This year, DC Comics went all out with its epic summer event, Absolute Power. The event saw the notorious Amanda Waller go for broke in her attempts to take control of DC’s metahumans by stealing their powers and imprisoning them on the island nation of Gamorra.
The event involved a four-issue series, a tie-in miniseries, and several tie-in issues to ongoing series such as Batman and Green Arrow. It was also the last major storyline before DC Comics began DC All In, its new publishing initiative. Read on to discover ten reasons why Absolute Power is a must-read for any DC Comics fan.
10 It Builds on Everything Important from Dawn of DC
The Culmination of a Year and a Half’s Worth of Storytelling
Before Absolute Power gripped the DC Universe, it was a shining era of optimism for the DC Universe. After the smoke cleared from Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, big changes came for the DCU. The Justice League retired, making way for the Titans to become the premier superhero team around. But the light from this new period created a shadow that allowed Amanda Waller to hide and slowly, but surely, start making moves for her long-term goals.
Waller popped up in numerous titles throughout the “Dawn of DC”, such as Titans, Green Arrow, and Batman, not to mention several events like Knight Terrors and Titans: Beast World. As Absolute Power drew closer, she united seemingly unrelated elements to create a foundation that was finally elaborated on when the event’s first issue finally dropped. For fans who followed the “Dawn of DC” era, Absolute Power is a must-read to see what happened next.
9 Dreamer’s Fall and Redemption is a Poignant Subplot
Nia Nal Goes Through Hell to Find Her Soul
Waller took every step to ensure she would win in her crusade against DC’s metahumans, and that mean turning one into her greatest asset. In the months leading up to Absolute Power, Waller blackmailed the precog hero Dreamer in order to use her visions of the future to Waller’s advantage. Things came to a breaking point for the young hero in Suicide Squad: Dream Team, when Dreamer helped Waller overthrow the island nation of Gamorra, resulting in the death of Jay Nakamura’s mother.
Unfortunately for Dreamer, by the time she realized the kind of monster Waller was, Waller had implanted bombs in Nia’s family, keeping the young hero under her thumb. Absolute Power continues to follow Dreamer’s fall from grace and her desperate attempts to undo the damage she caused working for Amanda Waller.
8 Green Arrow’s Betrayal is a Huge Mystery
Discover Why Oliver Queen is Working for a Fascist
Dreamer isn’t the only hero Waller managed to recruit. After Green Arrow disappeared in Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, he returned home, eager to settle the score with a few people. One person on his list was Waller, who had implanted devices in Oliver Queen’s family to keep Team Arrow separate. However, when Green Arrow finally confronted Waller, she offered him a deal: Work for her and help Waller with what she was planning, and she’d keep Green Arrow’s family safe.
Oliver Queen took the deal and told his family he was doing so in order to play the ‘long con’. But right as Waller’s plans kicked into high gear, the Emerald Archer revealed that he wasn’t just playing, he was a true believer in what Waller was doing. Longtime Green Arrow fans are definitely going to want to read Absolute Power to see how this plotline plays out.
7 Task Force VII Feels Like a Genuine Threat
One of the Most Powerful Evil Leagues to Ever Exist
At the center of Waller’s crusade is Task Force VII, a team of Amazos that have been improved upon and are led by Failsafe, Batman’s ultimate contingency plan. Back when Failsafe was serving as a physical vessel for Batman’s split personality, the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh, the android acquired multiple Amazos for other Zur-En-Arrhs to inhabit. Not only are these Amazos far more advanced than previous models, they’ve been imprinted on various Batmen from across the multiverse.
And being Amazos, this team is the linchpin of Waller’s plans, as they are who Waller sends out to steal the powers of nearly every metahuman on Earth. From the Flash Family, to the Superman Family, and even heroes as powerful as the Spectre, there’s no hero immune from Task Force VII’s touch. Anyone can lose their powers during Absolute Power and fans will be surprised to see just how much of a threat this team really is.
6 The Justice League Gets Cool New Costumes
A New Status Quo Brings New Looks for Everyone
The superhero community is hit hard in Absolute Power. Green Lantern is running around without a Power Ring, the Flash loses his incredible speed, and Superman gets shot in the first issue’s opening pages. DC’s heroes are left with bad and worse options as they try to formulate a counterattack, leading to them hiding in the one place they can: Superman’s Fortress of Solitude.
Its here that everyone gets a new costume. In Superman’s case, he’s put in his classic black Recovery Suit on the off chance it might help his cells re-absorb sunlight. But everyone else gets a new suit as part of a backup protocol the League had in place, giving its classic lineup some cool, tactical looks. If nothing else, Absolute Power gives fans some awesome designs as the heroes make their last stand against Amanda Waller.
5 Steve Trevor Shines in a Tie-In Story
Told Over Absolute Power: Task Force VII
A surprising character who gets a lot of focus during Absolute Power is Wonder Woman’s longtime love interest, Steve Trevor. Absolute Power: Task Force VII is a miniseries that dedicates an issue to each of Waller’s robotic soldiers. But each issue also contains a few pages that showcase Steve as he gets caught up in Amanda Waller’s crusade. Trevor is summoned to Gamorra, where it quickly becomes clear that his commander, Sarge Steel, is attempting to frame Steve for treason.
But as Wonder Woman fans know, Steve is too good a soldier to fall for Steel’s trap. Trevor hides in Waller’s prison and begins reconnaissance, where he discovers that Waller’s plans are much bigger in scope than anyone thought. Steve’s story doesn’t just put a fan-favorite character in the spotlight, it also elaborates on the stakes of Absolute Power and how far Amanda Waller is willing to go.
4 Amanda Waller is a Bigger Threat Than Ever
Waller is Out for Control of the DC Universe (And Beyond)
Waller has always been a devious mind, but Absolute Power has taken it to a whole new level. Few people know superheroes or warfare like Waller, and she deals a devastating blow to DC’s heroes with her first strike alone, taking out 80% of the world’s metahumans within a matter of hours. And the hits just keep coming as Waller reveals more of her assets, like the Brainiac Queen, who effortlessly takes out more heroes and really instills a sense of hopelessness in the reader.
Some have criticized that this event does Waller a disservice and has her act almost comically evil. To be fair, even Absolute Power at one point acknowledges that Waller has basically become a supervillain. But for better or worse, she plays the part really well and Absolute Power does have stakes that haven’t been felt in a DC event in a while.
3 Jon Kent Gets His Best Story in Years
Absolute Power: Super Son Gives Jon the Focus He Deserves
One of the most important, and most tragic, characters in Absolute Power is Superman’s son Jonathan Kent, who is forced to become a pawn in Waller’s game. Without saying too much, Waller uses alien technology to weaponize the young Superman and uses him to bring in the heroes that have escaped her clutches. Jon has a long history of trauma and his struggles are painfully showcased in the tie-in one-shot, Absolute Power: Super Son.
There are a lot of fans who never liked the fact Jon’s pain from being kidnapped by Ultraman was glossed over. But Nicole Maines and Sina Grace (with John Timms and Travis Mercer) tell a wonderful story that finally acknowledges the incredibly bad hand the young Kryptonian has been dealt and takes a moment to help Superman’s son find some semblance of peace.
2 It Naturally Ties in to Several Ongoing Series
Batman, Superman, and Green Arrow All Work
Absolute Power writer Mark Waid left the door open to his fellow comic creators and allowed anyone who wanted to tie into the event a chance to do so. Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, Green Lantern, and Green Arrow all have three issue arcs that focus on their title characters during the event. While tie-ins can often be a headache or interfere with the flow of a story, each of these series does a remarkable job of weaving Absolute Power’s events into their books.
There are some minor hiccups, like how Wonder Woman seems to re-tell Absolute Power #1’s events completely differently. But other than that, each of these books are fantastic expansions of the Absolute Power event. And if someone just happens to be reading the current Superman or Batman volumes, it won’t interrupt the stories those comics are telling at all.
1 Sets Up the Absolute Universe and DC All In
Perfectly Sets up the DC All In Special
The biggest reason why readers are going to want to check out Absolute Power is because it is a crucial stepping stone to what comes next for DC Comics’ new initiative, DC All In. It’s hard to say without spoiling the event, but there are things that happen in the final issue that directly lead into DC All In Special #1, the first chapter that kicks off the new era, as well as the Absolute Universe.
Could one just read the DC All In Special? Yes, since it was designed to reach as many new readers as possible. But Absolute Power shows the hell that the DC Universe’s heroes went through together and gives context for the big decisions the re-formed Justice League make after surviving Amanda Waller’s attack. Absolute Power isn’t just the end of a previous DC Comics era, it’s the beginning of an epic new one.
