DC Comics 2024 big event kicks off with a special prelude one-shot titled Absolute Power: Ground Zero #1. Absolute Power is the biggest storyline DC Comics has told since Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths. This storyline is set up to be a complete game changer for the DC Universe. No matter the results the DCU will not be the same after Absolute Power. With that in mind let’s find out how DC Comics latest big event starts with Absolute Power: Ground Zero #1.
CREATIVE TEAM
Writers: Mark Waid, Chip Zdarsky, Joshua Williamson, and Nicole Maines
Artists: Gleb Melnikov, Skylar Patridge, and V. Ken Marion
Colorist: Patricio Delpece
Letterer: Steve Wands
ABSOLUTE POWER: GROUND ZERO #1 SOLICITATION
“WITNESS THE TRINITY OF EVIL’S RISE TO POWER IN THE CAN’T-MISS PRELUDE TO DC’S SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER! 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!” – DC Comics
REVIEW
Absolute Power: Ground Zero #1 job was to set the stage for what DC Comics latest big event is going to be. In order to do that it needed to bring together the recent stuff going on with Batman: Failsafe, House of Brainiac, and the Suicide Squad. To the credit of the format utilized by the combined creative team maximized bringing together all these separate storylines to now come together in a cohesive package.
The most important thing that Absolute Power: Ground Zero #1 accomplished in its three act structure is getting Amanda Waller over as the main villain of this event. Thus far, Waller has played more of a supporting role in the DC Universe as she has been developing her plan in conjunction with many different stories. That has been on purpose to make sure Waller’s presence isn’t forgotten and we have various spots where her plan is coming together.
Because of how Amanda Waller’s big picture story to eliminate the superheroes from the DCU has been developed Absolute Power: Ground Zero needed to bring everything together. That’s what made the kick off story by Nicole Maines, Mark Waid, and Skylar Patridge important. It needed to set the tone for what fans are to expect. The way Amanda Waller utilizes Dreamer and how she is controlling her drove home how evil she is. Forcing Dreamer to betray friends and allies added to what Waller is doing.
At the same time, this opening story did set-up Dreamer as a character to watch during Absolute Power. Maines and Waid do a good job establishing that while Dreamer won’t be positioned as the lead character in the event any time, she does appear it’ll be important to the story. That said, Dreamer has a big redemption arc given how she betrayed Jay Nakamura and others to keep up her scared kid persona in front of Waller.
Moving from this to resolving how Waller gets the Failsafe and Brainiac Queen android body under her control was well done. Both stories that Waid paired up with Chip Zdarsky and Joshua Williamson to tell made sense to where we last saw in the Batman and Superman comic books. Most importantly Waid, Zdarsky, and Williamson used proper comic book logic with how Waller is able to control Failsafe and Brainiac Queen in order to ensure her leadership of the Trinity of Evil.
With the Batman android, it was smart that Waller made sure that she brought back Failsafe and not Batman of Zur-En-Arrh. We saw in Batman: Dark Prisons how Zur-En-Arrh is to big of a wild card for even Waller to control. It is much easier to Failsafe as she can program it to follow her lead without worrying about Bruce Wayne’s personality hiding inside it.
That said, the way Waller gains control of Brainiac Queen was much more intriguing. Utilizing the Sanctuary tech with Failsafe’s programming to create a world where Waller could raise Brainiac Queen as her mother was very extra. As Failsafe mentioned, it was a major risk Waller took because of the toll we see hints of it taking on her.
While the method ensured Brainiac Queen’s ultimate loyalty it did, like the Dreamer sub-plot, establish a weakness in Waller’s plan. Because we do see hints that Waller has a sense of motherly care for Brainiac Queen. That is something Batman and other heroes could exploit when discovered as they are pushed further into a corner by the Trinity of Evil.
The artwork provided by Gleb Melnikov, Skylar Patridge, and V. Ken Marion was all solid. Splitting up art duties so they each handled one story was a great call. The story structure allowed each artist to set their own tone without worrying about having to scene switches. They all did what they needed to make sure the emotional punches hit as intended.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Absolute Power: Ground Zero #1 did exactly what it needed to do to establish the Trinity of Evil with Amanda Waller as its leader. In doing so the creative team behind this one-shot were able to bring together various DC Universe storylines to work under the united timeline seen in the Absolute Power. This is certainly a comic book fans interested in DC Comics latest big event must pick up to understand what is about to happen.
Story Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 7 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 7.5 Night Girls out of 10
For more opinions on anime, comic book, movies, and sports you can follow Kevin on Bluesky, Instagram, Threads, and Twitter/X.