The Absolute Universe is DC Comics' modern retelling initiative featuring reimagined versions of major DC heroes (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Flash, Green Lantern) that run alongside mainline comics, offering new readers accessible entry points while maintaining connections to the broader DC universe. This initiative addresses the common challenge of where to start with comics by providing clear starting points and self-contained story arcs, similar to how Ultimate Spider-Man served as an entry point for Marvel. The Absolute Universe explores themes of oppression, corporate control, and authoritarianism through its 'Absolute' timeline, where heroes like Superman and Batman must fight against systemic oppression rather than traditional villains. This approach represents a 'pseudo golden age' for comics, bringing back the excitement and accessibility that characterized the 1990s comic boom.
Absolute Domination: Absolute Comics & The Future Of D.C.Ajouté :
As someone who's been reading and collecting manga for over half of my life now, it wasn't until like 2021 that I really had any major interest in well, all comics made outside of Japan pretty much. Yeah, if you've seen my channel, no [ __ ] I've been a weeb since way back by now. It's my bread and butter. But a few months ago, I released a video talking about Ultimate Spider-Man by Brian Michael Bendis. How it was such a perfect entry point for not just Marvel, but all Western comics. My eyes opening up to a brand new world I had kind of been willingly ignoring before. starting my new love of comics, both from the big two publishers of Marvel and DC, as well as tons of indie runs and creator-driven stories. And looking back now at my thoughts before this big shift when I was more of a manga only type of guy, I had that same mindset you'll see repeated once a month on Twitter by lameass blue check accounts for easy engagement. That being, well, where do you even start with comics? Because with manga, the answer is always chapter 1.
And with comics, it can get a lot broader. Say you want to get into Batman. Do you start at Detective Comics 27? How about Batman issue 1 from the 1940s? Year one by Frank Miller, the killing joke or long Halloween. Like now in 2026, my thoughts on all of this have completely changed. Knowing that even if Detective Comics is over 1,000 issues, there are easy points to both start and stop at your own pace. having rotating authors and artists if whatever's going on right now just isn't doing it for you and you can come back later and see what's up. But looking in from the outside at 1,000 plus issues, that's [ __ ] intimidating. Comics can be a complicated web with hundreds of branches and connecting gears. Some ongoing characters have existed since like the [ __ ] 30s by now, having dozens of separate spin-offs that are still considered canon to their characters. And that does scare people away. Now, real [ __ ] this argument does just completely ignore indie comics that have a clear start and end point with no connective threads. Say like Sin City, The Crow, or Saga. a thing even manga can do the opposite of. Like [ __ ] Bungo has so many novel and manga tie-ins that it's absolutely comparable to how some western indie comics work.
Both usually having a clear issue one to ending path you can follow without those side stories while also having a full universe to explore if you want. And with that said, and that mindset being so popular among a lot of manga readers, Ultimate Spider-Man was a thing that for both me and a lot of people out there really broke that mold and gave us an at first easy introduction to the vast world of Marvel. Just go watch my video on USM if you want to know more about that. And going from there, it was easy for someone like me to dip my toes deeper into the larger world of comics.
Now, like I'm sure tons of you out there watching, I got that type of brain that says you have to start at the start.
Like, I'm not going to read Jojo part 7 because it's got an upcoming anime. I'd read parts 1 through six first. I don't want to read Boruto if I haven't read Naruto. I didn't want to play Yakaza 8 if I hadn't finished 0ero through 7. I don't want to play Red Dead 2 first and then one because two is a prequel.
That's not the order they came out in.
It's not the start. You don't start Metal Gear Solid at 3 because it was in the '60s. The games start at one. And when I looked at the larger comics from both Marvel and DC, that was a mindset I really had to grapple with and let go of. Doing research of my own and finding a starting point I was comfortable with.
And just to mention that Ultimate Universe again, Ultimate Spider-Man helped me find that place to start with in mainline Spider-Man, knowing even if I jumped in at a random point past the Stan Lee era with Wolfman, Defalco, or Michelin, I'd likely, even if it was remixed in the Ultimate Universe, have some context for what was going on in the life of Spider-Man, who this cast was, and how their dynamics ics could affect the story. Like even if these series were different from the mainline runs and some of those Ultimate Comics being much worse than others, it helped build that context for newer readers.
The line itself still existing in some form to this day, for better or worse.
And just real [ __ ] no script here. I don't really have the time to voice my thoughts on all of the modern Ultimate line in this video. Well, that's a whole another conversation. But to basically just run through it quickly, Marvel needs an entirely new editorial department and also needs to give Peach Momo $1 billion.
That all said, now in the modern era of DC, they finally have their own Ultimate Comics, the incredibly popular Absolute series, a modern age retelling of some of the biggest heroes in DC's legacy that are running alongside their mainline counterparts. them not cutting off the main comics like New 52 did and pissing off so many people or being elseworld titles that each exist in their own separate universes. these new comics kind of taking the world by surprise and something no one ever thought would be said again, bringing the hype of comics themselves back to the levels they had in the '9s. Back when Spider-Man won by Todd McFarland or X-Men one by Jim Lee sold millions of copies each. A whole new generation of people now showing up weekly at their local comic shops for new release Wednesdays. the world of comics, both DC, Marvel, and beyond, opening up once again to tens of thousands of new readers who, like before with me and Ultimate Spider-Man, might dive deeper into this huge web of connected comic lore with the Absolute series as their starting line. So today I want to talk about well real [ __ ] I kind of don't even know. Over the last few months after catching up on each of the absolute series and waiting impatiently each week for New Comic Wednesday, a thing I had never done before. Now, I'm usually reading [ __ ] from the 70s to 2000s or more concerned with modern indie stories, but now I was at the shop weekly with all those new fans buying other ongoing series like the current Nightwing run by Dan Waters that is [ __ ] amazing. They got him fighting ghosts with his [ __ ] Escrimma Batons.
What are you supposed to do against this Nightwing? or the basic but extremely fun Batman and Superman World's finest ongoing by Mark Wade and Dan Mora. A fairly light-hearted series about the duo's early days working together.
Definitely check this one out if you just want some good old-fashioned stories with a big DC cast you know and love. And me caring about these at all is thanks to these new absolute comics.
So today, I'm just going to talk about each of them, what I like and dislike, my thoughts on this new absolute universe itself, and how it does still at its core tie into mainline DC. how things like DC KO do matter here and what you possibly as a manga fan like me who's interested in these series could also possibly check out alongside these runs for more introduction stories that I personally enjoy. Not saying they're the best out there, just to calm down, just ones I like. Please don't kill me in the comments. I won't be totally spoiling the finer details with any of these since they're all ongoing at this point still, but I am going to cover stuff from their first few issues a piece and later on the overarching plot that is going to connect them all. So, there's some timestamps below for you if needed. As usual, Patreon, YouTube sucks, puppy needs food money, [ __ ] AI, and be sure to support real creators that actually work on [ __ ] that you enjoy. So on and so on. Let's talk about Dark Side. I love the [ __ ] out of a good villain. Be it one that's expertly written and human in a relatable way, or one that's just over the top, one that's loudly powerful or so evil that it wraps back around to just being fun. My most popular video on this channel is a video about Sato from Azin, one of my most favorite villains ever created. Go watch it. I still [ __ ] love this guy. And when it comes to my top tier list of these characters, DC has one that's absolutely fighting for that top spot.
That being the omega to our alpha, the anti-life to our life, dark side, lord of apocalypse, and one of the gods of reality itself. His power, his influence and capacity for endless evil being so absolute, so unbreakable that the laws of the world can bend to him. The concept of reality really doesn't matter that much because Dark Side is. Now, just for some extra context, Dark Side is actually one of the classic characters created by the unstoppable legend of a man, Jack the King, Kirby. One of the true godfathers of modern American comics. His first appearance being in a Jimmy Olsen in His Pals issue Kirby did after joining up with DC. Meaning, yes, Dark Side is a Jimmy Olsen character. Kirby's time at DC afterward spent creating the foundational fourth world, introducing the new gods and its cast of heroes who are still to this day some of the biggest players in DC lore. Mr. Miracle, Orion, My Queen, Big Barta, Metron, and his goofy ass chair, Granny Goodness's leathery ass, and of course, Dark Side, an enemy whose philosophy on evil was based out of Kirby's personal experience and feelings on the world as a Jewish man living through the earlier 1900s.
seeing the rise in fascism both during and after the ending of World War II.
How things like religion and government could go hand in hand to subdue people.
dark side being the personification of that negative human emotion, that absolute authoritarianism, his influence exuding out and taking control of weaker willed people to serve him in a quest for a universe made of pure anti-life. Just like how real people swarm toward corrupt politicians and disingenuous preachers because they offer the broken and well the dumb a feeling of safety in that conformity.
This all said because comics at the end of the day are comics. Dark Side has of course been much more of a standard villain at times, being used as a generic bad guy when his origin had a very philosophical core to him, but always still being one of the biggest threats in DC. And now, after a bunch of connected story events and buildup coming off of the end of 2022's Absolute Power event, the duo team of Scott Snider and Joshua Williamson have worked together to plan out Dark Side's next big move in the following DC All-In special. It of course being to die, forcefully absorbing the spectre into himself and his death seemingly being the goal of his plan. The omega energy he had mixing with the wrath of the spectre and due to comic [ __ ] and a blank universe that was created during the ending of death metal, he has once again reshaped the world of DC. Dark Side's energy having subtle but noticeable effects on current series in the main lore that was obviously building to another major event, but also infecting that blank universe and forming what is now known as the absolute timeline. A world completely fueled by Omega energy. And while being a mirror of the main universe, like always, has been built from the ground up to have the heroes of DC fighting a fully uphill battle. Anything they had in their main lives as stability and happiness non-existent here, having to become the heroes we know them as, but with their own two hands. No money, no legacy. and for some no understanding of what the hell is even going on with them. This world giving our heroes nothing but struggle and unseen oppression. Each in their own ways and some more than others, of course. That duo team of Snyder and Williamson basically being the ones at the helm of this whole new event in the world of DC.
Williamson writing a few of the mainline stories while Snyder both writes Absolute Batman as we'll talk about soon and being one of the guys in charge of this whole universe letting authors and artists create what they want of course but being a hand guiding the overarching plot that will inevitably link back up with Williamson's mainline world be it them crossing over in DC KO go or beyond. And with this setup for the absolute universe said, let's talk first about the series that out of all the ones I'm going to mention today might be the most divisive. This being Absolute Superman, written by Jason Aaron, and drawn for most of the series so far by Rafa Sandoval. When you think about the Mount Rushmore of American heroes, no matter who you personally picture in your head, Batman, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Wonder Woman, whoever, one of those heads will always be the son of Krypton, Superman, the American hero himself. Raised in Kansas by loving parents to always do the right thing.
Truth, justice, and a ideal American way type [ __ ] Born as the baby Kell who was saved from a doomed planet by his parents. Sent off into space where he could possibly grow into someone not only strong enough to protect himself, but to use that Kryptonian power. and depending on who's riding at the time, protect or control the people of the planet he lands on. his main power source being solar energy and Earth being a perfect candidate for the son of Krypton to grow on. Having been raised by that middle American Kent family to have those idealistic American traits, growing and becoming the combo of Clark Kent/S Superman, protecting the galaxy as a hero of Earth while living undercover as your average daily news reporter. But here in this absolute else world, Krypton and the Earth, both having been formed from Dark Side's influence, takes that Superman backstory, and instead of him being sent off the planet when he was a baby while it exploded behind him, Kell was instead raised there, growing into late childhood under a ruling Kryptonian class as worker slaves. the S on their chests being a symbol of their shitty status in life. His parents both actually being geniuses in their own ways but shunned by the upper cast because their ideals are way too disruptive for this Kryptonian society.
the dad, Jorel, learning that due to how they had abused their planet over the decades, Krypton was literally going to implode on itself before too long. Him and Supermom Carl having to spend their last few months alive trying to prepare for the inevitable collapse. That ruling class dismissing their complaints while standing in their way. And due to a series of unfortunate events on some lemony snick [ __ ] Cal was the only one who could be sent off planet with proper protection. A fully automated AIdriven biomechanical suit that goes by the name soul. It being the only thing Callel really has left from his Kryptonian life. watching his mom, dad, dog, and planet explode behind him as he makes his way to Earth. The usual story of the Kints finding him as a baby and raising him not happening. And instead, Superman arrives on an Earth that's actively hostile to the humans on it.
Corporations and governments having absolute authority over seemingly every aspect of life here. Call meeting the Kit family and them nursing him back to health when he was injured. But because of this, shortly after, the farm gets raided by a corporation called Lazarus.
It being judge, jury, and executioner in this world of corpose. this refugee from another planet spending the next few months of his life as a vagabond wandering across the globe fighting the oppression from Lazarus where he can and helping even if unknowingly giving the people hope to fight back to stand up and look forward to something. these first 14 issues of Absolute Superman pretty much being one long story arc that will both grow Cal into becoming Clark and Superman while also setting up some major aspects in this new absolute universe that are going to stretch across each of the series we talk about today. And before we do get to that, first I do just want to say that I know at this point in April of 2026 out of all of the absolute series, Superman is probably the most consistently and loudly criticized things that come back to both usually its writing and general pacing. And while I do understand some of the complaints overall, I really do think it's still been a great read so far.
When I first started hearing about the Absolute series online, the ones I heard the most about were Batman, Martian Manhunter, and Wonder Woman. Pretty much universal praise for all three of them, too. But whenever Superman came up in the conversation, people either got annoyed or upset. usually not happy with the pacing, the enemies, how the world itself was being portrayed in general.
Like legitimately, I have seen a lot of hate for this comic.
>> Now, for my opinions on the pacing first, I do totally understand that complaint of it taking 14 or so issues to tell what feels like a single plot.
while Batman and Wonder Woman had already been through like a three or four arcs each, but I never once found it to be dull or lacking in any way.
Like I was always interested to see what would come next. How Superman's legend was going to grow as he fought back against Lazarus. How it would take these characters of fascist Lois Lane and revolutionary Jimmy Olsen and turn them into reporters with a connection to Superman and largely how Superman himself and his partner Soul would have to learn how to adapt on this new planet. seeing the role Cowell was accidentally making for himself by becoming a hero to the oppressed. And admittedly, a large part of it was to see how Sendival translated those ideas in his amazingly beautiful art. The line work and inkings on shot like this where soul is a large red shroud and Superman himself is drawn so intimidating. that dust floating around him and actually being a weapon in a way [ __ ] rules.
It has a level of realism and grittiness to it that does fit this underdog story Aaron was telling combined with a couple of new designs that I really like. Lois and Jimmy are pretty standard, sure, but I absolutely love how Brainiac looks like an alien zombie freak. how Cara L might be one of the baddest moms of all time. Godamn. And the actual soul suit that Superman wears. That black and red usually surrounded by the living dust looks so cool. And even if his actual blue suit from the recent chapters isn't as cool as the black one, I do still think it looks pretty good. So, I can accept the change. All of this said and the pacing issues people have aside, the other big complaint I see pretty often, like it comes up a lot when Superman comes up, is a general criticism of Aaron's writing and how he chose the first main enemy to not be a Superman villain, but instead Raza Ghoul, a Batman one. him being the CEO of Lazarus that's been fighting Superman everywhere he went with their foot soldiers actually being called the Peacemakers their designs based on the original and one of the cops himself being absolute Chris Smith Peacemaker and when it comes to Lazarus and all of that I'm about 75% okay with it and 25% indifferent now Personally, I never really had a problem with Roz being an enemy for Superman. I mean, he's a [ __ ] weird immortal time vampire by this point in comic lore.
Sure, he was made to be a specific type of rival for Batman, literally being called the Mori Arti to his Sherlock at one point, but I don't think it's a bad thing to try and work him into being more powerful due to that immortality, becoming a Superman level threat while his [ __ ] ass daughter Talia still serves under him. It also always being kind of clear that he was just a stepping stone enemy to set up the true ongoing villain, Brainiac. His backstory and path through these issues being the one we were obviously supposed to be preparing for as a long-term threat. And I enjoyed all of this myself. Tons of people were upset that Aaron didn't use a specific Superman enemy for the Wazerus CEO. I'm sure some people like Vandal Savage absolutely do work better in this position, but I don't know, man.
I think it's a silly complaint overall when you can obviously tell what really matters here. And none of this excludes Roz from showing up an absolute Batman.
That can still totally happen. The Peacemakers are pretty goofy though.
Like there's tons of foot soldier type enemies that are from Superman lore you could have gone with instead of Chris Smith. And yeah, I get the idea of using violence and authoritarianism under the guise of maintaining peace fits for this absolute world, but it also feels like it was just added in to make fans of the at the time ongoing and super popular Peacemaker show care about the comic. I know by this point in 2026, universe crossovers between the comics, TV shows, and movies are inevitable, so this doesn't really upset me or anything, but I can't help but look at it and kind of fold my arms and go, come on. The most recent issues of Superman, though, a little more so than some of the others by this point, have really started to push the growing plot of this absolute universe itself. the people at the top who run the show taking notice of this newly superpowered hero lifting the spirits of people across the globe. But we're going to wait a little bit before we talk more about them in the real ongoing plot here. So to wrap it up for now, all in all, I do recommend Absolute Superman. Like you got to go into it with the mindset almost that it was written for the trade and that it will be a slower burn. And even with a few weak spots like Jimmy and Lois's characters or the fact that the kint themselves will not really be around for the longer story, it's still a really solid introduction to this new world of the absolute. And if you're someone who's wanting to read other Superman things as well to get a feel on how Comic Clark is portrayed, here's a list of ones I like a lot. And now, let's keep it rolling with the next of the Absolute series. the opposite of Superman's Bright Hero Adventures. The story that started in the gutters of Gotham and has exploded to not only the top of the Absolute World, but the comic world itself, Absolute Batman. without even beating around a dumbass bush. I think it's probably safe to say that the reason most of you are here now and possibly already reading these Absolute comics is of course because Absolute Batman has overthrown not only comic related social media but spread outward into former comic fans, new comic fans, general pop culture, like before I even really knew what the absolute line was I had already seen online that there was this new, bigger, angrier version of Batman wearing a suit that reminded me of The Dark Knight Returns. Apparently fighting some legit freak ass Resident Evil tyrant type [ __ ] seeing Killer Croc and Bane out of context and wondering what the hell was going on over there. So, before I even started the series itself, I already pre-ordered a copy of the first hard cover and got ready to take a peek inside. That is until something else caught my eye first, as we'll talk about soon. Anyway, all of this is to say, you know what it is. Absolute Batman being the story of Bruce Wayne becoming the Dark Knight of Gotham as we know him. But with the omega absolute timeline taking away all of the handicaps Bruce has in the main universe. His money, his free time, his influence, his ability to do literally whatever he wants under the illusion of being a rich playboy. And instead, he was born and raised in the slums of Gotham. his parents Thomas and Martha being school teachers, political activists, and most importantly, people who had fought back against the oppression that's infected the absolute universe. teaching their son Bruce, who was already pretty smart on his own, to be a compassionate kid, to care about others, to do the right thing, a happy and loving family until, of course, Bruce's parent gets gunned down at the zoo while on a school field trip. Thomas Wayne helping his class of students escape the shooter, while Bruce is forced to hide in a bat habitat. And as you'd imagine, this being the combo of events that will eventually create Batman. But unlike the main timeline here in the absolute world, Martha Wayne wasn't there. So, she's actually still alive. Bruce losing his dad and it affecting the path of his life, but still having a loving mother to look after and raise him. going through his teenage years after losing his father in such a traumatic way and seeing how it affects Bruce, growing into his role of Batman, not by using his money to fund training trips and big tech research, but instead working a shitload of manual labor jobs around Gotham, becoming a literal brick [ __ ] house of a man, having to teach himself how to survive in the darker parts of Gotham. that he was wanting to expose. Not having a Batcave headquarters, but instead setting up tons of bat stations across Gotham he can access while on the move, becoming a fully self-supported and self-made hero from the ground up. His adventure starting in issue one being a little different from Absolute Superman in the way that the pacing is moving much quicker here. Batman already taking on a decent selection from his Rogu's gallery so far with plenty more confirmed to come. This being one of the things that caught so many people's attention from the outside like me with Bane, Killer Croc, creepy ass Mr. Freeze, and of course, Joker himself.
All while his personal developments as Bruce and Batman alike kept growing at a fairly strong pace. This all of course being mostly due to the godamn spectacular combo of Scott Snider on story and Nick Draata as the main artist with a few pickup issues done by Marcos Martin and Jacques. All artists firing at 100% for sure, but the issue toiss issue work of Draata is just insane, man. His fights feel so hectic, visceral, heavy, and explosive, but never ever being hard to follow. There is a really smooth and fun flow that I think goes kind of underrated here. Like these pages of a bunch of previous scenes in the comic all cut around and slapped together like a ransom note makes the thoughts in Bruce's head seem like they're racing. Thinking about all of the smaller moments that would have led him here, but so clearly panled to be easy to follow. That feeling of overflowing information and taking it all in like Bruce is mentally. And I [ __ ] love it. The first time you see it is actually when Bruce himself is introduced to the comic and it's really good. A guy training to prepare for the night and hitting the bag at a gym.
Obviously to lead you on that, hey, maybe this is him. It's Bruce, right?
Until the actual 8 foot5 dude himself steps in and destroys the whole bag in just a few hits. those hectic thoughts flowing between his punches as he preps himself for his night out on the town.
The actual fight scenes just being brutal as hell, using his whole body as a weapon against the enemies. The cape he wraps himself in being like a mixture of Spawn's cape and Doc O's tentacle arms. It's both stylish and a legit ass weapon he uses to look creepy as hell. I love it. I will say sometimes you do start to wonder how the hell Bruce as a normal person is able to survive against these [ __ ] monster mash enemies. Like it starts to stretch pretty far into this dude should be dead territory over and over. Especially when Bane shows up.
He spends multiple pages breaking every bone in his body. Bruce making this face that cracks me up. It's the biggest bro realized he's not built for this ass moment before his skull gets literally crushed. Despite absolute Bruce being an armored titan transformed into a guy, he's still got a whole ass baby face.
Like his expressions are just legit adorable at times. Bruce getting captured here and having to run around the Arkham facility butt ass naked trying to escape. And even if this art can be so heavy, so intense, and visceral, there's still shots like this of Little Naked Bruce scampering around, and it adds such a nice touch. Seeing how small he is in this [ __ ] up facility of horror, the monsters in the background alluding to some of the enemies Batman will be facing soon.
Also, it would be dumb not to mention here the actual thing that really got me to say, "All right, I got to order the series right now." When talking about the art was when I saw that the first annual was written and drawn by one of my most legit favorite comic creators out there right now, Daniel Warren Johnson. it being set before the main story and showing one of Batman's first nights on the job, heading out into suicide slum and beating the absolute [ __ ] [ __ ] out of a white supremacist group that was out to kill minorities in poverty, torching their asses with a flamethrower, no regard for their lives, and getting that one huge spread of him destroying a dude's arm as he goes to see Hyle. I knew I had to tap in after seeing this. But a thing that's touched on here and has gone on to be a building part of the main story is how Bruce himself reconciles with being Batman.
His parents were both activists who stood up for others, who taught Bruce how to be a good person. And when he lost one of those parents to a random act of violence and dove into the world of Batman, sometimes he has to ask himself, is this the right thing? Am I the correct answer to these problems?
Between taking down super criminal Black Mask and publicly calling out Bane to a showdown on TV in front of God and everybody, their fight literally toppling skyscrapers and blowing the [ __ ] out of a huge arena. The city is almost looking at Batman like a novelty.
Vendors are selling merch of him. His name is on the news. It's lighting up social media. Bruce never wanting to be a figure in the city itself, but more of an end to the means. The answer to a problem that is wrapped up and moved on from feeling stuck in the middle of being both Bruce and Batman. A son and friend or a hero to the city. his recent exploits as Batman getting his childhood friends involved. All of them kidnapped and [ __ ] destroyed by Bane. The group of Harvey Dent, Eddie Nigma, Oswald Cobblepot, Whan Jones, and Selena Kyle.
Selena, of course, having already set off on her own to become absolute Catwoman, who has the best design. I love this. I love it so much. And she uses my favorite gun. the [ __ ] P90, baby.
>> I am the god. God, >> while the rest of them ended up as emaciated freaks. This obviously being their path to becoming the named villains we know them as. And I think it's a really fantastic setup for a brand new Batman story. Everything from his old friends being his biggest enemies to the general setup of how Bruce has to fight from the bottom to the top, having a loving mother at home worrying about him as he dives deeper into being Batman, isolating himself and caring more about the war he's waging than anything else. There are a few things I could criticize, of course.
Like, I'm not really a fan so far of new super spy Alfred, who doesn't really have a relationship to Bruce outside of just providing character exposition.
Compared back to the endless amounts of fantastic mainline Alfred moments. Like, in Bat Family Rankings, Dick Grayson and Alfred are my top two. So, I wish he had a little bit more going on so far other than being the plot guy. And second, even if this isn't something that really bothers me, it's safe to say that Absolute Batman is not as of now at least a detective comic. Just outright 100%. There ain't really any detecting happening here. Like I'm sure you already know, Batman himself comes from Detective Comics. It eventually just rebranding to be a Batman comic, while later a separate comic named Batman ran alongside it. The original still keeping the Detective Comics handle, while the Batman series would usually dive more into the straightup big villain plots, the crossovers and major action.
Detective Comics being where you would go to get the slower, darker, and more complex Batman stories, living up to that world's greatest detective nickname. And yeah, these series have both been running for damn near 100 years now. So, this isn't always the case, but that's the status quo you could always assume. So here in Absolute Batman, it's like 100% action and negative amounts of detective work.
Alfred tries to give Bruce his complicated spy intelligence. And Bruce half the time hits him with the English nerd response and Alfred has to go, "Bain is [ __ ] our [ __ ] sir." So Bruce understands what to do. And while I can accept and move on from this, that's just something you need to keep in mind if you're a fan of the more classical sense of what Batman is.
Obviously, a huge part of this story I've conveniently left out would be the laughing man himself, Joker, being mentioned right from issue one and slowly building up his story in the background. his design, of course, taking over the internet and having so many people go, "Bruce man, just leave Gotham. It's not worth it. You don't have to do this." But before we can talk about him, like with Superman, you got to wait. And now, as we move on and I show off some of my recommendations, let's talk about the actual absolute series that convinced me I couldn't wait on this universe anymore. I had to go out, find this book, and start them all now after seeing some of it online. That being my personal favorite of the absolute comics, Martian Manhunter. Out of all of the series in their main characters I'm going to be talking about today, the one who is probably the most unknown to the general public in 2026 is Jon Jones, the Martian Manhunter. And it's kind of understandable why. I guess first appearing as a silver age alien who would come and go throughout DC's earlier years. His actual real point of becoming a central DC character wasn't until around the8s. First getting a 4issue miniseries by JM Damati that really gave him kind of a new origin story for the modern era. And then when Dam Matias and Keith Gifin took over the Justice League mainline comic after Crisis on Infinite Earths, rebuilding the team from the ground up with Manhunter being the team's straight man and basically leader next to Batman, which is a legit fantastic comic by the way, read Justice League International by these two as [ __ ] whips. him actually being one of the only real mainstay members of the team across the years since then. And unfortunately, that's kind of where his biggest moments have always stayed. An integral part to the Justice League for sure, but never really getting his own series that was as notable compared to his moments in like JLA by Grant Morrison. And with all of that said, here in the Absolute world, he has quickly become my favorite of the new interpretations of these heroes. Absolute Martian Manhunter itself as a series, without a doubt, being one of the best things I've read in years. Hands down, period. Following an FBI agent named John Jones who recently had survived a terrorist bombing in a cafe. He started to see things. Hallucinations, visions, bright colors, and dark thoughts. The doctor's telling him, "Well, your brain seems fine, so I guess you should be all good." You know, minus the fact that the world itself is becoming a 1960s style yellow submarine acid trip. And in the middle of all of this haze, Jon seeing the world in a weird way and basically dealing with PTSD from a terrorist attack, we meet this goofy little green guy calling himself the Martian. A possible hallucination that Jon sees and according to him is his partner in his head. The Martian basically being Jon's way of seeing into a layer of the world that normal people can't see. The emotions and feelings everyone has physically manifesting and depending on how extreme they are affecting the world around them. Anxieties leaking from their brains like smoke as it clouds the world their heads live in. some kind of external force reaching down and bringing those anxieties, those fears and hidden thoughts of the people out to the surface, driving those affected to all forms of madness from that smoke filling their heads. Jon and the Martian on a buddy cop adventure to find out what this force is. this white Martian looking for any way they can stop it while Jon himself has to fight off the most evil thing he can deal with divorce and his son hating him. The writing by DZ Camp and art by Javier Rodriguez combining together to create a series that I have loved like no other. When I first started seeing the rise of absolute posting online a few months back, next to the Batman glazing that filled my timeline, there were a few posts mentioning how the secret sleeper hit of this universe was absolute Martian Manhunter. That between its writing and art style choices, it was able to stand as being something completely different from the others.
And after seeing just a few pages myself from the series, I knew this would be the one I started with. Getting pretty lucky, honestly, because the first hard coverver released just like two or 3 weeks later, grabbing and finishing it all in one sitting before just passing it over to my wife and her doing the same because godamn boy, this is that good [ __ ] Obviously, the thing that catches your eyes first is going to be that outstanding art by Javier Rodriguez. Like, from top to bottom, the line work itself, the paneling and layout of pages, the extremely vibrant and lucid use of inkings, each page being a rainbow spread of legitimately beautiful visuals. Like even if the story didn't live up to my expectations, which which just hold your [ __ ] horses, this series would still forever be memorable to me because of this art.
Every chapter having some brand new and interesting way to convey the plot to you. My personal favorite being the double layered pages that are meant for you to hold into the light and see two images at once like you would see the surface version. normal people see and then with that light you see what the Martian can see. And god damn it, this is so cool. Like using the medium of being a comic to create a way to read that comic differently is so interesting. I don't know if there's ever been anything like this before. I'm sure there probably has, but since this was the first time I've seen it, yeah, 10 out of 10. Best it's ever been. Good going. All of that cool [ __ ] of course, being paired with the actual plot by Denz Camp. Him being the writer of a few notable indie comics like 20th Century Men and Assorted Crisis Events, that one actually still ongoing and both being good as hell. But he's also writing for Marvel right now. He was doing both Ultimates and Ultimate Endgame. So looking at all of these series together, legit based on everything I have read from him, he's one of my most favorite current authors there is in the game right now. absolute Martian Manhunter being the exclamation point on these thoughts to me because outside of it being this super weird sci-fi buddy cop adventure, one character being a person suffering from extreme PTSD and the other a mental alien who's just kind of vibing around while Jon's marriage falls apart. The actual ideals in the story itself speak to me on a very personal level. From the series inception, it was always planned to be a short run. The initial six going to be it at first until it was so popular the duo rework the ending and set up for a part two with the ongoing issues 7 through 12 being the confirmed ending for for now at least. them saying that the overall plot has been in the works since early on. The story starting and dealing with Jon and the Martian minder. Oh yeah, they never actually say mine hunter by the way. At least not yet. So Martian mind [ __ ] also works. Jon now seeing that second layer in the world around him like he's got the they live sunglasses and realizing how drowned out society is becoming. Everyone is on edge. People are at their breaking point. Their anxieties, fears, doubts, and anger. All of that negativity creating into an actual form that Jon and the Martian are having to basically try and chill the [ __ ] out. Some other alien life form calling itself the White Martian. Taking those anxieties and amplifying them. The people affected lashing out against each other in violent ways. Onlookers blaming things like uh the heat and their neighbors.
Things that don't really matter when the stress of life is beating the [ __ ] out of a person. Gee, I wonder where Camp could possibly have gotten this inspiration from. It's a [ __ ] mystery. Their real problems being overlooked by everyone but Jon. I am seeing this claustrophobic assault made of rainbow gradients and trying to stop the white Martian from covering the town in a thick smoke of fear, paranoia, and control all while risking himself, his marriage, and his family. I don't want to spoil too much of what happens in these final issues because part two is still ongoing with that confirmed ending at issue 12. Camp and Rodriguez coming out and saying that they got offered to do more because it's so popular, but they have another series they want to work on together. So, this will be the end for now at least, but it is on their terms. The only thing left for me being here to say is go read it. I got no complaints, no issues with this one. 12 chapters of peak incoming, so just get on it. And there's a few things I can obviously recommend here for Martian Manhunter himself, but you should also go check out Zatana: Bring Down the House by Maro Tamaki and Drum by Javier Rodriguez. It's a really fun introductory story to Zatana in general, but also lets Rodriguez show off a totally different style for his artwork.
And it's some really good [ __ ] Only like five chapters. Go check that out.
Really good. All right, three main series left to talk about. And this time, let's cover both Absolute Flash and Green Lantern together. Why together? Two reasons really. One being that the pacing on this two, unlike Batman or Wonder Woman, as we'll cover soon, follow in the steps of Superman and have a much slower form of storytelling while also being the shortest in length so far of all of the absolutes. Martian Manhunter not really counting because it ended for a few months on their own call and came back.
Meaning that despite both of these two having up to 12 issues each now, Flash has just finished its very first story arc with a new one starting in issue 13 while Green Lantern is in its second arc that is very much a part two to the starting story. This being something brought up online more often than not when it comes to these two comics. So, I wanted to cover them together because at the end of the day, there's not really a lot to say about either of them yet. But the other reason I wanted to put them together and kind of the bigger reason is because I personally think that out of all of the absolute series so far when it comes to Flash and Green Lantern, they probably have the most complicated and thickest levels of mainline lore to them. Like everybody knows the stories of Superman and Batman. Regardless of what all has happened to them over nearly 100 years of stories, we know who they are. We know where they came from. We know their mission statements and most famous enemies. All of that [ __ ] is covered.
The basis of their characters are ingrained into society itself. Wonder Woman, of course, is probably just as famous as Batman or Superman, but I'd be lying if I said that her lore and origins were just as worldwide compared to the big two. I personally know people who didn't even really know her lore was explicitly based in Greek mythology.
They just thought she was another form of American hero like Superman because of her most popular outfits. But with that said, even if this lore is more under the radar to a casual reader, it's still easy to understand. Diana was born from the earth on an Amazonian island called Themescria, raised by an all-woman society, leaving her island and going to the world of man to both serve as a protector and a compass of compassion towards losers like us. She wouldn't call us losers, of course. I'm calling us losers. fighting both wacky villains and Greek [ __ ] along the way. Simple and clean like Hikaru Utata.
Martian Manhunter lore doesn't really apply to this version of the character outside of the White Martians being a regular enemy for his character and is obviously made to be very independent.
So, I'm not really throwing him into this mix. So, of course, that leaves you with Flash and Green Lantern. Heroes that have had multiple versions of themselves with characters filling that role who are very different from each other. Be it Jay Garrick, Barry Allen, or Wally West for the Flash. And the lanterns themselves as a whole concept.
Yeah, you got the Earth Lanterns like Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Guy Gardner, or Kyle Rener. Of course, they're the big four, but you can't not mention the entire space core of lanterns that serve the alien god race. Them, of course, located in the center of the universe, having a cosmic cast that's just as integral to Green Lantern lore as any of the Earth Guardians. Owen, also Alan Scott, who was the first Green Lantern before it got recconed to being a totally different type of lantern power system and also was gay. There's things like the speed force Bart Allen and all of his time travel adventures, the cosmic treadmill, the entire light-based power system lanterns are bound to, the multiple deaths and rebirths of Barry Allen, all these little alien [ __ ] in OA and Ganth himself. Parallax as a concept and how it affected Hal Jordan for so many years. And for two of these heroes that do fall into that lesserk known category like Wonder Woman, it's a lot harder to talk about on a surface level without me rambling about how cool Kill Log is or some [ __ ] And of course, this is me speaking for myself. I'm someone who's only read a handful of comic runs starring these characters.
So, instead of spreading misinformation and trying to get into all of that, I instead just want to say what I do like about both of these series on their own, separate from their main universe stories. Because despite everything I just said, to me at least, Absolute Flash and Green Lantern might be the most different from their mainline counterparts. each having their own form of storytelling that as of now in April of 2026 I am really loving. So right away from the start of Absolute Green Lantern, it was pretty obvious that it was going to lean much more into a more suspenseful story than the others. Al Ewing of Immortal Hulk fame at the lead and setting this new lantern lore up to have a very ethereal feel to it. Like I know it's a little overplayed to say this in 2026, but the way the light of the lanterns reach out to their users feels really Lovecraftian.
Like they are drawing power from some unknowable cosmic source. voices coming from somewhere far out in space. The cast up to this point made of most of the main Guardians, you know, Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Guy Gardner, and Sojourer Mullen. Her pretty much taking the role of lead protagonist. Now, for those who don't know, so Jourer, or Joe, as we're going to call her, comes from the Black Label 12 issue series Far Sector. And where Black Label titles are usually created totally separate from main lantern lore, Far Sector eventually was pulled into the main universe with Sojourer becoming a leading member of the lanterns like Hal or Guy would be.
All of these characters living in a small town that's come under attack by some weirdass alien calling itself Auben sir. This super boo looking thing sealing off the town completely with a big green barrier. It having some kind of effect on people that get close to it. Anyone outside not even registering that it's there. They just pull up to it and go, "hm, all right, I better turn around." And leave without knowing or questioning why they're doing it. While the people inside who try and escape are taken by Aben, Sir, him telling the town's people to be without fear just before he decimates them, eventually finning the town out to only a few remaining people. characters like Joe Men, John Stewart, and Hal Jordan. Them each having their own theories on what this weird alien is and their own personal reasons for needing to get the hell out of this barrier to save this town. Push coming to shove and in a big mixup of white-based explosions, golden bullets, and a gigantic lantern logo falling on the city. Both Joe and Hal end up breaking free from the town. The wedding ring Joe wears becoming a symbol of her power while Hal has absorbed something different, something dark and uncontrollable. The country and government all wondering what the hell is going on in the town of Evergreen. a sociopathic CEO named Hector Hammond doing anything in his power to take full control of the situation. Meanwhile, over in Colorado, a kid named Wall-E West had wandered into the wrong place at the wrong time. Him being the son of a highly respected military official and living on a base while his dad was wrapped up in top secret experiments.
Wall-ally wandering the fort and one night heading to the lab to visit a scientist he had made friends with.
Barry Allen walking in and seeing his experiment whatever it was in the process of going completely wrong with Wall-E now caught in the crossfire. It altering his genetic structure and of course giving him an incredible control of speed. able to move at the speed of light and possibly beyond. Able to take that speed force and launch it like a blast of electricity, but at the same time still being a 15-year-old kid who has no idea what the hell is happening to him. The only person he could ask, Barry, seemingly dead and gone after that failed experiment. The military hunting Wall-E down with a familiar squad of commandos while he stays moving from place to place, bonding with a fellow escapee from the fort, a green baby gorilla named Grod. Them sharing some kind of psychic link that helps keep Wall-E's mind steady when shit's just moving too fast for him to handle.
These two separate stories from each of their starts taken their time to focus on much more character-driven issues at a slower pace. Which, yeah, is pretty funny to say for a Flash comic, a series about super speed that took 12 issues to tell a 4issue plot. But personally, I haven't minded this at all and instead have enjoyed each of these comics for different reasons a piece. Admittedly, I haven't read the most of these separate characters when I compare them to the others. And from what I have read of Flash, it's mostly been W-ally West related stories. Like Wade's run from the '9s forward is probably one of my top comic runs in general. So, I'm already partial to Wall-E going into this, even if he could be a total [ __ ] during his time with the Teen Titans as Kid Flash. So, yeah, I was excited for him to be the protagonist.
But where Kid Wall-E before was a product of his time, growing up into the Flash himself and impulse kind of filling the role of Kid Flash, this Wall-E has a chance to be that hero from the start, to be Flash from day one, having to both cope and learn about all these wild ass changes while still being an actual teenager. And I really do enjoy that dynamic. Sure, teen drama coming of age with superpowers being a metaphor for maturity is not a new concept in comics. It's actually one of the oldest, but if it's told well, it can still make for a compelling story.
And up to now, I've enjoyed seeing Wall-E grow into the heroic moments that come between issues 1 and 12. Full of this super fluid, hella bright art style with extreme uses of yellows, reds, purples, the speed lines, and the hyper motion Wall-E moves with being so pretty to look at. I love how a lot of these characters have eyelashes that are very exaggerated and long. How the layout of the panels helps sell that speed while he's moving at to the reader. And yeah, it does feel like Jeff Leamir is riding for the trades at times. absolute flashes. For sure, a story that will flow better if you read it in long bursts like I have. But the constant explosion of beauty each issue creates along with my genuine interest in Absolute Wall-E has kept me more than happy each issue, even if the main narrative itself has slacked a bit here and there at times from that pacing. And on the other hand, with Absolute Green Lantern, its story being more suspenseful and horrific, the panels are for the most part drawn very uniform, straight laced with thick lines, keeping a fairly grayish tone to most scenes, so that when the spectrum of white explodes from one of the lanterns, the characters in the world around them are washed over with bright yellows, emerald green, means powerful reds and of course pure darkness, a total absence of color. Joe Mullen and her story at first being told back and forth between the past and present half showing what happened in Evergreen and how Jordan has become the host for the dark light. While in the present, Joe is trying to stop that power of house from hurting anyone else.
these lights and whatever they're connected to speaking to each of the users and giving them visions, powers, and abilities, and all of them a warning of something that seems to be coming their way. The alien planet Mo, an actual planet that's traveling through space on a mission to exterminate all light in the universe. And up to now, I have really liked this story, but I do think it works much better if you read the first seven issues back to back.
That past to present storytelling getting a little hard to follow monthto monthth versus minuteto minute. It feeling like a true conclusion at issue 7 where the story links itself up and also starts to reveal more of what the hell's going on up in space. issue eight starting the current ongoing arc. So just keep that in mind when you dive into it. Just just read as much as you can at once. Now after catching up through every issue and getting to the current arc, I think Joe was a pretty good pick for the protagonist. Like I love Guy Gardner to death and Hal can be a solid character if the writing takes him seriously, but they have both had plenty of leading roles. Jean Stewart also deserving that protag spot too in my opinion. But I still like what's been done with him so far, gaining the yellow light and being a voice of calm, rational thought when no one else understands what the hell is going on.
Joe being someone in the middle of both Hal's emotional outbursts and Jon's pure calm understanding, struggling not just to understand her power, but dealing with life itself sucking ass. Being someone from a small town whose early wife was full of self-doubt because Joe might be gay in a place that would not accept her. running away to the big city, getting swept up in a relationship, engaged, and losing that fiance because Joe cheated on her with Officer Mononttoya of Gotham PD fame, destroying the little life she had created for herself, coming back to that small town in shame, and then all of this [ __ ] happening to her. And overall, I've really enjoyed seeing her character have to accept her own mistakes overcome and grow from all of this while dealing with weirdass lightbased powers than pink guy aliens. And looking at both Green Lantern and Flash together, I really want to see where Joe, like Wall-E, goes next. these personal character stories for sure taking longer to tell but still being told really well. Thing is though, like with the others before, despite this comic bookass storyline and the weird cosmic [ __ ] wrapping up the cast, these things aren't actually the main plot. Well, for the most part, the real driving force of the story being whatever the hell Hector Hammond is planning him being a part of a group that seemingly has extreme levels of control and power, stretching not just across America, but possibly the globe. Him on a hunt for the power of the lantern to use for their benefit.
While Eleanor Thawn, the leader of all those weirdass speedbased experiments that sent a handful of rogues after Wall-E, is also a part of that society.
And where this is the actual plot that continues to build in the background of these comics, before we really get into it, of course, there's one more series left to talk about. The final member of the DC Trinity. And despite it being last on this list is for sure not least because Absolute Wonder Woman after Martian Manhunter and Batman is right up there hard locked at number three in my tops. I [ __ ] love Wonder Woman. Like yeah, I'm obviously a Batman guy. for a long time now. Nightwing has been my favorite hero next to Spider-Man. And I [ __ ] love Superman, too. I used to be one of those people who thought he was a little boring, but you know, then you mature as a person and realize a good writer can take those invincible traits he has that seem boring on the surface and still write compelling stories. But when it comes to Batman and Superman, norm hell, Nightwing/roin and Spider-Man, since I mentioned them, like I said earlier, you know them. You know their stories, who they are as characters, what a good or bad portrayal of them could be like. And despite Wonder Woman having that huge popularity, like I had said before, when it comes to who she is, the versions of her character throughout the years and what stories best represent not only the hero of Wonder Woman, but the person Diana of themes, she kind of is consistently gotten a short end of the stick. Everyone will correctly point to the George Perez run as being the one that really created Diana as we know her. The hero from an all-woman island who took the world of the patriarchs by storm. Not just with her beauty and strength, but with her genuine compassionate and caring nature. How she interacted with the world and would become a bridge between the lands of humans. Amazonians and gods. Someone who is always willing to help almost whoever needs it. A superhero that took the time to stand there and listen to the individual person who protected this earth as a natural planet and pushes for coexistence with nature. But after that Perez run, a time period lasting from the late '9s to now, I feel like Diana has never really found that perfect footing again in the mind of casual fans. Some writers like Messenger Lobes or Greg Rucka, of course, completely understanding the assignment, creating stories that have stood the test of time. Gail Simone's following one also being really solid, too. But looking back from the beginning of New 52 to Rebirth to Dawn of DC and now into Allin, the actual variety of stories, interpretations, and changes for Diana across these runs has been, I would say, mixed at best. her creative teams changing pretty much nonstop during the post Rucka Rebirth era up until now where Tom King has taken over. Rucka's run at the beginning of Rebirth pointed at as still being very good just like his original one from the early 2000s, but a lot of it being used to fix what happened in the New 52 and to set up a new mythos for Diana. So even if his voice for her is still really good, you can kind of feel editorial dictating a few of the things that are going to happen so they can rework everything that went wrong before. This run only lasting a little over 20 issues before Rucka himself leaves again. And after this, it's not really felt like Diana or Wonder Woman were able to have longer, more meaningful stories due to the upcoming rotating door the writer seat had. Most diehard fans of her pointing back to those runs I mentioned earlier as being the last real great moment in her mainline comic. And that's why it is so so nice to be able to say now in 2026, we finally have an actual ongoing Wonder Woman series that at least to me has already launched its way right up there next to that Perez or Rucka run in terms of creating a Diana I enjoy so much. combined with a new story line that yeah does feel familiar but still really fun while also having next to Martian Manhunter easily my most favorite and unique of the art styles of the series I've covered today. This all of course being the comic called Absolute Wonder Woman. A powerhouse series of love and compassion told through fantastic action drawn with some of the most interesting panel layouts that I think I've ever seen. Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman taking the princess of the Amazon. And now instead of having her come from an island under the protection of a whole Amazonian army, she was tossed down into hell by Apollo himself. Zeus forcing Cersei the pig witch to raise baby Diana here in the underworld, eventually growing into the woman who will leave the underworld and go to the world of man. Using both her natural Amazonian strength and the magic she learned from Cersei in hell to quickly become a hero to the public.
showing up and killing some ancient myth monster while saving an entire city of people. Humbling military commanders with both conviction and action. Making sure to always exude that compassion towards the people trapped in the city.
Going out of the way to make a news broadcast. asking the citizens to go out and try and help their neighbors survive all of this while she handles this big [ __ ] thing over here, using her magic to make a goddamn mile high buster sword and omnislashing the [ __ ] out of it. And no joke, this this right here, this is literally the Wonder Woman I have been waiting for. strong, brave, and caring.
Taking the time to stop and help that common person in a way that someone like Superman does differently. Like, yeah, he's going to show up, save you, give you a little nod, hey, good to see you, and speed off to the next person. Bros Mr. Worldwide, but Diana is the type to give you a ride to the store, buy you a sandwich, take you to CVS so you can get your prescriptions, and then maybe use magic to heal your bad back. And this is what I want, man. It's so good to see this Wonder Woman back in action. The recently released annual was completely about how she wanted to save Medusa, a mythology we know, of course, as her being the snake-haired woman cursed by the gods to turn whoever meets her eyes into stone. Wonder Woman going through Helen back to summon Athena herself and ask for forgiveness on behalf of Medusa.
Her tracking down this cursed monster and seeing past her eyes to the heart, her soul. Seeing her as a sister who's been trapped in a game of the gods, crying out for freedom, lashing out in anger, saving her just to do it, just because she knew there was a heart that needed healing. And that is the exact type of [ __ ] I want in my Wonder Woman stories. Like, yeah, I want her to be strong and cool and all of that, but I want her compassion to be the core.
Because when you combine the two, it makes a character that's just so good.
Her new design and the way the comic is built around her being so interesting and fun to read. Like the way lines casually split pages into separate parts and how the art works within that free form paneling. Ah, it's so cool. The way this page's layout is literally a deer.
I like come on. I love this. Recently, I just finished reading Greg Rucka and JH William III's Batwoman Detective Comics run, and it gave me that same type of feeling in a way, reading these two backto back and seeing just how similar but still totally different comics can be in their creation. Both so different from the norm of storytelling while still being completely unique to themselves. Like these are the type of reasons I've come to love comics so much in general now. And getting to read this monthly comic where that's just how it is at the core creation feels like something made with me specifically in mind. This amazing style being a perfect match with a new Diana. Her actual face, armor, hair, literally every feature is just perfect to me. And this actually gives me a pretty good place to mention that for the most part, I think the variant covers for all of the Absolute series range from solid to amazing.
Like, yeah, there are some that don't really match up to just the base cover itself. And then meanwhile, you have Absolute Martian Manhunter where every single variant of every single issue is one of the best pieces of art I've ever seen. But when it comes to Wonder Woman, looking at a lot of the variants that have come out for each issue, when compared to the main Sherman ones, no shade to the artists or anything, but this character, this is not absolute Wonder Woman. Like, yeah, sure, she's wearing the outfit, but that's kind of the only similarity. If you forget that big nose, I don't want your variant.
Just saying. As of now, in April of 2026, Wonder Woman is one of the only heroes that has crossed over between another series. That being, of course, with Absolute Batman. Each getting a single issue crossover with each other and telling two separate stories each, but both being really, really good. My favorite moment from both of them being at the end of the Wonder Woman chapter, her telling Batman that she looks forward to seeing him again and hopefully one day learning his true name. The guy behind the mask because obviously she doesn't wear one. To which he's like, "Girl, you got magic powers.
I know you know it." Her response being, "Yeah, I do, but I want you to tell me it's your name to give." and not mine to take. And that, like with Medusa before, is just so great to me. This is how I imagine my Diana. Not smarmy, not overly headstrong, not callous or whatever.
Just a genuine and real person with actual kindness that can throw you over 5,000 miles away with ease. And now another thing about Wonder Woman and the reason I kind of actually saved it for the last one to talk about is because another major aspect to her story so far is that like Superman, her rise to fame is very public. She saved Gateway City from a Cthulhu ass monster within the first six issues. Her presence was known fast. soups taking 14 or so issues before his fame really began to change from legend among the oppressed to actual known superhero. Batman's war across Gotham being looked at much differently than what these two were doing by the people but still being looked at in general drawing eyes and ears to Gotham from people all across the nation. All of this tying back to the subtle plot developments I've been mentioning for each series. A group of people who have been gathering in the background in opposition to this new age of heroes now stepping into the spotlight and building their plans against these people who would disrupt their total control. And at this point, now that we've covered all of the main series, it's time to talk about Absolute Evil, DC KO, and once again, Dark Side.
DC Comics as a publishing house has been running in some form for over 100 years now. Be it DC itself, All American Publications, Vertigo, even whatever.
having some of the oldest heroes on record in their roster. And back during the ' 40s, when the medium of comics was really starting to gain more popularity, a hero team was created featuring characters from across their publishing line. People like Alan Scott, Wesley Dods, Dr. Fate, and Jay Garrick, all joining together and forming the Justice Society of America, the JSA. This being DC's longest standing major hero team that still to this day plays a pretty major role in current lore. They got an ongoing series right now that's actually pretty solid. These heroes being the first generation to the Silver Rages Justice League down the line. But over here in the Absolute universe, they never got that chance to become the team we know them as. And in 1951, known narcass-fed Hawkman was sent by the American government to straight up slaughter these wouldbe heroes before that team could even form. Like they implied he killed Dr. Fate, which I think may be impossible technically.
Hawkman being their little golden boy for the next 70 or so years and working as a tool of this oppressive authority, stopping any attempts of resistance before they can start. The one shot by Al Ewing titled Absolute Evil showing us what happens if you get too close to that secret. if you piss off that society. Green Arrow on a personal hunt for the truth before being found by Hawkman and the dude using his big ass mace to bash Ali's head in and cutting that investigation right off. Hawkman presenting his body to the actual members who make up this society. Them of course being the assorted villains in each comic. Hector Hammond, Veronica Kale, Razagul and Brainiac, Elanor Thawn, and the one who seemingly leads this group through either charisma or fear, the man who in this world never smiles, Jack Grim, or as we know him, the Joker baby. Them coming together to basically address the fact that these heroes seem to be appearing across the world. Wonder Woman was causing a scene in Gateway City. Superman's flying around the planet doing hero [ __ ] Gotham's Arkham project that Joker ran was exposed when Batman beat Bane. The city of Evergreen and all of its weird [ __ ] The Fort Fox incident where a kid with insane powers has gone missing.
Oh, and they also go, "There could just be some weird alien [ __ ] Maybe we don't know." showing the Martian somewhere just vibing like usual. Joker Grim telling them all that this world has worked in a certain way forever. The powerful rule and the weak stay obedient. But with the rise of these new heroes, people are gaining hope. They're seeing a brighter side of life.
Something that this group does not approve of. the society taking steps to begin their takedowns of these heroes so the people they control don't start getting all uppety on them and expecting better things out of life. The chapter ending with this group declaring themselves as the new justice of the world. This league of theirs being a wall to try and stop the common man from reaching too high. a society that's declared themselves as being the absolute authority of the world. And if you aren't a dumbass, it's obviously a comparison to our world. Oh my god.
Humanity has existed with some form of oppression from overzealous leaders for its entire existence. Whether it was back in the day between which caveman had a bigger club, later between royal families and peasants or now between somewhat normal people like us who have to struggle to pay bills while rich pedophiles seemingly control the world.
how the people at the top use their combined power, that unstoppable influence gained from having a shitload of money to keep us docile and complacent while they move society around with an invisible hand. Each of the absolute leads having to fight that oppression in their own ways. Superman takes on Lazarus while freeing tons of enslaved workers. their peacemaker troops shooting protesters, kidnapping innocent civilians, and being a tool for authority. Batman, outside of the upcoming meeting with Joker himself that we know is going to happen, has been dealing with a bunch of [ __ ] caused by him for 17 issues now. Most of the problems in Gotham stemming back to his freak ass in some way. the Black Mass gang in the first arc trying to use their biggest tool to win Bruce over a shitload of money. Batman refusing and burning it the hell up. It not only making the big chunky bat in the sky, but also being a rejection of that society itself. Wonder Woman, as of the latest chapters, has been dealing with the direct influence of Veronica Kale, taking on absolute Zatana and her suicide squad, while Kel plots in the background to smear her reputation.
Hector Hammond wants the power of Evergreen so he can use it directly to help keep that society in power. Trying to abduct any of the surviving towns people for research. Everyone reading just waiting for his head to look like this because you know it's coming.
Elanor Thawn wants access to that weird parallel speed world her grandpa Eber discovered. Wanting to use that energy for their own evil needs an energy that's seemingly very close to omega energy. Knowing that some teenage kid on the run who saw [ __ ] he wasn't supposed to is the key to that power. And while The Martian and Jon Jones don't have a conventional villain like the rest with the White Martian, their real enemy is that oppression the people are being weighed down from the smoke that pours from them and how it's tearing normal people apart by amplifying their darkest feelings. The actual government knowing the Martian exists and looking to abduct him. there being this panel from issue 8 where you get asked by Uncle Sam himself to grab a pen and draw a cage to trap the Martian. The cage of course being in the shape of a pentagon. Like from head to toe, the absolute world is one made of negativity and fear of total corporate power and corrupt governments.
These heroes being the only things breaking that mold and causing change around them. And all of this, the negativity, the heroes being born with nothing. The oppression that is filling this universe comes from its creator, the god of anti-life, dark side. his energy that had filled the main timeline when he died coming back and creating the next big DC event DC KO a multi-round tournament to take down dark side him having one in the future and the time trapper formerly known as Doomsday I [ __ ] guess I didn't know that I got to read more comics coming back with booster gold to prepare the heroes that Omega energy from dark side that was gathering after his death forming a literal heart of Omega in the core of the earth. It being something that can be absorbed by the strongest being in the universe, imbuing its host with pure omega energy and possibly the power to stop Dark Side from dominating that future. the heart, creating a huge shownen tournament arc with both battle royale rounds and one-on-one matches to determine who is the strongest of them all. The winner able to gain that Omega heart and become a god, rewriting any of the problems that could come up from this tournament. Meaning it's free game, kill or be killed. Even if the Earth explodes, the winner potentially could just fix it. This all being part of Dark Side's dual plan for both the main universe and the Absolute One. A plan that is still in the works as of now. DC entering its next level era, the second arc of Allin, toying with a bunch of the series that is absolutely building up to another event that will be the sequel to KO. While both an Absolute Catwoman and Absolute Green Arrow miniseries have also been announced for the summer with a promised event coming later in the year that will finally fully have the first Absolute Universe crossover, not just a single chapter oneoff issue like Batman and Wonder Woman. the absolute universe as of now being something that I am so excited to see what happens next in. And to go back to the ultimate universe connections a little bit, that feeling of complete separation is definitely going to start disappearing as these comics go on. It's not going to be like USM from the 2000s. We're we're just past that now when it comes to the medium itself, unfortunately. like DC KO is a major comic crossover event that has absolute connections and that absolute universe itself is only going to get bigger from here and potentially cross over even more with this mainline universe. like slight spoiler for DC KO issue 5, but it's already happened in here. And it's pretty hilarious cuz it shows off all of the absolute heroes together during Dark Side's big speech.
Except Wall-E. Where the hell is my boy at? Why didn't you put Wall-E here?
Where'd he go? Is he too busy running somewhere? But even with these inevitable connections and how they're going to get deeper, it still feels so fresh, so fun and interesting. Why Geach Absolute Comic, each of these new interpretations and how they are taking on this alternate universe. I can't lie to you, I'm enjoying every issue of every series right now. And if what Scott Snyder says is true, The Line has no plans of stopping as long as fans keep reading. Em and Dragotta having already planned Batman up until at least issue 50 while also just going to all kinds of conventions, getting on stage, and revealing so many upcoming plot ideas. Like, dude is just out here yapping because obviously he is so excited. And I really like that. I think it's pretty endearing. I guess for my closing thoughts here is that I think DC is truly in a pseudo golden age right now that's kind of unprecedented. Like DC is not perfect at all. Far from it.
In fact, some ongoing comics right now just aren't great. Editorial is usually way too focused on status quo changing events most of the time. Like even if a comic itself can make fun of it, event fatigue is a real thing when you do one of those almost every year. And even if I did enjoy the main five issues of KO and all of Nightflight, it's still just fun at best. The one-off matches and tie-in issues ranging from fine, while some just outright weren't great or barely tied in. And knowing a series you're reading might get swept up in an event that you don't care about is a fear tons of comic readers have. A fear that doesn't exist yet for absolute. Big emphasis on yet. Also, DC did publish that Harley Quinn fart fetish comic not long ago. That's um what? And honestly, her character itself has just been very very bad since the New 52 era. Plus, there's the fact that none of the company's extremely cool and very popular black characters have no ongoing solo series right now outside of Joe and Green Lantern technically and Mr. Terrific being a big part of Justice League Unlimited. Like, he was the most popular of the Superman movie. I'm pretty sure if you gave him his own Mr. terrific comic like the terrifics was. I legitimately think it would do really well. And don't even forget the reception to a lot of things milestone related. Like the Dakota incident from February was one of the most sold comics that month. I don't know why we're playing around here. Just give us a legit Static Shock series. Like, like, just do it. What are we doing? Oh, and don't get me started on Hush 2. [ __ ] Jim and Jeff can't even get 12 issues out within two total years time. This dog [ __ ] ass ending to the Batman rebirth line that started in 2016 going out with a whimper in 2027, not six. While the next volume by Matt Fraction is already ongoing, which um I am really liking by the way. I recommend checking it out if you can. But all of that is to say that even if DC has and will continue to have issues. The absolute line has brought back the love of comics for so many people. Both older fans who drop the habit a long time ago and kids who just see how cool Absolute Batman looks online and want to go grab the book from a store. And I think only good things can come of this. Yeah, sure. Some stories will be bad or just play it so safe that they feel like 30 issues of nothing happening. Variant cover speculator markets will always be annoying. And seeing Tik Tok edits of a character you really like with absolute complete misinformation in the captions, and it can make you want to try and mentally cause someone's head to explode through the phone like you're that guy from Inu Yashiki. But if the sales boom and the comics thrive, the authors, artists, and fans all benefit, and it is just a really fun ride to be on. If you want to get into any of the Absolutes or a lot of the series I've recommended, a lot of them have paperbacks out, especially on storeshelves right now.
The Absolute Trinity 3 having their second volumes out as well, and it's a great way to start. Hit up your local comic shop and see what they got. You can also usually find some good ass deals in there, too, if you look hard enough. Local comic shops, they got the secret heat if you're actually willing to put the time in. And with that said, as well, if you're a kid who wants to read comics or someone that's legit broke and can't afford to buy them, do what you got to do, man. I want to talk more about this one day because I have big feelings on piracy and how it kind of saved my life as a kid, leading me here now to having a collection like this. But that's another topic for another video. So, all I'll say now is you deserve entertainment as much as anyone else. No matter how poor you might be, where you might live, or regardless of what anyone tries to tell you, art is for any and everybody.
That's just how I feel. See you next time, and like I said, consider the Patreon if you enjoy these videos.
Later.
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