Image via DCJim Lee is lending his skills to one of the hottest Absolute Universe releases of the year, and each and every piece of art looks absolutely stunning.
Published Jan 24, 2026, 5:06 PM EST
John Dodge is an MTV Writer for CBR who specializes in movies, television, comics, and pop culture. He has a deep knowledge of franchises like Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Marvel, and DC Comics, along with a passion for indie and horror titles. An expert on obscure productions from the ’80s and ’90s, John is known for his encyclopedic recall of cult classics like Beetleborgs.
DC Comics' Absolute Universe's next major release is set to feature brand-new art by none other than Jim Lee
Per the retailer newsletter from DC Comics, fans can look forward to the first hardcover volumes of Absolute Superman, Absolute Batman, and Absolute Wonder Woman. All three titles will be available on Free Comic Book Day, May 2, and all will have exclusive Free Comic Book Day dust jackets by Jim Lee.
Absolute Superman Vol. 1: Last Dust of Krypton collects the first six issues of Absolute Superman by writer Jason Aaron and artist Rafa Sandoval. The official solicit synopsis from DC Comics reads, "in a different, darker world, Kal-El landed in a remote Kansas field, the last survivor from an alien planet... but even before that moment, nothing unfolded as you'd expect. As he tries to survive in a world seemingly determined to repeat the mistakes of the demolished Krypton, he'll come into conflict with the globe-straddling Lazarus Corporation and its agenda of exploitation... and go fist-to-fist with its brutal army of Peacemakers!"
Similarly, Absolute Batman Vol. 1: The Zoo collects the first six issues of Absolute Batman by writer Scott Snyder and artist Nick Dragotta. The collected edition will chart Bruce Wayne's early days as Batman, his unforgettable fight against the dreaded Black Mask, and his army of Party Animals.
Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1: The Last Amazon will collect the first seven issues of writer Kelly Thompson's critically acclaimed series. As noted by the official solicit synopsis from DC Comics, the series finds a young Diana making her way into the world of man "without her divine powers, and carrying only a few 'borrowed' weapons."
The solicit continues, "now she has something to prove. She's going to do what the other Amazons refused to do: she isn't just going to SAVE this world, she's going to CHANGE it."
DC Comics' Absolute Universe, Explained
Image via DC ComicsThe Absolute Universe rose from the events of 2024's DC All In Special #1, which saw a supercharged Darkseid wield the power of the Spectre against the combined might of the then recently formed Justice League Unlimited. Upon being seemingly obliterated, Darkseid's consciousness traveled the Multiverse before settling in the burgeoning reality known as the Elseworld. As DC Comics' Absolute Universe expands, new interpretations of old characters are introduced to readers in one of the most interesting and inventive DC Comics runs yet.
With his influence and an entirely new form, Darkseid has remade the Absolute Universe into a brutal, unrelenting landscape that is almost entirely devoid of any heroes of its own. Or rather, that was almost entirely devoid of any heroes until the likes of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman emerged to push back against the villains who lord over them.
Absolute Superman Vol. 1: Last Dust of Krypton, Absolute Batman Vol. 1: The Zoo, and Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1: The Last Amazon from DC Comics will all be available on May 2.
Created by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson
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