The Absolute Universe Is Phenomenal, But Is it Delivering its Promises?

The Absolute Universe is DC’s biggest success in decades, and it’s easy to see why. Unlike the company’s normal comics, which are knee-deep in what is often a very messy continuity that turns off fans new and old, the Absolute Universe is a new story that can be read without any prior knowledge of how DC’s comics work. It’s the ultimate entry point for new fans to hop on, taking all the lessons learned from decades of crafting iconic characters and distilling them into fresh, impactful new takes. Of course, the first things everyone notices about the Absolute Universe are its aesthetic and direction.

Unlike the traditional DC Earth, this new world has heroes on the back foot, but it goes deeper than that. The world is different, darker, but the heroes are the same at their core. The Absolute Universe is built around the singular idea of stripping away everything but the barest essentials from our heroes, leaving them with only their core idea, and throwing them into the world to watch them save the day as the underdogs. To that end, every hero lost something. Batman lost his fortune, Superman lost the Kents, and the Flash lost the Speed Force. It was a bold, genuine change that gave this universe its life. However, as of Absolute Flash #19, the Speed Force is here, and that leaves me wondering how much this universe has actually delivered on its promises.

What Was Lost Is Slowly Being Found

Every hero was boiled down to their bare essentials, and, for the Flash, that meant removing his family and understanding of his powers. The solicit for the first issue pitched this comic as the Flash being without his mentor, family, or the Speed Force. In many regards, it delivered, removing the idea of the Flash Family and killing Barry Allen, leaving Wally on his own without any help. However, the Speed Force itself is present and, presumably, has been this entire time. Issue #19 saw Wally pushed to the brink of death, and in that moment, his mind expanded and he saw past the darkness at the heart of the universe to see a bright light, an energy, that he nearly named the Speed Force, before Zolomon knocked him out of it.

The Speed Force is once again here and likely the source of Flash’s powers, but he isn’t the only one who is recovering what this universe promised to take away. Batman lost Alfred, but he has him back as a military mentor instead of a butler. It was revealed that Superman did land in the Kent farm, but quickly lost them to Lazarus Corp. Jo’s Lantern powers are stored in her ring, and she’s assembling a Corps made of her friends and allies. Wonder Woman wasn’t raised on Paradise Island, but the Amazons are present in the story, waiting to be found. It seems like it’s inevitable that the heroes reclaim what the Absolute Universe has taken from them, but that raises the question: does this go against what the Absolute Universe set out to do? It may seem like it, but I don’t think so.

The Purpose Is Revision, Not Removal

When taking these thought-to-be essential components away from the heroes, the point wasn’t to change them for the sake of being different. The idea was to break these heroes down to their barest essentials, highlighting exactly what it was that makes them tick and, in turn, such inspirations. Batman is still a man who battles injustice in a system that seems too corrupt to ever change. Superman is still an alien farmboy gifted the power to destroy the world, but instead uses it to save his adopted planet. These heroes are still the same characters, which is what makes these revisions work so well. The point was to emphasize the exact thing that makes them great.

With or without the Speed Force, Wally is still a young man striving to find his place in the world, just as he was when he first became the Flash in the main DC Universe. Yes, I would have preferred for the Speed Force to not be introduced, or at least not so quickly, but the real strength of the Absolute Universe has never been what they took away, but what they did with what they left the heroes. Batman still has Alfred, but their dynamic has been totally changed, with Alfred learning to believe in the world again thanks to Batman, instead of him being the Dark Knight’s grounding force. Instead of the people who raised him, the Kents were Superman’s proof that there is good within Earth’s people.

The heroes are the same characters, but their new situations and aesthetics make them feel new, and their portrayals are a genuine breath of fresh air. Maybe some of the heroes are recovering what Darkseid stole from them, but it’s not like they’re the same as they were before. Everything is just different enough in this universe to justify their existence. I’m sure that the Speed Force will follow the same route, as Flash’s powers seem to be tied much more closely to time than they are in the main world. The Absolute Universe is doing exactly what it set out to do, and even though it might not look like it all the time, so long as these heroes keep riding that line of familiarity and newness, the Absolute Universe is fulfilling its promise.

What do you think about the things the Absolute Universe has changed, and the things it’s kept the same? Let us know in the comments below!

Absolute Flash #19 is on sale now!

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