Another Formulaic Issue: ‘Absolute Superman’ #19 Reviewed
by Olly MacNamee
Summary
When Absolute Superman and Absolute Black Adam clash, you’d expect fireworks. And there are. It’s just some of the figurative smoke from those figurative fireworks makes it a muddy read, while the scripting seems to simply go through the motions, giving us a rather cliched battle.
Overall
6.5/10Absolute Superman #19 is a comic that sees titans clash as Absolute Superman takes on Absolute Black Adam, or rather, this darker universe’s Captain Marvel, which makes total sense given how this is a Darkseid-fuelled universe where evil wins. Or at least it did until the new heroes of this Absolute Universe rose and gave hope to the exploited masses. And all watched on by a reformed Ra’s Al Ghul, his daughter Talia, Absolute Steel and more. That’s quite the gathering for a showdown that seems to be concluded with just one punch. But what a punch!
As the issue progresses, writer Jason Aaron does a good job of balancing the dialogue with the action, all dextrously rendered by artist Rafa Sandoval, with great colour work by Ulises Arreoila who uses digital colours to create some great textures, such as Superman’s dust-cloak. However, the story is rather formulaic – as battles between two super people usually are – and there are times when the art is too busy and confuses the action and therefore the reading experience. Maybe a bit too much texture work in places? And .. why does Teth-Adam lose his beard halfway through this issue for no apparent reason? He’s clearly burnt it off, but it’s never explained why, other than that, I suppose, he wants a clean chin as he did in Ancient Egypt. So, good art, but not consistent, much like the script.
Still, in many ways, this is a great fan-serving issue, with everything you would expect from a battle royal between this world’s most powerful characters. Fisticuffs, exposition and by the end of this issue, a special guest appearance that can only add to the problems in the next issue and ramp up the tension.
With Absolute Superman finally seeing to pick up speed, it’s a shame this issue, while including some great visuals, is another rather pedestrian issue in its presentation of the fight between Superman and King Shazam, as Teth-Adam is known by in this reality. This has been a series that, for me at least, has been very inconsistent in quality, with this one dipping once again.
Absolute Superman #19 is out now from DC Comics.
