DC Officially Kills Off Major Batman Villain After 55 Years

The Absolute Universe just lost one of its most powerful and iconic villains to an even more ancient and terrifying threat.

Absolute Superman #19 (by Jason Aaron, Rafa Sandoval, Ulises Arreola, and Becca Carey) drops readers into the middle of King Shazam's return after his long imprisonment at the hands of Ra's al Ghul. If the emergence of Teth Adam in modern day weren't bad enough, there is the fact that not even Superman is powerful enough to stand against a raging King Shazam, leaving Ra's al Ghul with no one to save him from being quite literally ripped to pieces in a whirlwind of torment.

Absolute Superman #19

• Written by JASON AARON
• Art by RAFA SANDOVAL
• Colors by ULISES ARREOLA
• Letters by BECCA CAREY
• Main cover art by RAFA SANDOVAL & ULISES ARREOLA
• Variant covers by CHUMA HILL; HAINING; and JEFF DÈKAL

The official solicit synopsis for Absolute Superman #19 from DC Comics reads, "KING SHAZAM IS HERE TO SHATTER THE ABSOLUTE UNIVERSE! King Shazam has risen with a power unlike anything Superman has faced before. What connection does he have to Brainiac and the mysterious Father Box? Plus, another classic character has made their Absolute debut, though it remains to be seen if they're a friend or foe of the Man of Steel..."

First seen in Absolute Superman #6, the Ra's al Ghul of the Absolute Universe is a far cry from past versions of the character who fans know best. While the Absolute Ra's al Ghul is still a centuries-old powerhouse unto himself courtesy of continued exposure to the regenerative Lazarus Pits and decades of constant training, his trajectory sent him on a collision course with the Man of Steel rather than Batman.

Ra's al Ghul in the Absolute Universe, Explained

A fervent believer in the One True Omega, better known as Darkseid, the Absolute Ra's al Ghul has spent countless hours working to bring his own vision for the world to life. Along the way, Ra's al Ghul formed the massive Lazarus Corporation, which is precisely where Superman's war against him (and Ra's' attempts to mold the Man of Steel into his next protégé) began.

Now that the Absolute Universe's Ra's al Ghul is no more, there is sure to be a massive power vacuum left in his wake, one which his daughter Talia al Ghul may not be able to fill on her own. Of course, Talia could always step into her father's seat as a member of the Absolute Universe's twisted, overtly malevolent Justice League, yet that is only a small part of the expansive empire Ra's lorded over.

This is to say nothing of the threat that King Shazam poses now that he is free once again. With Superman unable to stop him and no other major heroes in sight, King Shazam could very well cut a bloody swathe across the entire globe before crossing paths with anyone capable of giving him pause, let alone convincing him to quell his own rage.

Absolute Superman #19 from DC Comics is on sale now.