Happy anniversary! No, not an anniversary of mine. Not an anniversary of yours either, although if you are celebrating an anniversary by all means, happy anniversary. No, the anniversary I’m talking about right now is the anniversary of the Absolute Universe! Pretty much one year ago today we had the DC All-In Special, which created the universe with series like Absolute Batman starting the week after. So, what have we got to celebrate with? The first Absolute universe crossover!
Dude, we’re getting the band back together!
To give my thoughts on this issue, I feel like I should quickly detail my thoughts on the Absolute line as a whole. For the most part, I’m a fan. I’m not too hot on Green Lantern, but I’m liking Batman and Flash, and I’m loving Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter. One of the best things about the world though, is how it doesn’t tie itself down to anything story wise, and you can pick up any story you like without having to read the others. That is, until now.
It doesn’t feel like homework or required reading, but I will say, it’s a little strange to see the different big bads interacting with each other. Not bad, but strange. With my feelings on the concept out of the way, I can confirm that I enjoyed this book. To get a peak behind the curtain and see what makes this universe tick. Seeing how the key players from the Golden Age get snuffed out or give up, is honestly a little sad. It helps you get into the mindset of this universe where extraordinary people exist, but are not allowed to thrive.
That being said, the book loses me a bit when they start talking about the specifics of the universe itself. The “Joker”‘s talk of this moral particle takes me back to the whole “Superman and Darkseid Energy” thing from the All In Special that I never really got on board with. Some of the choices in dialogue and naming conventions do make me roll my eyes a bit. Insisting that the Joker never laughs, or the name for their new supervillain team is a bit heavy handed. There isn’t very much of it though, so it doesn’t effect my enjoyment.
Spoiler Territory
There are a few things here that I really have to talk about, but are quite big spoilers, so if you haven’t read the book yet, skip ahead. Hey, you can even go and read it and then come back.
Spoiler
Ever since the cover for this issue released a few months back, many fans, myself included, noticed something, more accurately someone hiding there. This someone is Hawkman. Another hero makes an entrance this issue, that being this universes Oliver Queen. I was very very surprised to see one of the immediately kill the other. That is, assuming that the guy with wings and a mace is still Hawkman underneath all that leather.
I did wonder if Oliver would be long for this world, but it would seem as though he isn’t. It was definitely a bold move, but one that I think definitely works. I mean, look what Batman had to become to survive in this universe, and he’s still going through hell. I do wonder if that Absolute Green Arrow series was all a hoax, or whether we’ll see the Roy that Oliver was talking to follow in his footsteps.
Other than all that, the book looks very nice, courtesy of Guiseppe Camuncoli and Stefano Nesi. It’s actually quite interesting to see how all the characters look with a consistent art style. As this issue is mainly just exposition though, there aren’t many opportunities for the artsists to play around, except maybe the brief glimpse at the Arrow Cave.
Recommended If
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- You’d like to see your favorite Absolute series cross over
- Preparation for Absolute year two
- You want to delve into the history of this universe
Overall
At the end of the day, it’s nothing to write home about. It’s an enjoyable read with a good glimpse of the other side of the moral compass, but it’s really exposition and setup for things to come. It looks nice and reads easy, but doesn’t have much depth to it. That being said, it’s got some fun twists and turns and certainly gets me excited for what’s to come.
Score: 7/10
DISCLAIMER: DC Comics provided Batman News with a copy of this comic for the purpose of this review.
English (US) · 