Absolute Power: Ground Zero #1 features stories from Mark Waid, Nicole Maines, Chip Zdarsky and Joshua Williamson. Artwork is by Skylar Patridge, V Ken Marion and Gleb Melnikov. Colours by Patricio Delphece and letters by Steve Wands. Main cover art (left) is by Dan Mora. The book is published by DC.
Absolute Power: Ground Zero #1 is available from today, in print and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your digital copy from Amazon Comixology UK right here.
Synopsis
THE DOMINOS FALL! As the DC Universe braces for the “Absolute Power” blitzkrieg, the key to capturing metahuman powers on planet Earth will at last be unlocked! Bridging the events of Batman, Superman: House of Brainiac, and Suicide Squad: Dream Team, this special oversize GROUND ZERO issue brings Waller’s total dominance to the doorsteps of the world’s finest heroes…using the combined might of FAILSAFE, BRAINIAC QUEEN, and the SUICIDE SQUAD to do it! Witness years of storytelling culminate, brought to you by Absolute Power series architect MARK WAID and the masterminds behind the trinity of evil, CHIP ZDARSKY, NICOLE MAINES, and JOSHUA WILLIAMSON!
Review
Brace yourselves DC fans. The Absolute Power event has arrived this week with several prelude stories and this special tie-in anthology. The trio of Nicole Maines, Chip Zdarsky and Joshua Williamson each teams with the event’s architect Mark Waid for stories focussing on key players in the event leading in to next week’s Absolute Power #1 when the DCU begins to crumble around its heroes.
The opening chapter, aptly titled “Stage One”, sees Maines teaming with Waid for a story about Dreamer. Firstly I can’t discuss this without acknowledging how Maines has become the one true architect of Dreamer’s life in comics as well as on the small screen. Taking the character from Supergirl in to comics, writing shorts as well as a full-length OGN is incredible. So having Dreamer part of Absolute Power absolute meant bringing Maines in to help steer Nia Nal’s journey. In “Stage One” we learn more about how Amanda Waller has manipulated Dreamer in to assisting with her plot to de-power all of the metahumans on Earth. It’s a snapshot in to Dreamer’s thought process as she’s forced to do Waller’s bidding rather than buying in to her idea of “peace”.
The cast for “Stage One” is pretty light. Aside from Dreamer and Waller the only other major player is Jay Nakamura. Waller dispatches Dreamer to bring in Jay, still on the run on the island of Gamorra following the events of Suicide Squad: Dream Team. In man ways “Stage One” is a coda to the Dream Team book, another solid reason to have Maines on board. But it allows Nia to come face-to-face with Jay and for the two to air their dirty laundry. Mains and Waid neatly bridge the two storylines together using Waller as the axis point. As Nia admits to not knowing why Waller needs Jay it adds even more to the verbal conflict between the two (former) friends. This story is entirely about challenging perceptions. Jay challenges why Nia would blindly follow Waller’s path knowing she can’t be trusted. That seemingly gives Nia the impetus to at least want to overthrow Waller’s plans. Seemingly setting the stage for Dreamer to be an integral part of saving the world later in the event.
In “Stage Two” it’s Batman writer Chip Zdarsky who teams up with Waid for a story which bridges the gap from the “Dark Prisons” finale in to the new event. We pick up with Waller as she recruits John Starr aka Time Commander in to the Suicide Squad. His mission is simple, help Waller to get the Failsafe robot back up and running. In last week’s Batman #149 we learned that the “government” had taken Failsafe’s body, something which Bruce was not concerned about at the time. Perhaps he should have paid better attention to Damian’s concerns…
As with “Stage One” this is another great example of how Waller leverages others in order to make use of their abilities. Here it’s Waller’s people who need help from Starr in order to get Failsafe back up and running. Waller uses Starr’s ability to see in to the near future as a chance to show that her victory is inevitable. In a way he has no chance to submit as she remains two steps ahead regardless of how he tries to use his powers. It all leads Waller in to getting exactly what she wants, an Amazo robot with all the skills of Batman. Ending on the dialogue “… I just need six more like it.” Should give readers an insight in to what to expect from next week’s Absolute Power #1.
All of which leads us neatly in to “Stage Three” as Joshua Williamson teams with Waid for a story which brings in elements from the Superman books. Here we’re transitioning directly from the “House of Brainiac” arc which has introduced Queen Brainiac, another character Waller now wishes to leverage. Only this time her manipulations come at a cost. Using the stolen Sanctuary tech from Green Arrow, Waller spends what feels like twenty-years of her life training Brainiac to be the ultimate weapon against the metahumans.
“Stage Three” really cements aspects of Waller’s character, as well as several elements of the wider event. Waid and his team are cleverly using this book to ensure the reader is fully aware of the lengths Waller is willing to go to for her endgame. There’s no doubting her determination by the time “Stage Three” comes to an end. It’s also clear exactly who and what she needs in order to enact those plans.
There’s a cool synergy between Skylar Patridge, V Ken Marion and Gleb Melnikov in the style of each story. Whilst each artist has their own unique flare, they sit well next to each other in this format. Patridge pulls through a strong emotional undercurrent through facial expressions as “Stage One” is more of a static story. Whilst Marion taps in to the sci-fi elements of Failsafe and the tech Waller is attempting to access in “Stage Two”. Finally, Melnikov uses “Stage Three” to humanise Waller and Brainiac in such a way that it at first appears like a family story until its purpose is fully revealed.
Verdict
A tantalising teaser for the Absolute Power event. Each of these three stories superbly sets the foundations for Waller’s grand plan to rid the DCU of metahumans. Three great creative teams at the top of their game.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
