Absolute Power #1
Kevin Rossi
Recap
DC's epic summer event kicks off with a bang, as the combined might of FAILSAFE and the BRAINIAC QUEEN has at last given Amanda Waller the ability to steal the metahuman abilities of every hero and villain on planet Earth. As chaos erupts in the streets and a massive misinformation campaign sways public opinion to her side, the founder of the Suicide Squad methodically targets each superhero dynasty one at a time, starting with SUPERMAN. But even in this darkest of hours, a resistance is forming… and BATMAN is out for vengeance. It's a shocking blitzkrieg across the globe that is decades in the making — and will shape the course of the DC Universe for years to come!
Review
DC’s latest event is officially here with Absolute Power #1 from writer Mark Waid, artist Dan Mora, colorist Alejandro Sanchez, and letterer Ariana Maher. Waid and Mora have proven that they are one of the finest creative duos working today with their collaborations on Batman/Superman: World’s Finest and Shazam, but Absolute Power #1 brings things up a level. Alejandro Sanchez’s coloring brings Mora’s art up to a prestige level that makes this event feel cinematic and epic in every sense. Absolute Power: Ground Zero #1, released the last week of June, did some leg work introducing the players of the event, mainly Amanda Waller and her recruitment of Failsafe and Brainiac Queen, though it isn’t until Absolute Power #1 that readers see what Waller has in mind.
Absolute Power #1 has many moving pieces and Waid does an excellent job with pacing and juggling all of the characters. Ariana Maher’s lettering is skillful and is one of the major reasons why the pacing works so well. The issue features dialogue from a lot of characters, and on top of that the issue features a broadcasted speech from Waller throughout, but Maher’s lettering never feels forced or crowded. With the help of Brainiac Queen, Waller transmits deep-faked footage of heroes committing atrocities, effectively turning the population against the heroes. On top of that, Waller and Failsafe unleash an army of Amazos to drain the source of all powers from the heroes. Unlike some other recent DC events, Absolute Power feels like there will be a lasting impact and there will be serious consequences that can’t be easily fixed or retconned.
Final Thoughts
Absolute Power #1 is a fantastic first issue to this event and efficiently sets the scene, reveals the stakes, and raises questions. Waid does many interesting things with the execution of Waller’s plan and essentially makes every hero the most vulnerable they have been in years. There's plenty of action that one would expect from a big summer event, but it also covers some fascinating concepts that are happening in the real world at the same time.
Absolute Power #1: Blitzkrieg
- Writing - 9/109/10
- Storyline - 8/108/10
- Art - 10/1010/10
- Color - 9/109/10
- Cover Art - 8/108/10
