Claudia Gray's House of El tells a never-before-seen story of Krypton

Comic fans are no doubt familiar with Krypton, the planet most famously known as the birthplace of Superman, as well as the story of its destruction.

But the mysteries surrounding that event have always puzzled storytellers, and now, the first novel in a new DC YA graphic novel trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray and illustrator Eric Zawadski seeks to answer some of those most persistent questions.

House of El Book One: The Shadow Threat, written by Grey and illustrated by Zawadski with colors by Dee Cunniffe and lettering by Deron Bennett, will explore the tragic story of Krypton like never before: through the eyes of two teenagers on opposite sides of the same destructive event. SYFY FANGRRLS has your first look at the cover art, as well as a peek into some of the novel's interior pages below:

Zahn is one of Krypton's elites: wealthy, privileged, a future leader. Sera is one of Krypton's soldiers: strong, dedicated, fearless. Their rule-bound society has ordained that their paths should never cross.

But groundquakes are shaking the planet's surface. Rebellious uprisings are shaking the populace. Krypton's top scientists — Jor-El and Lara — conduct a secret experiment that is meant to reform their planet from the cellular level up. Zahn and Sera must join forces to investigate the hidden dangers truly threatening Krypton. In the process, they form a bond that will endure past the end of the world...

Credit: DC Comics

"As a lifelong Superman fan, I’ve always wondered — how can this hyper-advanced planet with brilliant scientists be so unaware that they’re on the brink of catastrophe? House of El is my chance to finally answer that question," Gray told FANGRRLS. "And seriously, for a fangirl like me, that’s SO HUGE. Is my geek showing?"

"The story of Krypton couldn't be more relevant or timely than now and Claudia's script reflects that," added Zawadski. "Within a fast-paced plot, she's woven together endearing characters, an intriguing love triangle and a topical theme of environmental planetary destruction being ignored by the ruling class. I couldn't be more excited to be telling this story with Claudia. It has everything I love drawing: young characters fighting the good fight and large cityscapes succumbing to destruction."

House of El Book One: The Shadow Threat will be available everywhere books are sold on January 5, 2021.