Superman / Batman: Absolute Power 

Writer: Jeph Loeb

Pencillers: Carlos Pacheco and Ivan Reis

Inker: Jesus Merino

Colorist:  Laura Martin

Letterer: Richard Starkings

Reviewed for Raging Bullets: BulletPoints by Omri  
  
 

Absolute Power: An alternate universe tale set within cannon continuity, in which Superman and Batman learn the values of family, friendship and a sense of righteousness. 
 

      The story begins by very quickly retelling the well-known origins of Superman and Batman, only to be interrupted by a beautiful two-page spread of events that completely change all known continuity.  The altered fate of other major DCU heroes follows, and we soon discover the world is not as it should be.  Superman and Batman rule the world with an iron fist (“obey or die”), and seem to revere and follow another group of individuals whom they call ‘parents’.  The duo is ruthless, arrogant and have very different personalities than the ones we know, but hints of a conscience can be seen popping through Clark’s head every once in a while.  Despite their best efforts, their “paradise,” manipulated to be such way through their parents’ knowledge of time, still has snakes crawling in it.  Pockets of resistance still exist, such as Green Arrow and Wonder Woman, who seems to know the same thing us readers are thinking: something is wrong.

      Breaking some barriers – ie – knowing things they shouldn’t know in this universe as they have never existed, Superman and Batman’s enemies launch an assault on their home, showcasing what are the first of many greater DCU appearances in a style only Loeb knows how to pull off.  The real story only begins after this attack, as Metron of the New Gods and an aged Kingdom Come Superman, both having a role in the first Superman/Batman arc, return to say that the problem from that arc still hadn’t been solved.  With this, the stage is set for our heroes’ adventure as they begin helplessly hopping between alternate universes, each one more brutal than the next, each ending in a tragic death.  These jumps take them to bizarre places, all from a greater DCU lore, until a meeting with Metron, the aged Superman and Darkseid convinces them what must be done.  As another dimensional jump takes them to our known universe, but earlier in time, our heroes prevent their “parents” from changing history while themselves creating a completely new branch by their actions.  With present day again not being as it should be, but history holding hard to its truths, our heroes fight their enemies and their own memories to find an absolute truth and restore reality.  Sad thing is, when they finally do (no surprise there – after all, it’s a comic book), they are the only ones that remember those alternate lives they led, and live to face those mistakes they made, friends they wronged and lives they could have had but lost.  Older Superman, on the other hand, has finally found peace.

  
 Story:  4/5 – As expected, Loeb does it again and doesn’t disappoint.  A fast paced story that doesn’t dwell on arduous explanations, the story delivers all expected plot elements and adds enough twists to keep you hooked.  Though the story itself is self contained, the next arc in the title, “With A Vengeance,” continues the tale with some new characters from an alternate universe taking revenge on what was done to them during one of the unseen dimensional jumps.  A good continuation to this tale, but requires knowledge of “Emperor Joker”, a summer crossover from several years ago.

Art:  5/5 – Carlos Pacheco has done it again, and award winning Laura Martin on the colors only complements his art.  Great art that almost tells the story by itself (not knocking Loeb here), the vivid colors set the mood for every scene, and a small subtlety in the pencils makes a clear distinction between the different universes visited.  The heroes also look great in their many incarnations, including the re-imagined Wonder Woman and the Adult Legion of Superheroes.

Overall:  5/5 – Overall, a great read.  Very good plot, awesome art, and great execution.  Superman and Batman’s feelings literally jump off the page and allows us readers to understand their motivations.  Though a relatively simple story, I’m not sure this would be too suitable for a new reader.  But then again, I’m probably wrong on this.  All the universes they visit and all the heroes/villains have a purpose: the finding of a certain ring, the use of fire on a certain alien, the reason for another dimensional jump, all obvious to one slightly versed in DCU lore, but ruining the cliffhanger if one does not know who/what is in front of them.  On the flip side, it doesn’t really take away from the story, as all that really matters is that those characters shouldn’t exist, or certain ones should be different, and both situations are explicitly stated in the dialogue.