Absolute Superman #20 – Jason Aaron, Writer; Rafa Sandoval, Vicente Cifuentes, Artists; Ulises Arreola, Colorist
Ray – 10/10
Ray: One of the most action-packed issues of the series kicks off as Superman faces off against his deadliest enemy yet – King Shazam, once a slave boy in ancient Egypt and transformed into a God by the machinations of Brainiac. Superman is clearly outmatched by the ancient warrior, but he has a pair of unlikely allies. On one side, Steel, a much darker version of John Henry Irons who has built his own hammer and become Lazarus Corp’s most dedicated saboteur. And on the other…Hawkman, the dangerous government functionary who betrayed the Justice Society decades ago and assassinated Oliver Queen a few months back. But as the battle rages, Hawkman starts to realize that Superman is the only possible bulwark against truly evil cosmic forces – and his link to Ancient Egypt gives him a unique insight into King Shazam in a way that no one else can possibly experience.
This has been a fascinating arc, giving us a new look into the past of the Absolute Universe, with the ancient world already haunted by alien nightmares. There’s one panel in this issue that raises such huge questions about the possible role of some iconic DC characters in the future that I don’t even know where to begin. But amid all the explosive battles, there are some moments that provide amazing insight into characters I didn’t care about before this issue. There’s a death of a supporting character that only debuted a few issues ago that packs more impact than many major character deaths. And in only one issue, Aaron manages to take Hawkman from being a universally despised traitor to a fascinating and tragic character who was simply too weak to resist the toxic pull of this world until it may have been too late. Hard to imagine how things can go up from here, but the Absolute Universe usually manages.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
Ray Goldfield
Ray Goldfield is a comics superfan going back almost thirty years. When he's not reading way too many comics a week, he is working on his own writing. The first installment in his young adult fantasy-adventure, "Alex Actonn, Son of Two Seas", is available in Amazon now.
