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.
The following contains major spoilers for Absolute Evil #1, on sale now from DC Comics.
The final member of the Absolute Justice League has finally arrived, and it turns out he has been living his arch-enemy's dream this entire time.
Absolute Evil #1 (by Al Ewing, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Stefano Nesi, Romulo Fajardo Jr., and Tom Napolitano) finds the greatest villains of the Absolute Universe coming together to address the recent rise of superpowered heroes who have become such a painful thorn in their collective side. While Hector Hammond, Ra's al Ghul, Veronica Cale, Elenore Thawne, and the Joker are certainly capable of pushing back against the budding heroes of their world, the dreaded Brainiac is acutely aware of just what this newly formed Justice League is missing. Lucky for them, Brainiac also knows exactly where to find this missing ingredient, and Lex Luthor is more than happy to take the time out of his laid-back day in Smallville to answer the call.
Absolute Evil #1
- Written by AL EWING
- Art by GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLLI & STEFANO NESI
- Colors by ROMULO FAJARDO JR.
- Letters by TOM NAPOLITANO
- Main cover art by GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI, STEFANO NESI & ROMULO FAJARDO JR.
- Variant covers by FABRIZIO DE TOMMASO; GERALD PAREL; DUSTIN NGUYEN; RILEY ROSSMO; and DAVID NAKAYAMA
Lex Luthor is one of the oldest and most infamous villains in DC Comics history, with his first appearance taking place all the way back in Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's opening story from 1940's Action Comics #23, "Superman: Europe at War (Part II)." In the decades since, Lex Luthor has gone from a generic mad scientist of the Golden Age to a corporate and political powerhouse. Apart from the numerous prime incarnations of the character, Lex has also become an indelible part of nearly every version of the classic Superman story, leading him to play key roles in dozens of animated and live-action series and films on top of his countless comic book appearances.
The reality known as the Absolute Universe came into form as it is now during 2024's DC All In Special #1, which saw Darkseid steal the power of the Spectre before forcing the Justice League to seemingly obliterate him. This allowed Darkseid's consciousness to transcend the veil between realities and not just make the journey to the Elseworld that would become the Absolute Universe, but bond himself to the fabric of the universe itself. In doing so, Darkseid was able to effectively remake the Absolute Universe in his own image, giving rise to overtly brutalist versions of the heroes and villains fans know best.
While Absolute Evil #1 does mark the beginning of the twisted Justice League of the Absolute Universe, none of this means that the team is safe going forward, and not just because of the threat of the heroes already standing opposed to them. As the official solicit synopsis for Absolute Evil #1 from DC Comics reads, "Ra’s al Ghul, Veronica Cale, Elenore Thawne, Hector Hammond, and the mysterious Joker have worked at cross-purposes until now, but this growing threat requires new ways of thinking... and new partnerships. An insidious betrayal from within their ranks is imminent, and if they don't take action, they'll lose control of a planet that was built to be their playground!"
Absolute Evil #1 is on sale now from DC Comics.
Created by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson
English (US) · 