Absolute Superman #9 came out last week and again showed that this Absolute World is a dystopia where there aren't many heroes and both sides are so extreme that our hero isn't sure he even wants to remain on Earth.
This issue shows us the 'Omega Men' political group, the freedom fighters battling The Lazarus Corporation, up close. And it isn't pretty. We start with them saving Superman. The next mission is heading out to save political prisoners. It ends with the leaders of Omega being as violent as Lazarus. Jason Aaron continues to peel the onion back, building this world. More Ra's. More Lois. More Jimmy. But also Talia and Father Boxes. All of this leads to some despair in our hero.
We knew that this was a different Earth and a different Superman. But I always hoped this Superman would be the shining light in the darkness. This issue he sounds like a beaten man.
The art is split between Rafa Sandoval and Fico Ossio. Ossio seems to do the bulk of the issue and is doing his best to channel Sandoval's work to keep the feel of the book consistent. And Arreola's darker hues contribute to the consistency.
Nine issues in and this remains a slow burn. But I still don't know exactly who this Superman is. So much of the world is being defined that our hero remains blurry.
On to the book.
The leader of Omega shows up. It seems to be Talia Al Ghul, fighting her father, trying to end Ra's destruction.
Last issue, the Peacemakers shot Superman with synthetic Kryptonite. To save him, the Omegas boom tube him away.
The opening scene shows them trying to grab K-bullets that are unstable and losing their form.
I did like this moment where Superman screams in pain, leading to this destroyed room. Pretty cool.
In the end Superman grabs one bullet himself but is still dying. His monologue is so interesting. He talks how the Kryptonite is killing him just like Krypton tried to kill him. His past is trying to kill him. Is this some way to turn his character into truly embracing Earth like the prime Earth?
The only way to save Superman is to use what seems to be a Mother Box (more on that later) to purge him of injuries.
Between 'Alphas' and 'Omegas' and Boom Tube teleportation, I thought The Omega Men were tied to the Fourth World. No denying it know.
Aaron then makes the rest of the book a bit muddled by putting in a needless flashback instead of telling the story linearly.
Cut to Lois being interrogated by Ra's.
Now I have enjoyed seeing the character growth in Lois in this book. She is the one character that so far has had some movement amid the world-building.
Here she is, standing up to Ra's and telling him that even he can't make her disappear. More importantly, I love that she says this change in heart, in courage, in outlook is simply because she has met Superman.
From what I have seen, I just feel that this Ra's would kill her there and then. But instead he keeps her alive thinking she can get him Superman. I don't know. We have seen him kill without hesitation. We have seen him run a corporation where obedience is essential. Why keep this loose thread around?
I know ... she's Lois.
I know ... she's Lois.
Solid work by Ossio here, showcasing Lois's steel.
Weeks after being cured by Omega, Superman joins them as the enter a Lazarus stronghold in Pakistan to save political prisoners. While Primus (the Talia leader) goes in declaring 'death to all techno-fascists', Superman holds her back saying there will be no killing.
But this is an emo sort of Superman. His history is trying to kill him. He is all 'wounds'. He won't listen to Sol as he wades into battle.
He just sounds exhausted. Defeated.
He is talking to Jimmy about his cure. The 'Father Box' talked to him during that healing process, talking about what seems to be Apokolips but is the future of this Absolute Earth. Maybe that is what 'creator Darkseid' wants, the Earth - a planet that vexes him - remade in his image completely. Interesting.
More interesting is Sol telling Kal that the Box cannot heal him again. Perhaps the Box 'rewrites' you? Makes you into something else?
In the flashback, we get some Jimmy backstory. Why did he become an agent of Omega.
Well, he saw the world going to Hell and felt he needed to do something.
The first thing? Get a vasectomy so he couldn't bring a baby into this flawed world. Now that is extreme and quite dark.
And more of that world-building as Aaron peppers in some teases. Area A1? Project Olympus? The Joker? (Maybe these are plot points in other Absolute books I am not reading?)
Omegas first thoughts are to kill Lazarus flunkies. Lazarus kills people with differing opinions. Extremes of opinion.
No one seems good in this world.
It is a dark place.
And he watches as Primus lines up a Peacemaker and shoots.
Only later do we see he caught the bullet, keeping the 'no loss of life' rule intact. But we also hear he hesitated. He almost let the man die. Chilling.
I suppose there is more of this world we need to know about. But I want to know more about this Superman. And I want to see him rise above and become the hero I want to see.
I have seen how dark this place is. Give me some true light, some inspiration.
The Omegas boom tube out but they realize the forgot Jimmy.
In the end we see he is about to be interrogated by Lois.
Nice cliffhanger, even if it seems a feint given we know Lois wants to work with Jimmy to help Superman and not Ra's.
This has always been a dark book. This felt like the most despair-riddled issue of the run. I felt drained after this issue, a sign of good writing and art. But not exactly the sort of feeling that makes me want to read the next issue. It might be time to swing this book around a bit in tone.
Overall grade: B-
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