THIS WEEK: Catching up with Absolute Flash #10. Plus, wnew issues of Nightwing #133, Batman/Superman Worlds Finest #46, and DC K.O.: Harley Quinn vs. Zatanna #1!
Note: the review below contains spoilers. If you want a quick, spoiler-free buy/pass recommendation on the comics in question, check out the bottom of the article for our final verdict.
Absolute Flash #10
Absolute Flash #10Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Nick Robles
Colorist: Adriano Lucas
Letterer: Tom Napolitano
Absolute Flash has struggled to stand out within DC’s Absolute line, especially when placed next to Absolute Wonder Woman, Batman, Superman, and Martian Manhunter, all of which have been met with extremely strong receptions, as well as multiple reprints. In contrast, discussion around Absolute Green Lantern and Absolute Flash have largely centered on both titles being slow burns.
To a degree, that criticism feels fair. Flash has now reached its 10th issue and still has not fully wrapped its first major arc. Even so, I keep returning to each new release. My faith in Jeff Lemire and Nick Robles as a creative team has steadily paid off, and this latest issue feels like the long-awaited turn toward a true finale.
Lemire and Robles have sold me on this “Alien” Flash. I was skeptical at first but seeing how things have played out, where this version of Wally’s speed force comes from, what happened to Thawne and Barry, and how his rogues gallery has become his own team, its just the kind of rework that doesn’t feel forced or lazy but instead compliments other iterations of the character.
On top of that, while Lemire’s writing helps piece the story together, Robles’ art elevates it to its fullest, giving the Speed Force and Wally’s powers a distinctly futuristic and alien look. Starting with Wally instead of Barry emphasizes just how unstable his life has become, a child without a mentor, forced to confront what he is and what he can do on his own, even as he forms a bond with an outcast friend in a small and now-mutated monkey Grodd.
Unstable being the keyword, Wally does not have full control over his powers right now, and in the current story, he still isn’t sure where they come from; his powers manifest in disconnected grids, lightning, and red energy splashing throughout the page. This issue only steps up those abnormalities, as his past, present, and future begin to overlap, as visages of his past and present begin to manifest.
Lemire chooses to instead have the speed force manifest itself through and around him. Something Robles only makes better by having Wally have these destructive episodes, drawing the page warp around him, as well as bringing his pain to a destructive life.
Of course, the rest of this issue has to bring the hero to a climactic battle, as he is eventually forced to return to the project by the Trickster, and a large battle ensues between the rebel rogues. All leading to Wally discovering the “red matter” kept within the classified walls of Fort Fox, where we finally get a look at Absolute’s Reverse Flash for the first time.
An eldritch horror made up of the speed force, barely held together by the decaying flesh and bones of what once was Eobard Thawne. In short, he looks disgusting, and I love his design so much. While Wally is just a teenager, his counterpart looks to be some kind of horror spit out of the speed force that literally drags him into a whole new mess.
The comic ends, leaving me with more questions to answer; however, I’m not disappointed. It feels like the slow burn is finally dying out, and now I’m genuinely excited to see where Wally and, for lack of a better term, the spirits of the speed force will take him. With the first crossover between Absolute Batman and Wonder Woman releasing in one more week, I have hope for where this issue will go, as once Wally ends this major arc, that opens up possibilities of where the Absolute line will go in the future.
Absolute Flash may not be as popular as the absolute trio on so many pull lists, but it nonetheless delivers an interesting and beautifully drawn story that Lemire and Robles have poured their hard work into. For those reasons, it remains on my pull list and is something worth grabbing every month for new and old readers alike.
Verdict: Buy
- Dan Watters and Dexter Soy’s run on Nightwing is a series I have been following with genuine interest. I initially jumped on board because of how much I enjoyed Scott Lobdell and Soy’s work on Red Hood and the Outlaws, and I am happy to say that Watters has not disappointed. The story cuts close to Dick Grayson’s core, pulling from his early years with Batman and reframing them in ways that feel personal and consequential. That approach gives us an effective antagonist in Olivia Pierce, also known as Columbina, along with her mentor, Zanni. Pierce serves as a sharp parallel to Dick, presenting a version of where his life could have ended up had he taken a different path. On top of that, giving Dick a superpowered “sidekick” figure, someone Dick instinctively tries to guide and protect while he struggles with this person whom he knows he couldn’t save now, a pawn of Zanni is just the cherry on top. Altogether, the run has remained consistently fun while also offering thoughtful character exploration. For once, Nightwing genuinely feels a bit alone, as Blüdhaven slowly begins to turn on him. It’s just the added weight the story needed, and now Nightwing has to deal with being framed with murder while dealing with something that can’t be normally explained, a literal terror dimension where children are being drawn into.
Nightwing #133 brings in V Ken Marion on as the guest artist, and they deliver a phenomenal showing. The standout sequence comes when Nightwing receives help from Martian Manhunter to enter the distorted reality Zanni is using to trap the missing children, known as the Cirque du Sin. The reality shifts are visually striking, and Marion captures the transition perfectly, especially through the unsettling, twisted circus horrors that inhabit the space.
It is fairly clear that this issue functions as a bridge while readers wait for Soy to return, but it never feels disappointing. Instead, it effectively sets the stage for the conclusion of the first major arc. If anything, this issue has only increased my anticipation for where Watters plans to take Nightwing next.
- Mark Waid and Dan Mora’s run on World’s Finest has raised the bar for what a superhero comic can be. Rather than leaning on adult violence or relentlessly tense scenarios, as many mainstream titles do, it takes a different approach, embracing the cartoony, over-the-top storytelling that made comics so beloved in the first place. This newest issue is no exception. This time, Waid is once again joined by artist Adrian Gutierrez for Batman/Superman Worlds Finest #46, and admittedly, things get very silly. I was not expecting to see Lex Luthor and the Joker perform a Super Saiyan-style fusion born of pure evil, and yet here we are. That said, I cannot help but find it endearing. At this point, it is clear that World’s Finest is fully committed to being absolutely outlandish, and that is exactly what its readers expect. Jumping from an arc involving evil fourth-dimensional imps, to Bizarro World, and now to a story centered on Lex and Joker working together, the series strikes just the right balance of camp and comic book tomfoolery. Gutierrez brings this kind of story to life effortlessly. I had the biggest smile on my face seeing the return of the Superbat fusion. I knew it was coming, but the full-page transformation Gutierrez delivers, complete with a cape and a massive willpower-fueled batarang, is everything a fan could want from a one-off issue.
The fight scene between the two fusions also deserves special mention. Gutierrez gives these action beats real weight; jagged lines, deliberate roughness, and sketch-like motion create a sense of impact and chaos. At the same time, Waid weaves in sharp back-and-forth dialogue between Bruce and Clark, as well as between Lex and Joker.One standout moment for me comes when the fusion is hit with kryptonite. It is not fatal, since half of the fusion is now human, but the pain is still overwhelming. All Bruce can do is apologize to Clark, admitting he never imagined anything could hurt that badly. It is a small character beat, but it lands hard.
That is ultimately why I could not put this comic down. Those small, thoughtful moments elevate the spectacle and make the issue so enjoyable. With the final part of the arc arriving next month, I can confidently say I am genuinely looking forward to what comes next.
- To be blunt, I am not convinced that this new DC K.O. event will achieve the outcome it is aiming for. Even as DC’s next major event before the end of the year, it often feels less like a story with lasting weight and more like a vehicle for beat ’em up fan service. That said, taking the good with the bad is likely the best way to approach what lies ahead. In this case, Writer Leah Williams and artist Mirka Andolfo take two popular heroines and deliver a story that is both brutal and unexpectedly compassionate. It is nothing outrageous, yet it still managed to leave a smile on my face. Part of that comes from Williams’ writing, but a large portion of the impact comes from Andolfo’s fantastic art. Zatanna and Harley both look great as they cycle through costumes from their respective eras or debut entirely new designs. Andolfo fully sells the video game versus reality they are fighting through, leaning hard into the concept without losing character clarity.What genuinely caught me off guard was just how violent the book becomes. I understood that the tournament structure was built around one-on-one fights to the end, but I did not expect that idea to be taken quite so literally. Watching Zatanna and Harley beat each other to death pushes the event much closer to its fighting game inspiration than I initially anticipated.
Ultimately, I suspect many of these titles will primarily resonate with readers already invested in the premise. That is not necessarily a flaw, but it is a reality worth acknowledging. I find myself somewhere in the middle. While I am not fully sold on DC K.O. as a must-read event, I can still appreciate the craft, spectacle, and occasional surprises it delivers. At the very least, it succeeds as a focused, fan-driven experiment, even if its broader impact remains uncertain.
Dan Watters and Dexter Soy’s run on Nightwing is a series I have been following with genuine interest. I initially jumped on board because of how much I enjoyed Scott Lobdell and Soy’s work on Red Hood and the Outlaws, and I am happy to say that Watters has not disappointed. The story cuts close to Dick Grayson’s core, pulling from his early years with Batman and reframing them in ways that feel personal and consequential. That approach gives us an effective antagonist in Olivia Pierce, also known as Columbina, along with her mentor, Zanni. Pierce serves as a sharp parallel to Dick, presenting a version of where his life could have ended up had he taken a different path. On top of that, giving Dick a superpowered “sidekick” figure, someone Dick instinctively tries to guide and protect while he struggles with this person whom he knows he couldn’t save now, a pawn of Zanni is just the cherry on top. Altogether, the run has remained consistently fun while also offering thoughtful character exploration. For once, Nightwing genuinely feels a bit alone, as Blüdhaven slowly begins to turn on him. It’s just the added weight the story needed, and now Nightwing has to deal with being framed with murder while dealing with something that can’t be normally explained, a literal terror dimension where children are being drawn into.
Mark Waid and Dan Mora’s run on World’s Finest has raised the bar for what a superhero comic can be. Rather than leaning on adult violence or relentlessly tense scenarios, as many mainstream titles do, it takes a different approach, embracing the cartoony, over-the-top storytelling that made comics so beloved in the first place. This newest issue is no exception. This time, Waid is once again joined by artist Adrian Gutierrez for Batman/Superman Worlds Finest #46, and admittedly, things get very silly. I was not expecting to see Lex Luthor and the Joker perform a Super Saiyan-style fusion born of pure evil, and yet here we are. That said, I cannot help but find it endearing. At this point, it is clear that World’s Finest is fully committed to being absolutely outlandish, and that is exactly what its readers expect. Jumping from an arc involving evil fourth-dimensional imps, to Bizarro World, and now to a story centered on Lex and Joker working together, the series strikes just the right balance of camp and comic book tomfoolery. Gutierrez brings this kind of story to life effortlessly. I had the biggest smile on my face seeing the return of the Superbat fusion. I knew it was coming, but the full-page transformation Gutierrez delivers, complete with a cape and a massive willpower-fueled batarang, is everything a fan could want from a one-off issue.
To be blunt, I am not convinced that this new DC K.O. event will achieve the outcome it is aiming for. Even as DC’s next major event before the end of the year, it often feels less like a story with lasting weight and more like a vehicle for beat ’em up fan service. That said, taking the good with the bad is likely the best way to approach what lies ahead. In this case, Writer Leah Williams and artist Mirka Andolfo take two popular heroines and deliver a story that is both brutal and unexpectedly compassionate. It is nothing outrageous, yet it still managed to leave a smile on my face. Part of that comes from Williams’ writing, but a large portion of the impact comes from Andolfo’s fantastic art. Zatanna and Harley both look great as they cycle through costumes from their respective eras or debut entirely new designs. Andolfo fully sells the video game versus reality they are fighting through, leaning hard into the concept without losing character clarity.What genuinely caught me off guard was just how violent the book becomes. I understood that the tournament structure was built around one-on-one fights to the end, but I did not expect that idea to be taken quite so literally. Watching Zatanna and Harley beat each other to death pushes the event much closer to its fighting game inspiration than I initially anticipated.Miss any of our earlier reviews? Check out our full archive!
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