Absolute Superman has taken fans across the globe over the course of the past 7 issues, but Absolute Superman #8 brings things back to Smallville, and in doing so, begins to form two of Superman’s foundational relationships without sacrificing the macro-level Absolute universe storytelling that’s been happening since the series debuted. As the various factions collide, Superman continues to be the conflicted beacon of hope that grounds everything else, though the series excels at hitting the gas and raising the stakes when you least expect it. Absolute Superman consistently pushes the envelope and yet still delivers the elements that have become intrinsic to DC’s biggest icon, and that’s only about to get better now that the rest of the gang is joining in on the fun.
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As you can glean from the cover, Superman shares the spotlight with Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen as the first chapter of “Superman, Son of the Demon” begins. While we’ve spent more time with Lois to this point, both characters soon start to take on elements of their previous depictions once they occupy the same space for a while, and yet each character still retains what has made them so unique in this Absolute iteration.
Jason Aaron has already taken Lois quite a ways since we were first introduced to her, and yet her evolving approach and opinion of Superman never feels disingenuous, making the clash with Olsen that much richer and more compelling. Olsen never had the more antagonistic viewpoint of Superman, so it’s understandable that Superman would trust him more, though it’s never conveyed that he doesn’t trust Lois either. In fact, Superman seems more and more intrigued with Lois at every exchange, even when he’s not outwardly showing it, and that’s partly why seeing these three interact is easily one of the biggest highlights of the issue.
The same is true of the book’s villains, though admittedly Ra’s is the much more intriguing side of that equation. Aaron has created a Ra’s that still holds true to many of the character’s core principles, and yet this iteration still somehow feels incredibly distinct from his main universe counterpart. His motives and his methods are ruthlessly effective, and he feels like a villain worthy of going head to head with even someone of Superman’s power levels.
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There’s also Captain Smith, who has continued to fail upwards and is now an absurdly powerful Peacemaker creation that can go toe to toe with Superman, and that bloody battle simply looks fantastic. Every punch thrown feels like it holds the force of a semi thanks to the brilliant work of Rafa Sandoval, Ulises Arreola, and Becca Carey, and when the power levels start to soar off the charts the action becomes that much more intense, with beautiful reds and organs crackling swaths of energy across the page.
Some of the battle’s final moments might just land with the most impact though, both in a literal sense when it comes to Superman’s health, but also in how Carey’s lettering allows these moments to soar off the page. It all leaves off in a place that promises some much-anticipated answers, and if the series has taught us anything, it’s not going to be at all what we expect when those answers finally arrive. Absolute Superman continues the DC icon’s simply superb year, and it still feels like we’re just scratching the surface.
Rating: 5 out of 5
What did you think of Absolute Superman #8? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things comics with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!
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