For years, DC has tried to capture the magic of the Marvel's Ultimate line from the early 2000's. Their first real attempt was with their "All-Star" imprint. This led to the critic and fan favorite All-Star Superman, but it also gave us the attrocious All-Star Batman and Robin.
In the years since, they have tried again and again with things like the "First Wave" line or the "Earth One" graphic novels. None of these have quite caught on, but that hasn't stopped DC from trying.
And once again they are swinging for the fences with their new "Absolute" line that is introduced in the "All-In" storyline.
And this time, DC may have actually done it.
DC All-In was a fun read. It is an oversized flip book where you read one half and then flip the comic over and read it from a different view from the other side. The main story involves the Justice League rebuilding after the Absolute Power storyline.
One of the things I really liked about this book was that it brought into the DC continuity the Justice League Unlimited concept: expand the JL to include as many heroes as possible. This not only creates a stronger army of heroes, but it gives you the ability to diversify your storytelling about the League adventures, just as it did on the cartoon show.
However, things go wrong immeadiately when Darkseid shows up in a way they have never encountered him before. I will not spoil the details here. But this encounter leads to a new universe that is known to us as the "Absolute Universe."
Writers Joshual Williamson and Scott Snyder have set up an epic story that will hopefully pay off. I also enjoyed the different artistic styles employed in the book by Dan Mora, Wes Craig, and Daniel Sampere.
But this takes us to Absolute Batman #1.
There has been a lot of buzz around this book and I have to tell you it was a very fun read.
The idea behind teh "Absolute" universe is that these stories will find our heroes fighting against more impossible odds. Their world is rougher, more violent, and darker. This aspect alone is not necessarily a big selling point. But the way they tell the story feels like something fresh.
Scott Snyder writes a much gritter Batman than I have seen. This Bruce Wayne is no longer a billionaire. He has all of his brains, brawn, and drive, but he is a working-class hero, lurking in the shadows. When the designs by artist Nick Dragotta were first released, many people made fun of it. This Batman is a gigantic mountain of muscle, reminiscent of Rob Liefeld's work on Captain America. But Snyder and Dragotta make it work. This is a Batman who is there to scare the heck out of everyone by his sheer size. On top of that, he is brutal and precise in his tactics.
Reading this book reminded me of something out of Frank Miller. There is a rawness to it that has been lacking in Batman's stories lately. Part of the fun is that this is a story mainly told from the outside. You get to see how other people see Batman, so it adds to the mystery and intrigue.
Snyder could still drop the ball with this. And I don't know how Absolute Superman and Absolute Wonder Woman will be. But based on how much I enjoyed these two books, I will be there for the rest of the story.
In fact you might say (forgive the pun) that I am all in.
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