Absolute Superman #20 came out last week, the next chapter in the pretty brutal King Shazam storyline. One thing for sure, there is a lot of action in this issue ... a lot. We see what happens when four immensely powerful beings battle across the globe.
What I like about this issue is that we see, again, how writer Jason Aaron shows this young Superman is inspirational in a Darkseid-fueled world. We have seen him turn Ra's Al Ghul. In this issue, we see Hawkman, someone we have seen be a killer, soften in the face of Superman's actions. I think that Hawkman seeing Superman and King Shazam, so similar in powers, next to each is probably a bold contrast.
That contrast is highlighted by the brawl that dominates the issue, a fight that goes King Shazam's way mostly. It shows what Superman could have been while Shazam slept. Watching Hawkman and Steel sort of be more like gnats in the face of this power shows what unchecked power can do.
Rafa Sandoval is on art and brings the kinetic energy to the proceedings. The fight is huge in scope and power and you feel every punch and blast. I think he slightly tilts the panels and even word balloons in some place to give the whole thing an off-kilter feel.
Throw in a new mini-mystery and a great cliffhanger and you have another solid issue in this book.
It starts with this powerful moment where Hawkman basically walks away from Talia Al Ghul and her orders.
Love this visual of him walking with a bag of cash he got for carrying out Talia's commands and then wondering if he is doing things right. Was he right to 'get dirty' for what he perceived was a greater good. He basically says Superman has changed everything.
That visual of him putting the cash in the donation box of the museum and leaving the bag behind is great. Like a weight off him.
That leads into the current day where Hawkman is helping Superman and Steel fight King Shazam. They have to work together.
Cute little panel here showing how they might be teaming up bit are quite different.
Frankly, how Steel doesn't die in this battle is beyond me.
Because throughout the issue we see that King Shazam is either more powerful or a more skilled fighter or both.
The three thought they had the upper hand for a second.
Get used to panels like that top one where the three heroes are basically battered and on the ground.
Hawkman gives us a recap of King Shazam's origin, including the Brainiac experiments, his carving a violent swath across Egypt, only to be stopped by ... the Justice League???
Clearly that is Raven/Phantom Stranger in front.
I am going to guess that is an Arion/Aquaman sort of character in the middle.
And the 'one red eye' beast in the back? Given the magical feel of the others, I might guess an Eclipso variant.
But moving front to back - 4 red eyes, 2 red eyes, 1 red eye.
An ancient mystical Justice League. I guess new things like this is why the Absolute Universe was built.
And then Hawkman drops the boom. That prophecy of a person rising from nothing, wearing the sand of their world, ruling the world is not about King Shazam. It is about Superman.
These pages are preceded by us seeing the combatants beating the snot out of each other across the globe. We hear how the battle makes satellites drop from the sky, makes boulder size hail fall. Superman made sure no one died from these calamities.
I feel that an older Hawkman wouldn't be impressed by that, instead thinking the battle was more important than collateral damage and loss of life. Now he is impressed that Superman did that. Hawkman has changed.
This is mostly a battle where the heroes are just trying to get some hits in and stay alive.
Interesting that Superman enlists the aid of the Parasite alien. But it doesn't do fare well for poor 'Si'.
Cutting to Metropolis, we see Talia and Lois going toe to toe.
Such an interesting leap to go from Gods tearing down the sky to two mortal brawling.
But Talia is wielding the Father Box.
Their fight is delayed by the arrival of King Shazam. It was the Father Box that imprisoned King Shazam. He isn't going to let that happen. Looks like he tries to just break the thing.
You might remember that the Father Box is a powerful tool for the Al Ghul's. It being destroyed or damaged would be a big blow to the crime family. And it would be a sea change for the world as it is the threat of the Father Box that has sort of kept Brainiac in line.
But even that is interrupted.
Hawkman and Steel tell Superman to take their weapons and end things with King Shazam.
Armed with Steel's Promethium powered hammer and Hawkman's Nth metal mace, he flies King Shazam to the moon. (No oxygen!) Love the look of this Sol-based armor.
Nice end line about magic word. It isn't 'please' here.
So this was a bloody and brisk issue showing what such a battle might be like. Love Hawkman's revelation here. Sandoval brings the energy. Great issue.
Overall grade: A
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