The closest thing Batman has to a superpower is not his money or his belt, let alone dressing up as a bat: it is having established himself as a symbolIt is the night and it is also revenge. Achieving that when the Bat-signal appears in the skies, the thieves and criminals of Gotham hide or return home to think twice about what they were going to do. Precisely for this reason the redesign of the bat that he carries on his chest in Absolute DC has given so much to talk about. It is strange, but also a prelude to the great changes that we will see in your new universe.
Let’s start by saying that the new bat symbol achieves the essential thing at the first attempt: completely distancing itself from the Batman of the main comics continuity. Just as Marvel has fully immersed itself in recreating an Ultimate universe for the role, the idea of Absolute Comics de DC It involves reimagining Superman, Wonder Woman or the Caped Crusader himself, preserving who they are and should be. Something that, we will not deny, will serve to welcome new readers who arrive attracted by the big project from DC Studios.
In fact, the most interesting thing is that the Absolute Universe It’s not a reboot like the New 52nor a retcon or a second Earth placed punctually for the big Absolute Power event; instead it serves as an expansion and, at the same time, it offers a bold look at what would be the other side of the coin of the house icons. Which opens up all kinds of questions: why, how, when and who? At iGamesNews we have gathered all the answers for you.
What is the Absolute Universe and where does it fit into DC Comics’ grand plan?
The central idea when forging the universe Absolute DC is to take advantage of the momentum and the final climax of Absolute Powerthe publisher’s big annual event, to create a new blank canvas, but with more adverse conditions, for its great icons. In fact, this is expected to generate a great impact on the main continuity and, in the process, give rise to the creation of a completely different new universe without contradicting each other.
Without going into details about the direction of Absolute Powerwe can say that the return and rise of Darkseid will unleash a threat that will force Superman to gather all the great heroes of the Earth to try to contain his intentions in a special 64-page issue titled DC All In
This great initiative of DC All In rests on the shoulders of writers Scott Snyder and Joshua Williamson and has been in development for at least two years to make it the big hit on the table of the decade for the publisher with a very defined purpose: of all the media there is, in Comics are where the biggest, most epic stories are told.
“One of the things we’ve been talking about for the last few years is that whenever someone wants to do a big initiative they always try to give readers something completely new or evoke the classics, and in one of the conversations with Scott [Snyder] “It was about how to do both things. How to offer a story with great innovations and at the same time that vindicates and elevates the classic comics that we like.”
From here it was established that one of the objectives was to create something that would attract and give wings to authors and artists, that would connect with long-time readers and that would serve as a starting point in comics for everyone and for years to come through a new line of stories in which, in addition to continuing the ongoing series with a new plot for everyone, its pantheon of superheroes would be redrawn and many creative boundaries would be broken.
“During the events of Absolute Power, and unbeknownst to the heroes, Darkseid begins to realize, to sense, that there is something missing. So at one specific moment in Absolute Power that we won’t spoil, he notices that something has changed.
Upon discovering this, Darkseid begins his own quest that will bring him face to face with the Justice League, and in this collision, DC’s cosmology will be redefined in a radical new way. In a way that excites us.
In the midst of that, a wild and dangerous new planet will be created, a new DC universe, and we have invited some of the biggest names and rising stars to reinvent the characters in a personal, passionate and daring way. It is part of a bigger story that we will tell in the years to come.”
However, despite being fragmented into two universes with their own battles and emotions, according to Snyder and Williamson, in the end everything flows into a great common meta-story that will be developed gradually with a view to the future.
- On the one hand, through the main continuity of DC comics in which we will continue to explore a universe with the enormous foundational influence that Superman has brought to superhero comics.
- And on the other hand from The New Absolute Universewhich relies more on the dangerous, chaotic and more sinister energy of Darkseid and in which the heroes emerge as renegades in their own world, so they must be more alert and, in addition, they are more prepared to act from the worst scenarios.
The mantra with which the Absolute Universe
Who is Absolute Superman
His uniform may be very similar to the one in the main continuity, but the first big difference of the Superman of the Absolute Universe Regarding the icon we all know, he has no family or home. In fact, he doesn’t even have his own fortress of solitude and all the comforts that this entails, something that can be seen in his less well-kept appearance. The good news is that his superpowers don’t seem to have been affected, but to what extent will this condition his commitment to justice?
The first number of Absolute Superman The suit will be written by Jason Aaron and drawn by Rafa Sandoval. As for its design, the suit shown looks a bit like the one in James Gunn’s film, keeping the collar, sleeves and other details, but it has some kind of boots, gauntlets and waist adjustments that seem to shine independently. The most drastic change, however, will be its stance: much more serious and threatening than hopeful. And no, this time we won’t see his underwear on the outside.
Who is Absolute Batman
In the case of Bruce Wayne from Absolute DC, we find a hero without money, without a mansion and, of course, without a butler to sew up his suit and wounds. In fact, Bruce will have to get his hands dirty like any other son of Gotham to earn his bread. Of course, when he puts on the suit, the criminals tremble.
The new Batsuit not only reinvents the bat symbol seen on his chest, but also introduces elements that do not go unnoticed: in addition to the shoulder pads with extendable spikes, according to the covers, we see that the cape is tied to his forearms and a kind of claws that he can use as a weapon. However, what stands out the most is that kind of bat-shaped axe or mace. In any case, the collection Absolute Batman is in good hands: written by Scott Snyder and drawn by Nick Dragotta.
Who is Absolute Wonder Woman
Like Superman and Batman, la Wonder Woman de Absolute DC She has found herself completely alone and has relied solely on her determination to survive in a merciless world. The island of Themyscira is no paradise and instead of relying on the support and advice of her sisters, her training as an Amazon warrior has consisted of surviving war and desolation.
The first thing that catches your attention in Diana’s redesign is that instead of using her shield, she will carry a sword that is even taller than herself, which is no small feat. The little that her armor shows reveals a series of tattoos or paintings on her arms and the only thing that shines in the ensemble is the lasso of truth. What’s more, don’t expect her to fly in her invisible plane: she gallops on the back of a kind of demonic pegasus. Her destiny and the first issue of Absolute Wonder Woman is in the hands of award-winning Kelly Thompson and newcomer Hayden Sherman.
What are the editorial plans for Absolute Universe?
The official deployment of Absolute DC starts in October 2024 where the climax of the current event converges with the future of the publishing house. The fourth and final issue of Absolute Power will be in bookstores on October 2nd and the special edition is scheduled to be published on the same day DC All In through a 64-page double format that shows the same conclusion from the point of view of the heroes as from that of Darkseid. From that point on, the main continuity will continue with new stories for all the characters, beginning a new stage.
As far as the main continuity is concerned, readers will only notice the introduction of new plots. To give specific examples, issues 153 and 154 of Batman -scheduled for early to mid-October- will open the arch of The Dying City with the Riddler as the driving force, while Doomsday will return in issue #19 of Superman to face both the Man of Steel and a Superwoman who will force Lois Lane to quickly get used to her newly acquired superpowers.
And what are the plans with Absolute DC? In Europe the characters are in the hands of the publisher ECC, but in the United States each reboot of the three main heroes will be released on its own date:
- Absolute Batman nº1 will be published in the United States on October 9
- Absolute Wonder Woman nº1 will be available on October 23rd
- Absolute Superman nº1 will hit shelves on November 6th.
Each of the numbers in the new line of Absolute DC will feature up to three variants with guest artists, including Jim Lee himself, plus a special commemorative foil variant with the new symbols of the three heroes. Pleasing collectors, of course.
DC Comics’ plan is simple: divide and conquer. With two comic lines running in parallel and gradually becoming more intertwined, the goal is not only to increase print runs and sales, but to reach many more readers, including those who are overwhelmed by the sheer number of stories that precede their icons. On the other hand, it will be interesting to discover how a completely new background reforges the Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman we know and to what extent they end up being different people and heroes.
A wise move? DC doesn’t put all its eggs in one basket and for everything else it has both the main continuity and the Elseworlds. However, this year will see interesting moves and surprising revelations. What will the Absolute Joker of this reality be like? In October we may have a little more clarity.
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