For a World That Could Have Been

DC is no stranger to launch new versions of characters. They have a whole imprint for it, Elseworlds, and they regularly release what are, functionally, What If? stories (just without that specific name, as Marvel has that brand) for their heroes. What if the Kents fail to find baby Kal-El’s spaceship (in Justice League: The Nail)? What if Batman occurred in the time of Victorian England (in Batman: Gotham by Gaslight)? What if Superman landed in Soviet Russia (in Superman: Red Son)? Many of these are iconic titles that fans have loved for their strange, interesting ideas and excellent execution.

Of course, any fan of DC ComicsOne of the two biggest comic publishing companies in the world (and, depending on what big events are going on, the number one company), DC Comics is the home of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and just about every big superhero introduced in the 1930s and 1940s. knows well that the publisher has had plenty of alternate universes and reboots in its long history as well. Every few years it feels like a new Crisis comes along, resetting continuity. A fan reading for years would struggle to know whether all the characters they liked are still in continuity, if some events happened or not, or even if the whole universe even exists anymore. There’s a multiverse. No, there’s one universe. No, there’s 52 of them… oh and then the Multiverse is back. It can be hard to keep up.

That is part of why DC has looked, time and again, for a new jumping on point for readers. Reboots are supposed to help that, but they often alienate fans even as they create starting points for new readers. Not that DC is alone in this problem as Marvel has similar issues. That’s why they introduced the Ultimate Comics line and, for a while, had that running parallel to the main 616 continuity. A new version of all the familiar heroes so that new readers can jump on board. DC did similarly at one point, introducing Earth One as their own new point for new readers… but that didn’t last as long.

And now we have the new Absolute Comics line, which seeks to do the same thing. Except this isn’t just a simple reinterpretation of the heroes, stripping away all their continuity while still keeping familiar beats. Absolute Comics is a total reinvention, more in line with an Elseworlds tale, except in an ongoing format that promises to continue for the foreseeable future. And the premise is actually fairly simple: what if the DC universe were filled not with hope and light but, instead, the darkness of Darkseid’s power. What would this do to the heroes? How would this fundamentally change them from the ground up? It’s an intriguing concept, and, if Absolute Superman is anything to go by, one that can create a very different, but no less engaging, version of familiar heroes.

As we learn in Absolute Superman, Kal-El wasn’t sent to Earth as a baby. In this version of the universe, he was raised on Krypton by his parents, with the death throes of the planet taking longer to manifest. His parents were pariahs from high society, intelligent citizens who could have been leaders of the noble class but who, instead, realized that Krypton’s society was corrupt and fought against it. For that they were sent to the lowest, working caste and forced out into the mines and fields. But Jor-El and Lara were happy as they had each other and, eventually, Kal-El.

The destruction of Krypton couldn’t be stopped, though, and when they launched into space, the obliteration of the planet took out everyone Kal-El knew, including his parents. He was left, alone, flying through space as his ship, Sol, searched for a habitable planet. Eventually it found Earth, and it crashed into the soil. But Earth was already ruled over by a corporation, Lazarus, and an alien landing on the planet was a danger the corporation couldn’t tolerate. This made Kal-El a fugitive, especially as the sun powered him and his space suit (made from the dust of Krypton) gave him special powers. Now he’s on the run, but still trying to help the oppressed, as he fears that Earth might, somehow, fall to ruin as Krypton did before.

I’ve read a number of reinventions of SupermanThe first big superhero from DC Comics, Superman has survived any number of pretenders to the throne, besting not only other comic titans but even Wolrd War II to remain one of only three comics to continue publishing since the 1940s. over the years, and I have to credit the creative team of writer Jason Aaron and artist Rafa Sandoval for finding a new, fresh take on the hero. Honestly, this Superman has less in common with the Kal-El / Clark Kent we know from mainline books. He feels more like a version of Supergirl, having been raised on Krypton so he considers that planet home. He feels the loss of Krypton, added to the fact that he lands on a foreign world he doesn’t understand, and has to make his way while grieving his people.

This isn’t the happy farm boy that sees the good in everyone. He lands on a planet dominated by the Lazarus Corporation, which rules its territory via their Peacemaker goon squad. The Peacemakers enforce the law through violence and fear. They trample all the workers in the mines and factories Lazarus controls, stomping the people down with jackboots. And this reminds Kal-El of the way the military ruled Krypton, of how the ruling elite abused the working caste. This is what his parents fought against so here, on Earth, he’ll fight against it, too.

It really is such an intriguing concept because it strips so many familiar elements away from Kal-El (he’s not even called Clark once in this first book at all) so it can ask, “can Superman be Superman if he didn’t have the same experiences?” And the answer does seem to be “yes”, just with the acknowledgment that his changed upbringing makes him view the world differently. He still fights for justice, but he’s angrier about it, less in control of himself, more prone to lashing out. He doesn’t kill, but he sometimes wants to, and he has to tread a fine line to help the downtrodden while still bringing justice to the Peacemakers they’ll understand.

The writing is aided by gorgeous artwork. Kal-El, with his “cape” of nanoparticles flowing and moving around him, cuts a strong, alien figure. His suit glows as he moves, his form emerges from the dust, and the world bends around him. The drawings are detailed and well shaded, with painterly backgrounds adding to the whole look. It makes Earth feel like a foreign world, and the scenes on Krypton are striking and staggeringly beautiful as well. This is a masterfully crafted book, from beginning to end.

This first volume, “Last Dust of Krypton”, is an intriguing start for this version of Superman. It sets up the character, shows us his origins, and gives us a glimpse of the villains and battle to come. But this is a long form story so this first book is more setup than climax. Fans will get a lot of meat here, and if they like Superman in general they’ll likely really enjoy what is going on in this volume. But if you’re looking for a story that easily concludes in just six issues, this isn’t it. There’s a long-form plan here and one or two volumes won’t tell the whole tale. This is a new world for Superman, and the book takes its time getting there. I can appreciate that.

I think this is a really solid introduction for this version of the character. We’ve seen plenty of versions of Superman in the past, but not one quite like this. It says a lot about the work being put into this book that it’s so different, but so interesting. I couldn’t put the book down once I started it, and I’m already itching to read more. This is a fantastic starting point, not just for Superman but for the Absolute Universe as a whole. And having read this book I can see why fans are raving, and while this new line of comics is outselling all the competition. Absolute Superman is superb, and I can’t wait to dig into the rest of the Absolute Universe to see what else is on offer.