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Absolute Universe
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| "Absolute Universe" thematic stories | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| Genre | |
| Publication date | October 2, 2024 – present |
The Absolute Universe (AU) is an imprint of American comic books overseen by writer Scott Snyder and published by DC Comics. The comics take place in a shared universe designated Alpha-World as part of the DC Comics multiverse, featuring reimagined and modernized versions of the company's superhero characters from the DC Universe.
The imprint is part of the DC All In initiative, debuting in the aftermath of the 2024 "Absolute Power" storyline. It was launched that year with the publication of the ongoing series Absolute Batman, Absolute Wonder Woman and Absolute Superman.
Publication history
[edit]The Absolute Universe (AU) is an all-new continuity separate from the DC Universe (DCU) overseen by Scott Snyder as part of the DC All In initiative.[1] The existence of the new universe was first rumored in 2023 in relation to Snyder,[2] before leaks emerged that it would be called the Absolute Universe as part of a wider program called DC All In.[3][4] Several additional leaks occurred[5][6][7][8] in the run-up to San Diego Comic-Con in July 2024 when it was officially announced by DC Comics.[9]
The AU began in October 2024 with the DC All-In Special. The first titles released in the AU are Absolute Batman by Snyder with Nick Dragotta, and Absolute Wonder Woman by Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman, which both started publication in October. A third title, Absolute Superman by Jason Aaron and Rafa Sandoval, debuted in November of the same year.[10][11] Originally Rafael Albuquerque was set to illustrate Absolute Superman, but had to pull out of the project due to severe floods in his home country of Brazil, with Sandoval being brought onto the project in June 2024.[12]
Three further titles were released in 2025: Absolute Flash by Jeff Lemire and Nick Robles, Absolute Martian Manhunter by Deniz Camp and Javier Rodríguez (both in March),[13][14] and Absolute Green Lantern by Al Ewing and Jahnoy Lindsay in April.[15] Two additional titles, Absolute Green Arrow by Pornsak Pichetshote and Rafael Albuquerque,[16] and Absolute Catwoman by Che Grayson, Scott Snyder, and Bengal are scheduled for release in 2026.[17] Additionally, a spin-off of Absolute Catwoman, Absolute Cassandra Cain: The Shadow's Hand, written by Che Grayson, will be released between issues 3 and 4 of Absolute Catwoman.
Additionally, the Absolute versions of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman appeared at the end of DC K.O. #3, a series that features Darkseid wishing to transform DC's Prime Earth following the creation of the Absolute Universe.[citation needed]
Setting
[edit]The AU features previous concepts from Doomsday Clock (2017–2019), Dark Nights: Death Metal (2020–2021), and Infinite Frontier (2021–2023). It is set in Earth-Alpha, also called the Elseworld, one of the two pillars of the Metaverse, along with Earth-Omega, where Darkseid used to be imprisoned. According to Snyder, while the DCU is "influenced by Superman energy", the AU is "influenced by Darkseid energy", making society treat superheroes as underdogs.[18][19]
It is established in DC All In Special that Earth-Alpha has been reshaped by Darkseid's essence as he is bent on creating a world driven by challenge and turmoil in which heroes are the "small chaos" rather than established parts of its system, while attempting to control its past and future during the gradual consolidation of the timeline on modern times.[20] Vital parts of the characters are stripped (i.e., Batman's wealth, Diana's Amazons, and Superman's upbringing with the Kents), while keeping the central message and key personality traits intact.[21]
Main changes between the Absolute Universe and the mainline DC universe come down to differences in power (the rich and wealthy largely dominate the world's politics and rule without repercussion, with the world's heroes at a severe disadvantage against them) and worldbuilding (there is no presence of the New Gods, certain aliens such as Martians lack physical bodies, and the emotional spectrum of the Lantern Corps is shortened). Important changes include:
- The Justice League is an alliance between the Joker, Ra's al Ghul, Hector Hammond, Veronica Cale, and Elenore Thawne.
- Bruce Wayne is a bluecollar Civil engineer, working with MI6 special agent Alfred Pennyworth. His mother, Martha, is still alive, and his close friends include Waylon Jones, Edward Nygma, Harvey Dent, Oswald Cobblepot, Mitchell "Matches" Malone and Selina Kyle.
- Kal-El grew up on Krypton prior to its destruction, and lives as an illegal immigrant on Earth with his AI companion Sol, which functions as his cape and Fortress of Solitude. His close friends include corporate soldier Lois Lane and terrorist Jimmy Olsen.
- Diana grew up in Hell, raised by her adoptive mother Circe and mentored by the Greek gods, having been separated from the Amazons at birth by Zeus.
- Wally West is an army brat who kills Barry Allen by accident and is a loose fugitive after gaining his superpowers, accompanied by a mutant monkey named Grodd.
- John Jones is a human FBI agent whose mind is invaded by a non-physical alien entity ("The Martian") following a severe head trauma, granting him psychic abilities.
- The emotional spectrum consists of black (Qard: chaotic action), red (Rao: restraint from action), green (Sur: correct action), and yellow (Aur: enlightenment). Users of the light are classified using the prefixes "Abin" (meaning one who uses the light with understanding), "Ain" (initiates chosen by an Abin), or "Tomar" (anomalies who were not properly selected). Sojourner Mullein is an ex-cop who becomes an anomalous user of green light (Tomar Sur). Other characters include Abin Sur, Hal Jordan (an Ain Qard), Guy Gardner (an Ain Rao), John Stewart (an Ain Aur), officers Cameron Chase and Simon Baz, Tomar-Re (a Tomar Rao). Kilowog and Mogo are members of the Blackstars (Abin Qards) who are led by the Controller of MU (an Abin Aur).
List of publications
[edit]Prelude
[edit]| Title | Writers | Artists | Colorists | Publication date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DC All In Special | Scott Snyder Joshua Williamson |
Wes Craig Daniel Sampere |
Mike Spicer Alejandro Sánchez |
October 2, 2024 | [10] |
Ongoing series
[edit]| Title | Issue | Writer | Artist | Colorist | Publication date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absolute Batman | 1– | Scott Snyder | Nick Dragotta | Frank Martin | October 9, 2024 | [10] |
| Absolute Wonder Woman | Kelly Thompson | Hayden Sherman | Jordie Bellaire | October 23, 2024 | [10] | |
| Absolute Superman | Jason Aaron | Rafa Sandoval | Ulises Arreola | November 6, 2024 | [10] | |
| Absolute Flash | Jeff Lemire | Nick Robles | Adriano Lucas | March 19, 2025 | [22] | |
| Absolute Green Lantern | Al Ewing | Jahnoy Lindsay | April 2, 2025 | [15] | ||
Limited series
[edit]| Title | Issue | Writer | Artist | Colorist | Debut date | Conclusion date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absolute Martian Manhunter | 1–12 | Deniz Camp | Javier Rodríguez | March 26, 2025 | July 1, 2026 | [23] | |
| Absolute Green Arrow | 1–6 | Pornsak Pichetshote | Rafael Albuquerque | Marcelo Maiolo | May 20, 2026 | TBA | [24] |
| Absolute Catwoman | Scott Snyder Che Grayson |
Bengal | Giovanna Niro | June 10, 2026 | TBA | [17] | |
One-shots
[edit]| Title | Writers | Artists | Colorists | Publication date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Comic Book Day 2025: DC All In/Absolute Universe Special Edition | Dan Slott Jeff Lemire |
Rafael Albuquerque Giuseppe Camuncoli Stefano Nesi |
Marcelo Maiolo | May 3, 2025 | |
| Absolute Evil | Al Ewing | Giuseppe Camuncoli Stefano Nesi |
Romulo Fajardo Jr. | October 1, 2025 | [25] |
| Absolute Batman: Ark M Special | Scott Snyder Frank Tieri |
Joshua Hixson | Roman Stevens | January 7, 2026 | |
| Absolute Cassandra Cain: The Shadow's Hand | Che Grayson | Matías Bergara | TBA | September 9, 2026 | [26] |
Collected editions
[edit]| # | Title | Material collected | Format | Pages | Released | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absolute Batman | ||||||
| 1 | The Zoo | Absolute Batman #1–6 | HC | 176 | August 5, 2025 | 978-1799505242 |
| TPB | 978-1799505259 | |||||
| 2 | Abomination | Absolute Batman #7–14 | HC | 240 | February 3, 2026 | 978-1799507505 |
| TPB | 978-1799507512 | |||||
| 3 | Devil's Workshop | Absolute Batman #15−18, Absolute Batman 2025 Annual #1 and Absolute Batman: Ark M Special #1 | HC | 208 | September 8, 2026 | 978-1799508908 |
| TPB | 978-1799508915 | |||||
| Absolute Wonder Woman | ||||||
| 1 | The Last Amazon | Absolute Wonder Woman #1–7 | HC | 176 | August 12, 2025 | 978-1799508908 |
| TPB | 978-1799508915 | |||||
| 2 | As My Mothers Made Me | Absolute Wonder Woman #8–14 | HC | 208 | February 17, 2026 | 978-1799507536 |
| TPB | 978-1799507543 | |||||
| 3 | Season of the Witch | Absolute Wonder Woman #15–20 and Absolute Wonder Woman 2026 Annual #1 | HC | 184 | October 27, 2026 | 978-1799508946 |
| TPB | 978-1799508953 | |||||
| Absolute Superman | ||||||
| 1 | Last Dust Of Krypton | Absolute Superman #1–6 | HC | 176 | August 19, 2025 | 978-1799505327 |
| TPB | 978-1799505334 | |||||
| 2 | Son of the Demon | Absolute Superman #7–14 | HC | 206 | March 2, 2026 | 978-1799507758 |
| TPB | 978-1799507529 | |||||
| 3 | The Neverending Begins | Absolute Superman #15–21 | HC | 176 | November 3, 2026 | 978-1799508922 |
| TPB | 978-1799508939 | |||||
| Absolute Martian Manhunter | ||||||
| 1 | Martian Vision | Absolute Martian Manhunter #1–6 | HC | 144 | November 18, 2025 | 978-1799505204 |
| TPB | 978-1799505211 | |||||
| 2 | The Agency | Absolute Martian Manhunter #7–12 | HC | 152 | August 25, 2026 | 978-1799510871 |
| TPB | 978-1799510888 | |||||
| Absolute Green Lantern | ||||||
| 1 | Without Fear | Absolute Green Lantern #1–6 | HC | 176 | December 9, 2025 | 978-1799505549 |
| TPB | 978-1799505556 | |||||
| 2 | Sojourner | Absolute Green Lantern #7–12 | HC | 176 | June 9, 2026 | 978-1799508403 |
| TPB | 978-1799508410 | |||||
| 3 | Anomalies | Absolute Green Lantern #13–17 | HC | 176 | December 1, 2026 | 978-1799509950 |
| TPB | 978-1799509967 | |||||
| Absolute Flash | ||||||
| 1 | Of Two Worlds | Absolute Flash #1–6 | HC | 144 | December 23, 2025 | 978-1799505181 |
| TPB | 978-1799505198 | |||||
| 2 | Still Point | Absolute Flash #7–12 | HC | 176 | June 23, 2026 | 978-1799508380 |
| TPB | 978-1799508397 | |||||
| 3 | TBA | Absolute Flash 13–18 | HC | 176 | December 8, 2026 | 978-1799509936 |
| TPB | 978-1799509943 | |||||
Reception
[edit]Sales
[edit]The first issue of Absolute Batman had a print run of around 250,000 copies and by the end of 2024, Absolute Batman became the best selling comic of 2024, with combined sales of first, second, third and black-and-white printings, selling just under 400,000 copies.[27] Initial orders of Absolute Wonder Woman #1 received orders of around 150,000, and Absolute Superman having a print run of about 180,000 copies.[28]
By February 2025, the line had sold over 2.5 million units.[29]
With the second wave of the Absolute Line, Absolute Flash #1 was the best selling Flash comic since Flash #1 from 1987, getting over 180,000 pre-orders, along with Absolute Martian Manhunter #1 having sold over 120,000 copies.[30][31]
As of December 2025, the Absolute Universe line has sold over 8.5 million units, with Absolute Batman being the top-selling title at nearly 3 million.[32]
In February 2026, DC Comics announced that 50 Absolute Universe issues (Absolute Batman #1–14, Absolute Wonder Woman #1–11, Absolute Superman #1–10, Absolute Flash #1–5, Absolute Green Lantern #1–4, and Absolute Martian Manhunter #1–6) would be reprinted and releasing in March 2026, with all receiving at least their third reprinting. The March 2026 releases saw Absolute Batman #1 receive its 11th reprinting.[33]
Accolades
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Comic | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Eisner Awards | Best New Series | Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta | Absolute Batman | Nominated | [34][35] |
| Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman | Absolute Wonder Woman | Won | ||||
| Best Writer | Kelly Thompson | Absolute Wonder Woman | Nominated | |||
| Best Penciller/Inker | Nick Dragotta | Absolute Batman | Nominated | |||
| Best Cover Artist | Hayden Sherman | Absolute Wonder Woman | Nominated | |||
| Best Coloring | Jordie Bellaire | Absolute Wonder Woman | Won | |||
| Best Lettering | Becca Carey | Absolute Wonder Woman Absolute Superman |
Nominated | |||
| Clayton Cowles | Absolute Batman | Won | ||||
| 2026 | Best One-Shot/Single Issue | Daniel Warren Johnson, James Harren, and Meredith McClaren | Absolute Batman 2025 Annual #1 | Pending | [36] | |
| Deniz Camp and Javier Rodriguez | Absolute Martian Manhunter #1 | Pending | ||||
| Best Continuing Series | Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta, and others | Absolute Batman | Pending | |||
| Kelly Thompson, Hayden Sherman, and Mattia De Iulis | Absolute Wonder Woman | Pending | ||||
| Best Limited Series | Deniz Camp and Javier Rodriguez | Absolute Martian Manhunter | Pending | |||
| Best Writer | Deniz Camp | Absolute Martian Manhunter | Pending | |||
| Scott Snyder | Absolute Batman | Pending | ||||
| Kelly Thompson | Absolute Wonder Woman | Pending | ||||
| Best Penciller/Inker | Javier Rodriguez | Absolute Martian Manhunter | Pending | |||
| Hayden Sherman | Absolute Wonder Woman | Pending | ||||
| Best Cover Artist | Pending | |||||
| Best Coloring | Jordie Bellaire | Pending | ||||
| Javier Rodriguez | Absolute Martian Manhunter | Pending | ||||
| Best Lettering | Clayton Cowles | Absolute Batman | Pending | |||
| Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou | Absolute Martian Manhunter | Pending |
In other media
[edit]Film
[edit]The Absolute Universe version of Brainiac served as an inspiration for the DC Universe (DCU) version of the character in Man of Tomorrow, portrayed by Lars Eidinger.[37]
Comic books
[edit]The one-shot comic Mad About DC, released on April 1, 2026, features two short parody stories of the Absolute Universe. The first story, titled "The Punt", was written by Scott Snyder (the writer of Absolute Batman) and illustrated by James Harren,[38] while the second story, titled "Absolute Cash-In", was written by Tom Taylor and illustrated by Bruno Redondo.[39] The two stories respectively introduce the Absolute Universe versions of the characters Maxie Zeus and Condiment King.[citation needed]
Video games
[edit]The Absolute Universe version of Batman and Catwoman appears as outfits for the characters in the game Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight.[citation needed]
See also
[edit]- Earth One: The first modern reimagining of DC Comics titular characters.
- Ultimate Marvel: An imprint by Marvel Comics similar to Absolute Universe and Earth One.
- Ultimate Universe: Another Marvel Comics imprint with a modern reimagining of its characters released around the same time as the Absolute Universe.
- Energon Universe: An Image Comics shared universe of Hasbro action brands like Transformers and G.I. Joe.
References
[edit]- ^ Schedeen, Jesse (July 31, 2024). "Why the Absolute Universe Is DC's Most Exciting Launch in Years". IGN. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
- ^ Johnston, Rich (October 13, 2023). "NYCC Bar Gossip: DC to Announce a New "Ultimate Universe" From Snyder?". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
- ^ Johnston, Rich (April 15, 2024). "Scott Snyder's Ultimate Line For DC Is To Be Called Absolute Comics". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
- ^ Johnston, Rich (April 16, 2024). "Scott Snyder, Absolute Comics And DC All-In, The Morning After". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
- ^ Johnston, Rich (June 22, 2024). "Scott Snyder, Jason Aaron and Kelly Thompson on Absolute DC Comics". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
- ^ Johnston, Rich (July 7, 2024). "SCOOP: DC Comics Launch Absolute Batman At San Diego Comic-Con". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
- ^ Johnston, Rich (July 17, 2024). "DC All-In & Absolute Universe Details, Creators & Comics Confirmed". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
- ^ Johnston, Rich (July 9, 2024). "First Look At Absolute Batman And What It Means For Absolute Universe". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
- ^ Johnston, Rich (July 18, 2024). "No Fortune, Fortress, Family – Absolute Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
- ^ a b c d e Cronin, Brian (July 18, 2024). "DC Reveals First Three Absolute Universe Titles". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
- ^ Polo, Susana (July 17, 2024). "Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman are about to get alternate origin stories via DC's All In". Polygon. Archived from the original on July 19, 2024. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
- ^ "The Design of Absolute DC: Rafa Sandoval on Coming to the Rescue on Absolute Superman". SKTCHD. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
- ^ Johnston, Rich (July 25, 2024). "DC Comics Announces Absolute Flash by Jeff Lemire and Nick Robles". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on August 5, 2024. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
- ^ Johnston, Rich (October 18, 2024). "Confirmed: Absolute Martian Manhunter by Deniz Camp & Javier Rodriguez". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
- ^ a b Salmon, Will (July 27, 2024). "Absolute Green Lantern is writer Al Ewing's first series for DC and will be a "complete reimagining" of the concept, starring multiple Lanterns". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on July 27, 2024. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
- ^ Epps, Justin (July 24, 2025). "Green Arrow is Officially Getting A Reboot, Joining DC's Absolute Universe". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on July 24, 2025. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
- ^ a b McMillan, Graeme (October 11, 2025). "DC launches Absolute Catwoman book". Popverse. Archived from the original on October 11, 2025. Retrieved October 11, 2025.
- ^ Salmon, Will (July 18, 2024). "Absolute Batman heads up the first wave of a new Ultimates-style universe as part of DC's All In comic book line refresh". GamesRadar+. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
- ^ O'Donoghue, Kate (July 18, 2024). "DC's ABSOLUTE Universe Is Finally Official: Get the Full Story & New Creator Details Here". Screen Rant. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
- ^ DC All-In Special #1. DC Comics.
- ^ "Absolute Interview: Discovering the Fears of a Modern Batman". DC. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
- ^ Salmon, Will (July 26, 2024). "Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and more DC heroes join forces to restore the Justice League in a new ongoing series from Kingdom Come writer Mark Waid". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on July 27, 2024. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
- ^ Aguilar, Matthew (October 19, 2024). "Absolute Martian Manhunter and Absolute Green Lantern Details Announced by DC". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on June 18, 2025. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
- ^ Brooke, David (May 15, 2026). "'Absolute Green Arrow' #1 returns for new second printing covers". AIPT. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
- ^ Brooke, David (July 16, 2025). "DC expands the Absolute Universe in October 2025 with milestone issues and two one-shots". Adventures in Poor Taste. Archived from the original on July 16, 2025. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ Brooke, David (June 9, 2026). "Absolute Catwoman #1 heads back to press as DC announces 'Absolute Cassandra Cain' one-shot". AIPT. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
- ^ Johnston, Rich (November 19, 2024). "DC Claims Absolute Batman #1 is 2024's Best-Selling Comic, But Is It?". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on July 24, 2025. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ Johnston, Rich (October 9, 2024). "Absolute Wonder Woman #1 Gets 150,000 Orders, Superman Looking At 180K". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on March 19, 2025. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ Johnston, Rich (February 21, 2025). "ComicsPRO: Absolute Batman #1 Gets A Sixth Printing". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on February 26, 2025. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ Epps, Justin (March 20, 2025). "DC's New Flash Just Broke a Sales Record Nearly 40 Years In the Making". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on May 5, 2025. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ Johnston, Rich (March 8, 2025). "Absolute Martian Manhunter #1 Gets Over 120,000 Orders". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on April 3, 2025. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ Kit, Borys (December 23, 2025). "'Batman', Absolute Universe Comics Power DC to Super Year". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 23, 2025. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
- ^ "DC announces major reprinting of Absolute universe single issues". Comics Beat. February 6, 2026. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
- ^ Ross, Patrick (May 15, 2025). "2025 Eisner Award nominees announced". AIPT. Archived from the original on May 20, 2025. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ Johnston, Rich (July 25, 2025). "The Results Of The 2025 Eisner Awards As They Were Announced (Updated)". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on July 26, 2025. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
- ^ Johnston, Rich (May 14, 2026). "Eisner Awards 2026 Nominees Announced, DC Comics & Deniz Camp Lead". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
- ^ Agar, Chris (December 21, 2025). "James Gunn Teases Which Version of Brainiac We'll See in the DCU". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on December 23, 2025. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
- ^ Johnston, Rich (April 1, 2026). "Scott Snyder Parodies His Own Absolute Batman In MAD Magazine". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on April 2, 2026. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
- ^ Epps, Justin (April 4, 2026). "DC Comics Finally Delivers on the One Absolute Character You've Been Hoping For". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on April 5, 2026. Retrieved April 6, 2026.