This week: With guest artist Juan Ferreyra aboard, Absolute Superman #15 is the series’ best issue to date. Plus, we get a harrowing look at Absolute Batman’s Ark M, Cheetah and Cheshire finish robbing the Justice League, and more.
Note: the review below may contain 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 Superman #15
Absolute Superman #15Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Juan Ferreyra
Letterer: Becca Carey
Absolute Superman #15 is, simply put, the best issue of this series yet. It’s so good, in fact, that I can’t help but wonder what could have been if guest artist Juan Ferreyra had drawn this book from the start, if only he and writer Jason Aaron hadn’t already been tied up doing the first 12 (excellent) issues of a recent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles relaunch. What could have been.
But that isn’t to say that the first 14 issues of this series — or the artists who have worked on them — have been bad or lesser, only that Ferreyra to my mind has long been one of the more interesting artists working in superhero comics, and interesting in a way that really fits this new line of Absolute books.
His work — replete with perfectly-laid out two-page spreads, the first of which appears here on page 2 — applies a less conventional aesthetic to superheroes, along with a bolder approach to the visual storytelling of their familiar stories. Ferreyra drawing Absolute Superman just feels more in line with the way Nick Dragotta (colored by Frank Martin) and Hayden Sherman (colored by Jordie Bellaire) have approached the work in Absolute Batman and Absolute Wonder Woman, respectively (albeit with Ferreyra coloring himself). And so I found his work to be a welcome addition to the pages of Absolute Superman this month.
Secondly, I also feel like of the three flagship Absolute Universe titles, Superman needed the longest runway to build an interesting status quo. Indeed, until the the epic conclusion of the second arc in Absolute Superman #14, it seemed like the creative team was still parsing what the book’s status quo might look like.
Which, again, it’s not a bad thing, and I halfway suspect that this title having a long runway is part of why Absolute Superman #15 landed so well for me — it felt as if everything in the book to date was leading to some of the moments in this comic, the familiarity of Smallville denizens with Clark, the lecture to the corrupt billionaire, the conversation with Lois, etc.
There’s just something comforting about a Superman who knows who he is and is locked in on his mission, even if he’s still learning and also still wearing the new fiery gauntlets with the grunge rocker haircut. And to keep things lively and fresh, he’s still got a bit more doubt than most takes on Superman — hell, that’s the Absolute Universe way — noting aloud to his missing computer friend at one point, “Everything is so broken here, Sol. I don’t know that I can do this without you…I don’t know if I can do it at all.”
This issue also serves up something I’ve been waiting for since the book started, which is Lois Lane working as a reporter, in front of the familiar backdrop of the Daily Planet building, even if she’s still new at that and figuring things out (a trend here).
Which is just all to say that Absolute Superman #15 to me excels because it delivers an art first approach with the clearest vision yet of what this book seeks to be long term, what its Superman values and struggles with, and where his supporting cast will likely fit into his life (as well as some of his recurring villains). This issue is structured around a set piece in which Superman reads writing by people that this world’s Ra’s al Ghul has harmed…to Ra’s in prison, as he rapidly ages without his Lazarus Pit, which is just a classic bit of Superman-ing in itself.
Verdict: BUY
The Round-Up
- As Absolute Batman remains a sales and critical sensation, the creators have now started to build the world out further, with this week bringing a new one-shot titled Absolute Batman: Ark M. The book is from a script written by Scott Snyder and Frank Tieri, illustrated by Joshua Hixson, colored by Roman Stevens, and lettered by Clayton Cowles. And it’s excellent, conveying as it does the history of Arkham in this Absolute Universe before ending on an intriguing last page reveal (much like another Bat-book I’m about to talk about this week). Hixson is one of the best horror artists in comics and makes for a perfect choice for his moody, gothic tale. I for one hope that more one-shots like this are in the pipeline to augment the plotting in the main Absolute Batman title.
- It shouldn’t be a spoiler here to say that in this finale issues, Cheetah and Cheshire Rob the Justice League #6, the villains do not successfully rob the Justice League, not really. Their goal was to steal a power bank that would give its wielder Omega level threat power, meriting an event story, and we’ve already got an Omega level threat power level event story happening elsewhere in the line. But the point was the heist all along, and what an absolute delight that has been throughout the six chapters of this story, rich as it was with twists and turns and reveals and great character dynamics. I enjoyed this story quite a bit. It was from the creative team of writer Greg Rucka, artist Nicola Scott, colorist Annette Kwok, and letterer Troy Peteri. Oh, and it’s ending has stakes for a relatively major character in the DCU, which I certainly didn’t see coming.
- Finally, how about that ending to Batman #5? What a great cliffhanger for a story that was mostly Bruce Wayne goes on a date (which is always fun). I just really love this run. I haven’t found cause to highlight it as much as I might like, but part of that is because it’s just been so consistent and solid through the first five issues. Consistent, yet still finding surprising twists for every issue. Absolute Batman just dominates the Bat-conversation these days, but I hope this book has found an audience, as well. It deserves it. Batman #5 is from writer Matt Fraction, artist Jorge Jimenez, colorist Tomeu Morey, and letterer Clayton Cowles.
As Absolute Batman remains a sales and critical sensation, the creators have now started to build the world out further, with this week bringing a new one-shot titled Absolute Batman: Ark M. The book is from a script written by Scott Snyder and Frank Tieri, illustrated by Joshua Hixson, colored by Roman Stevens, and lettered by Clayton Cowles. And it’s excellent, conveying as it does the history of Arkham in this Absolute Universe before ending on an intriguing last page reveal (much like another Bat-book I’m about to talk about this week). Hixson is one of the best horror artists in comics and makes for a perfect choice for his moody, gothic tale. I for one hope that more one-shots like this are in the pipeline to augment the plotting in the main Absolute Batman title.
Finally, how about that ending to Batman #5? What a great cliffhanger for a story that was mostly Bruce Wayne goes on a date (which is always fun). I just really love this run. I haven’t found cause to highlight it as much as I might like, but part of that is because it’s just been so consistent and solid through the first five issues. Consistent, yet still finding surprising twists for every issue. Absolute Batman just dominates the Bat-conversation these days, but I hope this book has found an audience, as well. It deserves it. Batman #5 is from writer Matt Fraction, artist Jorge Jimenez, colorist Tomeu Morey, and letterer Clayton Cowles.Miss any of our earlier reviews? Check out our full archive!
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