Absolute Superman had a strong debut to join Batma and Wonder Woman in the new universe. The way Krypton’s history was altered with Kal-El having a childhood with his parents, Jor-El and Lara, opened whole new story possibilities. Those possibilities were already showing themselves with the status quos Jor-El and Lara were given on Krypton. The presentation for the Krypton flashback scenes added to how Superman was presented as a new hero on Earth. Let’s see how things go next with Absolute Superman #2.
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Rafa Sandoval
Colorist: Ulises Arreola
Letterer: Becca Carey
ABSOLUTE SUPERMAN #2 SOLICITATION
“The Lazarus Corporation sent their most battle-hardened crew of Peacemakers to locate the mysterious fugitive interfering with their mining operations — but they weren’t expecting one motor-mouthed, iron-willed woman to be the one to finally get the cuffs onto him!” – DC Comics
REVIEW
The Absolute Universe momentum continues moving strong with Absolute Superman #2. Taking everything from the debut issue, Absolute Superman’s second outing shows that the potential of this series is vast with all the different ways things can go. The fact that so much has been altered from what we know in the Absolute Universe has created a great sense of discovery. Best of all it is done while showcasing why Superman is such a special character.
Absolute Superman #2 spending most of its time on Kal-El vs Lazarus Corp did so much to build out the current state of Earth. There is so much world building that was done for the Absolute Universe in this face off. It is world building that puts over both Superman’s powers in this universe and the Lazarus Corporation level of control.
With Superman we know that even in this new universe that Superman would be powerful. Jason Aaron and Rafa Sadoval showed trust in their reader that this does not to be explained. They took that trust to create immediate credibility for the Lazarus Corporation. Even though this was the first time they faced off against Superman it did not mean they weren’t prepared to take him on. That is shown with how advanced the cuffs they placed on Superman was something he couldn’t easily break. It is a little thing that goes a long way to establish Lazarus Corporation isn’t just using military force but have also created advance technology to get their control over the world.
Most importantly, this makes it so that the Lazarus Corporation aren’t just waiting to discover Kryptonite to take on Superman. Thanks to Absolute Brainiac and their use of AI technology the Kryptonite angle does not need to happen right away, if at all. That gives greater credibility for Lazarus as a major antagonist you love to hate. That love to hate is firmly established with how the Peacemakers eliminate innocent people just because they are viewed as Superman supporters.
This all made the dynamic between Superman and Lois Lane so interesting. Upon her introduction Lois appeared to be fully indoctrinated as an agent of Lazarus. But we see as she spends more time with Superman while trying to get him to give up, she has her eyes open. This is done by simply having Superman show he is truly there to protect others. Saving people from the destruction the Lazarus soldiers are causing just to capture him is a great example of show rather than tell with his character. It gives more weight to how Lois has her change of heart while reporting back to Brainiac. It puts into question whether Lois will break off and become Superman’s ally as she no longer blindly follows her commanders.
Superman’s own AI suit taking so much time to break the cuffs that were placed on him show that Krypton’s technology isn’t beyond what’s on Earth. This plays in well into how Jor-El and Lara weren’t part of the elite. As we see in the few pages of flashback back to Krypton, Jor-El and Lara had to approach their way of escaping the planet with a DIY mentality. It puts over how smart and crafty they were even with the limited resources they had.
Only spending a few pages on the flashbacks worked to the Krypton portion of this series. Aaron gave us enough of a look at what happened before Krypton’s destruction to want to know more. That is thanks to how fleshed out Jor-El and Lara are as characters. They maximize their screen time because they are genuinely compelling characters with a strong dynamic. And what we get here builds anticipation to see what happens with Krypton’s leaders discover what Jor-El and Lara are up to.
Through all of this Rafa Sadoval once again delivers stunning artwork throughout Absolute Superman #2. This is arguably the best looking comic book on the market, that is how good Sandoval’s artwork is. There are so many elements of the story that are simply gotten over because of how Sandoval designs everything. From Superman’s powers to how brutal the Peacemakers are, everything has a momentum that keeps the story moving forward.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Absolute Superman #2 carries the momentum of its debut issue forward and creates even more magic. From Jason Aaron’s compelling character work to Rafa Sandoval’s stunning artwork, Absolute Superman is already making a strong case for being DC Comics’ best series. This comic book is that special.
Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 10 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 9.5 Night Girls out of 10
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