Absolute Superman #6 is written by Jason Aaron and published by DC. Artwork by Carmine Di Giandomenico, main cover (left) by Rafa Sandoval and colours by Ulises Arreola and letters by Becca Carey.
Absolute Superman #6 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
Something strange happened in the American heartland several years ago. Something that brought fear and darkness to a small Kansas town…and forever changed the lives of one kindly couple. Welcome to Smallville.
Review
It wasn’t too long ago when we were anticipating the release of the Absolute universe, and now finally we’ve reached three series that have ended their first arcs. In the last issue, we witnessed Superman give in to his rage as he and Sol hunted down Christopher Smith, who gunned down dozens of innocent civilians just for laughing at him. Sol gives confirmation that they should be afraid of Brainiac, but Superman corrects him in saying that he’s afraid of what he might do if he actually finds him. The issue also showcased the destruction of Krypton and how the upper class were not as prepared as the lower class for their escape and how even with preparation, no one was ready for what the destruction of Krypton was going to bring upon them.
With Absolute Superman having ended its first arc, it became quite clear that the arc felt rather inconsistent with its storytelling structure, which Jason Aaron seemed to struggle with the balance of the flashbacks on Krypton and the present day. As a whole, Absolute Superman would likely flourish more if it wasn’t read on a month-by-month basis and would probably be an even more enjoyable experience. This issue of Absolute Superman doesn’t see Superman return to Kansas as he last mentioned in the previous episode, but we get to see the aftermath of what happened to Kal-El after the destruction of Krypton.
The first few pages easily reminded me of the opening moments of Avengers: Endgame when Tony Stark was stranded in space with no hope of returning to Earth. We witness how the loss of his planet, his parents and everything he loved affects him. With him being stranded in space for almost a year and a half, it’s a difficult time for Kal-El, and Jason Aaron does a great job throughout Absolute Superman of expressing Kal’s emotions. Hope is what Superman brings to people, and it is one of the character traits about him that everyone is aware of, but in this moment, he has none. It’s clear that Kal-El is suffering from depression and beginning to resort to ideas such as taking his own life, as he’s, at this moment in time, given up on finding a planet that’s habitable.
Absolute Superman #6 gives us the formal introduction of the Kents, although Martha Kent was first seen two issues ago. Both Jonathan and Martha Kent are characters who don’t differ all that much compared to their mainline counterparts. What we do get is more insight on Lazarus and the type of despicable and tyrannical company that they are by demanding things that are quite nearly impossible to obtain due to them purposefully affecting the weather.
Kal-El is millions of light years away, but Jason Aaron is able to create parallels between his parents and Jonathan and Martha. Similar to how his parents were trying to fight against an evil which was the Science League, the Kents are having to deal with the oppressive Lazarus Corp, which can easily be compared to corrupt governments in how they treat immigrants, which is further explored in this issue with Superman’s arrival to Kansas.
Jason Aaron returns to storylines that we’ve started earlier on in the run, which include the likes of Brainiac, which involves a reveal that no one could see coming a mile away. With the next issue revolving around Brainiac, it’s likely we’ll learn more about the formidable and unexpected duo that is revealed to the readers in its last pages. Carmine Di Giandomenico is the guest artist for this issue and the next, and his artwork adds so much more emotion to this story that’s about loss, grief, identity and a sense of belonging.
Verdict
The first half of this issue is filled with hopelessness before Kal-El enters the Kents lives, and that all changes for the short amount of time they have with each other. With the addition of the surprising reveal at the end, it makes for the best issue yet of Absolute Superman with its deepest story yet.
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