DC Comics has launched one of its biggest and boldest crossover story events ever with “Absolute Power,” and fans at San Diego Comic-Con were eager to hear the creators talk about the it!
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DC’s espionage master Amanda “The Wall” Waller has truly lived up to her name: she launched a multi-pronged coordinated strike against the Justice League and all DC heroes, at once using AI fakery to frame the heroes of Earth as launching a coup, while in reality siphoning many of their powers and trapping them on Earth-Prime, with no cosmic, mystic, time travel or multiversal means of escape. Waller has a squad of Amazo androids now boosted with the powers of the Justice League, led by the Brainiac Queen, and Batman’s rogue “Failsafe” android. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the few JL members Waller didn’t capture are trying to rally, but with no powers and no reinforcements, they seem to have few options in front of them…
DC’s Absolute Power Panel at SDCC 2024 (LIVE RECAP)
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Mark Waid, Joshua Williamson Dan Mora, Daniel Sampere and Nicole Maines from the Absolute Power creative team took the stage. Waid discussed the honor of getting to work with all these DC characters in a story like this – especially the World’s Finest team of Superman and Batman.
Wait also touched on the premise of Absolute Power and the intrigue it creates for the familiar DC heroes. “The will have to make hard choices,” Waid teased, adding that those choices will become very unexpected ones for heroes who have no superpower.
Dan Moira’s work was highlighted by Waid, who described him as a storyteller in his own right, through the visuals – visuals that are perfect for an event like this.
Waid praised Maines’ work on Suicide Squad: Dream Team, which made Maines almost cry and make her “cheap mascara” run. She talked about working with the character of Dreamer and making her a focal point of Absolute Power, when she finally has the realization that she could have stopped Waller’s campaign, while at the same time being an eighteen-year-old girl who doesn’t yet have the moral compass to handle that well. She teased where Dreamer’s visions could be leading, her friendship with Jon Kent Superman as “weird farm kids” and their reunion to come in the Super Sons book.
Daniel Sampere’s work on Wonder Woman was given the spotlight. He talked about working with writer Tom King and the pressure of the challenge they faced in taking on such a massive icon. He talked about the struggle of depicting Wonder Woman as both super-strong, but compassionate and soft at the same time.
Daniel Sampere & Joshua Williamson Collab?
Sampere extoled in the fun he’s had working with the character, while it was teased that Sampere and Williamson could be teaming up for a project!
A teaser of some Superman cover art for the upcoming Absolute Power tie-ins was shown, and Williamson talked about working with Superman when he’s been de-powered. He also delighted in having Mark Waid write the event instead of him, while confirming that he does keep years of SUperma storylines planned out. He also talked about the creative process of making Braniac Queen’s origin a.twisted mirror of Superman, with Braniac being the Jor-El who sent her to Earth when he was facing doom – but Amanda Waller being the Kent Family that raised her. Waid pointed out that Waller “raising” Brainiac Queen in twenty years of virtual reality simulation also gave Waller twenty years to plan.
Williamson teased how he was going to be giving artist Jamal Campbell what he wants and bring Doomsday back – with Dan Moira drawing the book.
Justice League Unlimited Announced
Justice League Unlimited #1 was announced, with Mark Waid writing and Dan Moira drawing the book. Waid to hero suggestions from the crowd, confirming we’ll see all of them – except Jonah Hex. The Watchtower will be back, and so will Darkseid.
DC All In
DC Executive Editor takes the stage to introduce the DC All In Segment. DC All In Special #1 will be released the same day as Absolute Power #4 – and SDCC will be the place of official first announcements.
Scott Snyder, Nick Derington, Jason Aaron, Joshua Williamson, Daniel Sampere, Katie Sherman and were all brought out for the panel. Snyder talked about leaving DC in 2019-2020, and reading superhero comics as a fan for awhile, while also hearing the talk about superhero fatigue. He talked about the love of superhero and the genre being indelible, and how “All In” was an idea hatched for years with the goal of getting everybody re-invested in going back into the comic store for an event (with incentives like contests teased) and having a renewed excuse to celebrate (DC) superheroes. Williamson and Snyder talked about treating All In as an initiative, not just an alternate line.
It was teased that Darkseid unlocks a new form that forces the heroes of the DC Universe to re-invent how they come together and fight a version of Darkseid who has evolved. Snyder teases Absolute Power setting up a Darkseid quest to obtain something that will take him beyond his current limits, and give rise to All In’s story.
All In will start with flip book, that can be read from either the heroes perspective or Darkseid’s, with the tale perhaps meeting in the middle. Sampere talked about hearing the concept for All In and feeling compassion for the artist who would have to take it on – which turned out to be him. His buffed-up Batman is spotlighted, and he says he’s loving drawing Booster Gold.
DC’s Absolute Universe
The DC Absolute Universe presentation begins with Aboslute Batman, which Snyder will write. The concept art shows a body builder-sized Batman who is sketched as a young 20s man, 6′ (7′ in his Batsuit) a city engineer/construction worker, who owns a “Bat-ear Frenchie” dog. Snyder talks about how it will be new and still the core of the Bruce Wayne/Batman character – while also addressing his fear about coming back after his defining run on Batman.
Nick talked about fans having no idea what this new Batman will be, and how they put real passion and love into the project. Concept art reveals a terrifying new version of Black Mask wielding duel MAC 11’s; Alfred is MI-6 agent who comes to Gotham hunting a target, and collides with Bruce. It’s wild new stuff.
Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman’s Abosulte Wonder Woman is teased as a book that changes Wonder Woman’s status quo in.a major way. The concept art of Wonder Woman riding a black skeletal Pegasus and in Hades-style armor with anime-sized weapons hints that this Wonder Woman comes from the fiery underworld.
Jason Aaron and Rafa Sandoval will be taking on Absolute Superman. Aaron teases creating a Superman as if in the modern world, and that beyond Krypton exploding, this will be a Superman stories fans do not expect. Aaron further teases that Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman won’t be pals that instantly come together; his Superman will have a backstory of things not working out for him, making him angrier and “sexier, in my opinion.” His look, his mood, powers and mythos will be very different. A cover for Absolute Superman #2 shows Superman facing a squad of “Peacemakers” who have scribbled the phrase “Lazarus is Life” in the dirt. Aaron teases the story starting in Brazil of all places – even though he may be the first Superman writer who is actually from Kansas. He promises we will get Kansas – to the point of Superman sitting out in a field of wheat for one issue.
Scott Snyder promises the are investing in this universe to last, and that the characters WILL retain core elements, even though the exterior will be completely new. Nick teased a six-page Batman fight scene that was his favorite; Sampere loved Superman in All In the most. Hayden Sherman delighted in getting to take on Sampere’s version of Wonder Woman.
To end the panel Absolute FLash with Jeff Lumiere and Nick Robles was announced.
