Summary
DC Comicsrecently announced that Scott Snyder and Joshua Williamson will beushering in a new Absolute Universefor Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. Set to launch in October withDC All In Special#1 by Snyder, Williamson, Wes Craig, and Daniel Sampere, the universe presents an array of opportunities as well as all-star creative teams.
DC Comics has a deep history of reboots, relaunches and reinventions of its most iconic heroes. From the divisive New 52 to the popular Rebirth era,the company has explored alternate versions of its heroes in dozens of ways, with even more creative teams leaving their mark on the heroes. The next of these will be DC’s new alternate Absolute Universe, which is an extension of the “All-In” initiative (a change of creative teams on core books to offer jumping-on points). With the Absolute Universe line of titles, readers will get all-new takes on their favorite heroes — and hopefully have one misconception become reality.
TheAbsolute Universe will focus on Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman, revising their origins for a concept similar to Marvel’s Ultimates. After speculation was spurred on by Williamson taking a step back fromGreen Arrowand Snyder, long-time DC writer, teasing a return to the publisher, the company has set up a new era for their heroes.
Wonder Woman is Bringing The Most Underrated Justice League Team Back Together
Wonder Woman’s new team debuts just in time for the mayhem of DC’s blockbuster event, Absolute Power, but how will they fare without their powers?
The Trinity Can Be Foundational to the Absolute Universe
Unlike the Traditional DC Universe
Although readers may associate DC’s Trinity — Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman — with the Golden Age, this is far from the truth. Despite the trio launching within the first five years of the superhero age,DC’s early days featured solitary heroes. While the Justice Society team did exist, the heroes readers now think of as A-listers rarely had team-ups at all. For example, it wasn’t until 1952 that the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel finally shared a team-up storyin the pages ofSuperman#76 by Edmond Hamilton, Curt Swan, and Stan Kaye. The Trinity itself wasn’t something DC truly invested in until the 1990s.
If the new line wants to set itself apart from past iterations and alternate versions of the DCU, presenting an early, deep-rooted friendship between the heroes would be key.
Surprisingly, there was no hint of a specific “Trinity” friendship until the iconic “For the Man Who Has Everything” story inSuperman Annual#11 by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. That lack of history, however, issomething that DC can alter for their new Absolute Universe. In this world, the trio of heroes can form the Universe’s foundational basis. If the new line wants to set itself apart from past iterations and alternate versions of the DCU, presenting an early, deep-rooted friendship between the heroes would be key. Readers have seen in the past how dull their team-ups can be when their relationships are overly formal.
DC’s Absolute Universe Can Do What the New 52 Failed To
Put the Trinity at the Forefront
DC has recognized the importance of the Trinity over the years, telling a variety of stories that follow their origin as a team.Some of these tales even retconned the Golden Age, implying that the trio formed a partnership during the early days of their careers. However, as far as the current history of the company goes, the trio spent as much time independent of one another as has passed since they formed their group. Having a universe start fresh with a focus on the Trinity can begin a world the way DC wishes it could have in hindsight.
DC’s Absolute Universe can get it right from square one.
Surprisingly, focusing on the Trinity as a founding aspect of the DCU was something neglected even by the New 52. Although all three heroes were present at the formation of the Justice League, Superman and Wonder Woman had a relationship wholly independent of Batman, who barely featured alongside the pair in their own tales. In fact, the only story of the era that even named them was the ironically-named “Trinity War.” Now,DC’s Absolute Universe can get it rightfrom square one, raising hopes high forDC Comicsreaders.
DC All In Special#1is available October 2nd, 2024 from DC Comics.
