Clark Kent's school-age contemporary in Smallville. He has been President of the United States and the world's most wanted super-villain. He is Lex Luthor, and this is his story. Waid and Delpeche, the current Action Comics team, open what DC is billing as the definitive origin of the greatest criminal mind in the DC Universe — how a brilliant kid from Smallville became the man who would spend his life trying to prove he is better than Superman.

Why Collect This Issue

• Part 1 of a defining origin arc — "Year One" stories (Batman, Superman, Robin) have a long record of becoming the canonical version collectors go back to.
• Foil Sook cover — Ryan Sook's shirt-rip image is the standout cover of the set, and the foil pressing is the premium edition at a higher price point than the card stock variants.
• Mark Waid on Luthor — Waid wrote Superman: Birthright, the modern origin that redefined Lex for a generation; this is his return to that material.
• Wraparound — the back cover carries a classic Superman in Action Comics corner-box design, so it displays as a full spread.

Is this a foil cover?

Yes. Cover E is printed on reflective foil stock; the orange logo band and the warsuit pick up the metallic finish. It is the $7.99 premium variant, not one of the $5.99 card stock covers.

Do I need to have read Action Comics before this?

No. #1103 is built as a jumping-on point — the start of a Lex Luthor origin story that stands on its own.

Is this the same Ryan Sook cover as Cover B?

No. Sook drew two covers for #1103: a $5.99 card stock variant and this $7.99 foil variant. They are different images.

Condition and Shipping

New, unread, bagged and boarded. Ships from St. Louis, MO on or after the October 21, 2026 street date.