Detective Comics (often abbreviated to DC) has been the main competition against Marvel since the 1940s, boasting iconic characters like Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, who have been dubbed “the trinity” by comic readers worldwide. Both companies have an extensive history in and out of their fictional universes, but DC’s newest “All In” initiative and storyline, which began in October of 2024, led by writers Scott Snyder and Joshua Williamson, has given them the edge in the comic space.
This is partly due to DC’s rollout of the compact comic format, which is inspired by Manga, Japanese graphic novels, being defined by a specific style. Compact comics are smaller, collected editions of iconic DC stories which provide an easy starting point for new readers due to the inexpensive $10 price tag. But the main draw of the recent initiative is the new Absolute Universe, which, in the comics, was created by Darkseid, an iconic Justice League villain and among the most powerful of their expansive list of foes, merging with The Specter, another iconic character.
However, they ignored specific details that were important to the original characterization of the heroes, instead giving them all an underdog story in one way or another. For example, Batman was not born a billionaire, but instead the son of a teacher and a social worker. Superman was not raised in Kansas with the Kents, but raised on Krypton, his home planet. Wonder Woman, instead of being born on the mysterious island of Themsycria and being raised by the Amazons, was instead born in the underworld and raised as a warrior.
This new twist on the DC mythos had people skeptical at first, and avid fans were quick to point out the similarities to Marvel’s Ultimate Universe, which was coincidentally wrapping up when the Absolute Universe first began.
Despite this, the Absolute Universe began with “Absolute Batman #1” which released in October of 2024 to nearly universal acclaim from fans and critics alike. Many praised the new, more mature take on Gotham city and its various characters. The rest of the run held this high standard, going repeatedly viral for its body horror inspired takes on Batman’s villains — the standout among these being Bane, who in most DC series, is presented just as a muscular bodybuilder type with a tactical genius that can rival Batman’s. He has since been reimagined as a 17 foot tall mass of rippling muscles and popping veins, and he has become by far the most iconic villain introduced in the Absolute Universe as of now.
What makes Absolute Batman great in my opinion isn’t the huge monstrous villains or the visually stunning action scenes which are only enhanced by Nick Dragotta’s stunning artwork, but how much time it gives this version of Bruce Wayne in the preliminarily issues. A lot of Batman media falls into the same issue for me, because they never give us enough time with Bruce Wayne for the man behind the cowl to really grow on us as readers or viewers. Absolute Batman’s writer Scott Snyder (no relation to Zach Snyder, thankfully) gives us a plethora of great character moments for Bruce, who aside from being 6’9 and 412 pounds of muscle, is, in a lot of ways, the heart of the series as well as its brooding protagonist. Readers see Bruce go through so much, in even just the first twelve issues. From using his knowledge as a civil engineer to craft his suit and weaponry for fighting the horrifying villains of Gotham, to meeting up with his childhood friends, to crime alley for a game of poker. Absolute Batman takes everything great about the Batman mythos and puts its own unique spin on it to make something truly engaging. Frankly, I couldn’t put this one down when I finally picked it up.
Following Batman in late October, Absolute Wonder Woman released to less fanfare. Absolute Wonder Woman puts its own unique spin on the character, which audiences and critics loved, with many praising the atmosphere, mystical powers and setting.
Rounding out the trinity, Absolute Superman flew onto the scene in early November of 2024, giving us a look at life on a dying Krypton, due to centuries of environmental exploitation. Kal-El, who later becomes Superman, grows up in a poor industrial district instead of a charming farm in rural Kansas, with his parents, who were civic rebels and gave him a sentient suit of armor named Sol. This suit, which later forms his cape and his crest, rather than symbolizing hope, represents the labor guild and district where he was raised. After Krypton explodes from the unstable planet core, an 18 year old Kal-El falls to Earth, which is a far cry from his usual origin of him coming to Earth as a baby. What follows is an action packed sci-fi adventure for the ages which carves out a unique tone like all of its Absolute counterparts.
Besides the Trinity, the Absolute Universe features a plethora of other Justice League members, whose books I highly encourage you to check out for yourself. All of the series are now in collected issues that contain the first 10-12 issues of each for around $17 a pop, which is a fair price for the incredible content you get. I cannot recommend the Absolute Universe enough if you’re looking for a unique take on iconic characters.
