Absolute Superman #1-5

Absolute Superman #1-5

Originally released in 2025

Written by Jason Aaron

Art by Rafa Sandoval

Continuing my look into DC's Absolute universe, I'm covering Absolute Superman, though going into it, I know nothing about what sets it apart from the regular version of Superman.  The series starts off with a flashback to Krypton; my initial concern was that it was going to take five issues to show the destruction of Krypton when Grant Morrison covered it in eight words, though it switches back and forth between a flashback to Krypton and present-day Earth.

On Krypton, events played out similarly, except Jor-El warned people about the impending destruction of Krypton during his graduation speech rather than after he was established as a brilliant scientist. As a result, he was disgraced and forced into doing manual labour while the scientist class (the snobby upper class of Krypton that are willfully blinding themselves to its impending doom) look down upon him.

The big difference is that Kal-El is about ten or twelve by the time that Krypton explodes, so he's old enough to remember it rather than holding on to a culture that he never actually experienced.  Modern real-world developments are, in part, used to show a sign of Krypton in decline, such as Kryptonian schools and children being so used to using generative AI to write for them rather than thinking for themselves that it's a sign of concern for his teacher when Kal-El writes his own work rather than having the AI do the work for him.

I'm not sure how many other depictions of Krypton do something similar; I know that, post-Crisis, Krypton was depicted as cold and sterile to the point that Jor-El and Lara admitting their love for one another was unusual, but I don't know if that was referencing any issues in society at the time.  On Earth, the series seems to draw from the Golden Age where Superman was a champion of the oppressed (I think he changed to become more of an establishment figure around the time of World War 2, though I'm not sure about the history), taking on the Lazarus Corporation and trying to make life better for the people that it forces into dangerous conditions and practically uses as slave labour.

The Lazarus Corporation hires Peacemakers as its chief enforcers, styling themselves after the anti-hero of the same name with similar helmets and symbols.  Other Lazarus Corp. operatives are trying to put a stop to Superman's interference, including one Agent Lane.

The political commentary seems to be heavily used in this series, though some issues (such as police or military officials blatantly abusing their power and making things up to justify murdering someone) seem almost timeless, sadly.

Despite getting off to a rough start, some aspects of Superman and Lois's relationship manage to shine through, with Lois's desire to find the truth no matter what clashing with the expectations of the Peacemaker organization.

Rafa Sandoval's artwork is gorgeous, whether it's depicting Krypton or Earth, with the Rao Mountains of Krypton specifically being awe-inspiring.  As the Krypton flashback continues, it becomes clear that the ruling class of Krypton are perfectly willing to abandon the planet and its people to their fates, trying to flee the planet on a spaceship when (in most continuities) they look down on space travel and stubbornly stay on Krypton even as it becomes obvious that Jor-El was right.  Kal-El's journalism skills shine through, even on Krypton, as he leaks this information to the public.

The ship made by Clark's parents is large enough that it can carry Kal-El, Jor-El, Lara, their dog Krypto, and their closest friends, which makes it clear that something is going to go wrong since Kal-El is on his own in the present day.  Earth's state in the Absolute universe is paralleled with Krypton's decline, as it's found unusual that Lois wants to write her own report rather than having the Braniac AI complete it for her.

As Lois investigates Superman, she gets the attention of the Omega Men, a group of rebels opposing the Lazarus Corp., which includes Jimmy Olsen as one of its members.  They're distrusted and viewed as a group that tortures and murders people, though it's hard to be sure given that any video could easily be doctored by Brainiac.

Meanwhile, one Peacemaker in particular (Christopher Smith) is growing increasingly unstable in the hunt for Superman, brutally murdering civilians because he thinks they're laughing at him internally because he's failed to catch Superman.  This earns him Superman's wrath, prompting an all-out assault on the Peacemaker headquarters.

Issue five concludes the Krypton flashback, with an interesting twist - the situation doesn't go as I expected.  While the upper class escape ship fails to fulfill its purpose due to riots, Jor-El and Lara's ship escapes with only one slight hitch - a large piece of Kryptonite damages it, prompting the ship's AI to form individual escape pods around the passengers.  Everyone on board the ship survives (Jor-El, Lara, a little girl who's likely Kara Zor-El, hundreds of other Kryptonians, and even Krypto), though they're scattered across the universe.

Kal-El's search for Christopher Smith proves fruitless, so that is seemingly a story for another day, and the fates of the Kryptonians other than Kal-El are left unknown.  This does provide a good hook for future stories, though even if Jor-El and Lara turn up in the present day, I doubt they'd survive for long. (they're kind, compassionate, and would have all of the powers that Superman would have, so they'd risk overshadowing him unless they fill similar roles on other planets)  While not a complete reinvention like with Absolute Batman and Absolute Wonder Woman, Absolute Superman is a good reimagining of the character's early days, except it's placing him in a world where tyranny and cruelty is the norm.