Jimmy Olsen’s Absolute Superman Debut is Not at All What You’re Expecting

Absolute Superman is chugging along wonderfully, writer Jason Aaron and artist Rafa Sandoval doing an amazing job of redefining Superman for a new world. Many familiar elements of Superman have been changed — Superman grew up on Krypton and wasn’t launched away from the planet as an infant, so he knew his parents and culture. His relationship with the Kents is very different. Lois Lane isn’t a prize-winning reporter, but works with the Lazarus Corp, following her father’s footsteps into the military, and hunting down Superman. The Daily Planet is nowhere to be found (so far), but Absolute Superman #4 introduces a familiar face from the paper — Jimmy Olsen — in a very different role, one that puts him at direct odds with Lois Lane.

Jimmy Olsen Has Joined the New Omega Men in the Absolute Universe

Absolute Superman #4 begins with Lois questioning people from around the world, who have all been helped by Superman. Absolute Superman makes no bones about its political message of corporate evil, and each of these people has been in some way victimized by Lazarus Corp. and subsequently aided by Superman. Lois gets a call from her father, who yells at her for refusing to use her Peacemaker security detail, and that call reveals the existence of the issue’s first major debut — the Omega Men.

In the mainline DC Universe, the Omega Men are a group of aliens from the Vega Sector, home to many of DC’s best sci-fi concepts and stories (Alan Moore wrote some amazing short stories in Vega Sector that can be found in DC Universe: The Stories of Alan Moore which you need to check out). While it may seem strange to use that name for an Earthbound organization, it does make sense; the Omega Men fight against the fascist forces in control of Vega, and addressing the real-world issue of corporate fascism is a key theme of Absolute Superman.

RELATED: Absolute Superman Has Redefined Krypton and Kal-El’s Parents for a New Generation of Fans

General Lane tells his daughter about the time one of his engagement officers revealed himself to be a member of the Omega Men and how dangerous they can be. Lois brushes off her father’s concern but it’s shown that she’s being watched by two people, one of whom has a familiar shock of red hair. Lois is confronted by this young man and gets the drop on him. However, she isn’t ready when he activates his own technology and attacks her. The two of them tangle for a while, with Jimmy seeming to care more about getting Lois to realize how bad Lazarus is, and how misplaced her loyalties are, rather than killing her. They finally end up at a stalemate, with guns in each other’s faces, when the other person who was with Jimmy steps in.

This is Primus, another member of the Omega Men, and she isn’t trying to get Lois to renounce Lazarus — she’s trying to kill her. The two fight it out, with Jimmy eventually turning his gun on Primus to compel her to stop. Lois calls Brainiac, who sends in the Peacemakers, and orders the AI system to use non-lethal rounds, which it denies. Before things can get too crazy, though, red dust fills the area and Superman arrives. Primus tries to talk to Kal-El but he brushes her off and beelines for Lois. The two talk for a moment, Superman freezes a squad of Peacemakers with his super-breath, and then Jimmy Olsen does the first familiar thing we’ve seen him in Absolute Superman: he takes pictures of Superman on his phone as he flies off.

The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same with Jimmy Olsen

Absolute Superman has so far taken readers on quite a ride. Absolute Batman and Absolute Wonder Woman have their differences from the mainline DC Universe, but they aren’t as different as Absolute Superman has been. Every issue so far has shown readers yet another big change to the Superman mythos and this newest one shows yet another major departure from the Superman that everyone knows. Jimmy Olsen isn’t a photographer or even an investigative reporter looking into Superman; he isn’t an ally of Lois Lane, working with her to find Superman. Instead, he’s opposed to her, working against her as a member of the Omega Men.

However, even then, the similarities between Absolute Jimmy Olsen and regular Jimmy Olsen shine through. Jimmy is of the lowest rank of the Omega Men because he doesn’t want to hurt people, always looking for a more heroic way to win. He may be against Lazarus Corp. and an enemy of Lois Lane, but he wants to get through to her so she’ll see the error of the ways, still trying to work with Lois in his own way. Finally, seeing Absolute Superman brings up that sense of wonder that readers are so familiar with from Jimmy and he takes a picture of him, shades of Jimmy Olsen in the mainline universe. Absolute Jimmy Olsen’s story is just beginning, and it’ll be interesting to see where it goes next.

Absolute Superman #4 is available anywhere comics are sold.