Absolute Superman #1 is written by Jason Aaron and published by DC. Artwork is by Rafa Sandoval, colours by Ulises Arreola and letters by Carey. Main cover art (left) is by Sandoval and Arreola.
Absolute Superman #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
Without the fortress…without the family…without a home…what’s left is the Absolute Man of Steel!
Review
Today DC completes its brand new Trinity with the release of Absolute Superman #1. Following the blockbuster debut of Absolute Batman and the critical success of Absolute Wonder Woman, Jason Aaron takes the Man of Steel in to brand new territory for a debut which is unexpected with every turn of the page.
As all great interpretations of Superman do, Absolute Superman starts out on Krypton, “years ago”. Unlike the shining utopia we’ve seen in some of the most popular versions of Kal-El’s story, this version seems more industrial. The overwhelming red from Ulises Arreola’s colours betrays are planet in overload. It’s feels hot, it feels dense. Yet it continues to function. But at the same time, Aaron’s Krypton is not like any we’ve seen before. It survives on a class system which feels almost the polar opposite of what reader will expect.
Aaron taps directly in to the iconography of Superman, namely the legendary “S” logo, to tell a far more complex story. This first issue lays bare a lot of the foundations which underpin Kryptonian society. But through that there’s also plenty to evidence what Superman is the hero we see him being in the second half of this issue. In this version of the DCU the “S” doesn’t stand for hope… not yet anyway. It’s actually the symbol of the Kryptonian lower class. The common-folk. Not those who exist in the scientific echelons, a group we would traditionally associate with Jor-El and Lara, Kal’s parents. Aaron has instead firmly placed them on the outer fringes of Kryptonian society, exactly where nobody will hear their cries about the fate of the once great civilisation.
In the present day, Brazilian labourers work in mines under the duress of Lazarus Corps and its army of Peacemakers. The impoverished are given no choice, much like how Kal’s parents are frozen out of the science guild purely due to their place in the class system. So naturally this is where we get our first glimpse of Superman in action. Reclaiming the symbol of his parents and the lower classes and using it as a mission statement to free the oppressed. Rather than a literal meaning of hope, Aaron galvanises the “S” symbol brilliantly even in this first glimpse simply through the character’s convictions.
In some ways this book could be called SuperBOY and not SuperMAN. He’s younger than other depictions of the character and this feels like a much earlier stage in his career. He also seems more headstrong and less considered than his mainstream counterpart. But all of that is very clearly rooted in the story Aaron is telling on Krypton and about his lineage. Issue #1 leaves us with plenty of questions: how did Kal come to be on Earth? When did he learn to use his powers? Who is behind Lazarus Corps and the Peacemakers? But there is absolutely no doubting just who this Superman is and what he stands for.
Rafa Sandoval’s art, particularly teamed with Ulises Arreola’s colours, really drives home the aesthetic of Aaron’s story. Krypton is standout in its palette as well as its design work. Scenes on Earth are so heavily focussed on the mine and the fight between Superman the Peacemakers that we don’t get to glimpse much else. But the costume design work is what counts here. The cover alone should tell you this Superman is something special but to see the costume in action is something else entirely. There’s a lot more to come from exploring Superman’s world. But as first tasters go, consider me hooked.
Verdict
Absolute Superman #1 completes a stunning trinity of first-issues of DC’s Absolute Universe. Jason Aaron is beginning to construct a complex character who stands distinct from his mainstream universe double. It’s high concept stuff. But even just in this first chapter the rewards are more than worth the investment.
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