It’s Waller’s World Now — Reviewing ‘Absolute Power: Ground Zero’ #1

Amanda Waller, iron-fisted Suicide Squad handler, has plans. Ones that mean nothing good for the heroic pantheon of this world. Unfortunately for them, the final steps to enact her plan are within her reach.

Three steps towards total control is all that’s needed and Absolute Power: Ground Zero #1 lays them out ahead of the forthcoming event. Featuring the work of Mark Waid, Nicole Maines, Skylar Patridge, Patricio Delpeche, Steve Wands, Chip Zdarsky, V Ken Marion, Joshua Williamson, and Gleb Melnikov.

A point of contention with many of the big story arcs of many modern superhero comics is how disconnected things can feel. In these shared universes, books can often feel like they stand apart, even sometimes having conflicting events happening in the same city or space. With the books chronicling those events not having the space or desire to really mention one another.

That’s what makes this zero issue an interesting one. Rather than just being a recap or singular story meant to tee up the event, it serves as a way to connect threads.

Waid is handling the overall Absolute Power event, but Williamson, Maines, and Zdarsky are here to help by providing epilogues of sorts to some of their recent stories. Those being the House Of Brainiac story from the Superman books, the Failsafe multi-arc story from Batman, and Dreamer’s part in Waller’s plans from the recently concluded Suicide Squad: Dream Team miniseries.

Each of the stories is well crafted, short little bits that pick up various pieces that form a whole new Waller centric puzzle. From Dreamer having to turn against and bring in her friend, Jay Nakamura (a superhuman from the nation of Gamorra who is dating Jonathan Kent/Superman), to time related efforts to reboot Failsafe, and a whole situation where Waller raises the blank Brainiac Queen as her own child weapon against the supers of the world.

Visually there is a very different flavor to the artwork of Patridge, Marion, and Melnikov which fits having these different stories.

Patridge’s work has an inherent sharpness that really hammers home the darker elements that Dreamer is facing from Waller. It feels heavy and very fluid. Letting us feel the dread and closed off energy that is plaguing Dreamer as she must play her part in Waller’s schemes.

On the other hand, Marion has a very sort of soft, but no less pointed, style. It has a bit of a whimsical energy that swirls around the heavier weighty aspects. All the panel choices keep the claustrophobic feeling from Time Commander’s precarious situation. Showing time progressing in small logical ways and making sure we feel the dire nature and inevitability that is Waller’s power.

Melnikov fits a similar space as Marion, with a bit of the flavor Patridge is working with. I feel some of the natural fun energy of comics when I see his artwork. But it’s no less heavy, ominous, or weighty than the other works. It taps into some of that same whimsy with a tiny rougher edge. Again, playing with time progression of sorts, Waller and Brainiac Queen live out twenty years in a simulation, watching them appropriately age within this scenario.

While Melnikov colors his own work, it is Delpeche tackling the first two stories. All three stories feel connected tonally, though. A lot of more natural and toned down, very shadow heavy colors can be found on the page. Leaving room for some of the lighter tones in some spaces. Being stories about a woman that stands against superheroes, it works to have her stories be heavier and darker. At the same time, the lighter bits speak to the idea that she believes what she is doing is for the benefit of humanity.

In her own twisted way.

Pulling multiple duty as well is Wands who does the lettering for the whole issue. Giving the stories a true connective tissue, switching things up here or there to capture the right energy or feeling for various colorful characters. Letting fonts shift and slide around as needed and giving bubbles a little poke as well. One of the chief things is making sure that any time Waller talks, even just reading the words, we can hear a particularly powerful and chilling voice in our heads.

Just the way she would want it.

Absolute Power: Ground Zero #1 is now available from DC Comics.