One of the many impressive accomplishments of Jason Aaron’s Absolute Superman run has been how all of the elements fit together to create a sizable portion of this Absolute Universe. While Wonder Woman and Batman’s books deal with the world as well, Absolute Superman has a much wider reach. Despite everything the book is balancing, Aaron weaves in the newly established Shazam mythology seamlessly, and it’s done so well that you are quickly left wanting more. The good news is that more Shazam is most certainly on the way.
Rating: 5 out of 5
PROS
CONS
King Shazam’s origin feels like a seamless extension of Superman’s mythology
The King Shazam parts were so good that I could have read an entire issue of just that
Sandoval and Arreola’s artwork and colors stun, and Carey’s lettering is brilliant
The Al Ghuls’ Storyline Is Unexpected In The Best Way
Artwork of Steel
If you’re going to have a book that features Superman, King Shazam, and Ra’s Al Ghul, the artwork has to deliver, and Absolute Superman #18 has no problem delivering. From the Phantom Stranger’s first steps into Teth-Adam’s world to Superman’s explosive entrance, every character has a powerful presence that conveys so much without saying a word, and that’s a credit to the stunning artwork of Rafa Sandoval and Ulises Arreola.
That also goes for one of the book’s more mysterious characters with a certain steel hammer, and while the other characters may have flashy entrances, this new Steel has a pretty snazzy entrance of their own. There’s a scene of the hammer magnetizing bullets in the air that looks unreal and pops with energy, and the action sequence that follows has you wincing with every swing of the hammer.
None of this works, mind you, without the out-of-this-world lettering of Becca Carey. Every hammer swing is visceral, and the impact is conveyed brilliantly in every panel. The same goes for a loaded punch from Superman that changes everything, but Carey also utilizes sound and its delivery to ratchet up the tension with precision and impact in the middle of everything else happening. As for that last page, well, it’s pretty impressive all around, and makes the wait for issue #19 that much longer.
Absolute Superman Never Loses Sight of Its Main Character
As I mentioned previously, one of the more impressive elements of the book is how Aaron continues to expand and build out the Absolute Universe without losing sight of the book’s main focus. A book titled Absolute Superman should first and foremost be about Superman, and the Man of Steel remains at the forefront, even with all of the additional characters and their backstories taking up some space.
This is especially true of Shazam, as the first few pages of the book deal specifically with their origin story. That origin then reveals some key connections to Superman’s world in the present, and by the end of the issue, you are presented with the full picture of not only who this is, but also how they connect to the Absolute Superman mythology you’ve come to know, and it all mixes together brilliantly.
The Shazam story always feels additive without taking anything away from Superman as a character, and if anything, it will only bring more out of Superman as the series moves forward. Shazam is also connected to the Al Ghuls, which makes that relationship even more complex than it already is, and that’s not even factoring in the new Steel and the complexities they also bring to the fold.
Absolute Superman grows and evolves while also utilizing all of those new elements and characters to move its central character forward, and as long as that continues to be the case, Absolute Superman will continue to soar.
Published By: DC Comics
Written By: Jason Aaron
Art By: Rafa Sandoval
Colors By: Ulises Arreola
Letters By: Becca Carey
Absolute Superman #18 is in comic stores now.
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