In a year of comics defined by reset superhero universes, arguably nothing made a bigger splash in 2024 than DC’s Absolute Universe. Spilling out of October 2024’s DC All In Special #1 and crafting a new DC Universe defined by “Darkseid Energy,” the Absolute Universe sets up new status quos for DC’s Trinity: Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. Most importantly, each Absolute comic features superstar creative teams leaning into making the coolest looking version of DC Comics they can fathom, with Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta on Absolute Batman, Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman on Absolute Wonder Woman, and Jason Aaron and Rafa Sandoval on Absolute Superman.
This isn’t the first time DC has launched a prestige alternate universe (what’s up, Earth-1!), but there’s a definite excitement and energy behind the Absolute Verse that feels like a moment, to the tune of Absolute Batman #1 selling more than any comic in 2024. For fans who’ve always wondered what a Marvel Ultimate Universe would look like on the DC-side, this is quite close, with a chance to consider some Elseworlds style questions like “What if Wonder Woman was raised in Hell?” or “What if Batman wasn’t rich?” Those premises oversimplify the appeal of the Absolute Universe, though, which in the early going is heavily defined by incredible, stylistic reinventions of icons by the likes of Dragotta and Sherman.
March of 2025 will mark wave 2 of the Absolute Universe with the launch of Absolute Flash by Jeff Lemire and Nick Robles, Absolute Martian Manhunter by Deniz Camp and Javier Rodriguez, and Absolute Green Lantern by Al Ewing and Jahnoy Lindsay. It seems possible that at some point all of this could come crashing back into conflict with the “prime” DC All In Universe, but in the early going, DC is wisely keeping each series free from crossovers and extra reading. This means that – until some sort of crossover is announced – you also don’t have to worry about reading the “prime” DC titles. You can just enjoy Absolute – which is ideal!
The most likely cause of confusion for newer readers is that DC now uses ‘Absolute’ for multiple purposes. On one hand, you have the new universe which I”m describing and tracking here. And on the other, you have Absolute editions of many of DC’s best-selling comics throughout their history. For example, Absolute Watchmen is an oversized, hardcover collection of Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons and John Higgins classic Watchmen, which is my favorite comic book of all time, but has nothing to do with the new Absolute DC Universe (yet!). Likewise, summer 2025 will see the release of Absolute Batman: Haunted Knight, a collection of Bat stories from Jeph Loeb and the late, great Tim Sale. These aren’t part of the new Absolute Universe – that’s just how DC describes this particular type of collected graphic novel. Clear as mud? Great! What you need to know is if the comic didn’t start in 2024 or later, and it’s not on my reading order here, it’s not part of the new Absolute U!
Absolute DC Comics Reading Order!
The oversized All In Special issue is really the only comic to read before Absolute Batman, and it’s debatable how necessary a read it is. For the first launch issues, honestly, you don’t need to read the special, and I’d argue for new readers it’s more confusing than it’s worth. That said, this issue establishes how a new Universe came to be formed as created by Darkseid. And you don’t create a new universe with Darkseid without that coming up again at some point. Plus, the All In Special features art by Wes Craig, who drew the excellent Deadly Class and is the creator of one of my favorite current ongoing comics, Kaya.
Apart from the DC All In Special above, are there any comics you need to read to understand or enjoy Absolute Batman? No. Truly, no! Assuming you have existed in a culture full of Batman, and have absorbed some knowledge of the Dark Knight through TV, Film, Comics, Video Games, or literally anything else, you will be familiar enough with Bruce Wayne’s mythos to understand what’s happening in these glorious pages from Snyder, Dragotta and Martin.
Now, personally, I do find it interesting to see how Absolute Batman compares to Snyder’s previous iconic work on New 52 Batman with Greg Capullo. So if you just want some additional good Batman comics, get thee to the Court of Owls! Otherwise, don’t overthink it – dig into Absolute Batman!
The biggest question about the Absolute DC universe is whether the launch titles intersect, or whether you can read each separately. After the first 3 issues of each series, I’d say you can easily just read each series individually. I’ve listed them out as published so you can mirror the publication experience, but if you find you’re only enjoying one or two of the three (I’m partial to Batman and Wonder Woman myself), you don’t need to read each to “keep up.”
Absolute Batman #2
Absolute Wonder Woman #2
Absolute Superman #2
Absolute Batman #3
Absolute Wonder Woman #3
Absolute Superman #3
Absolute Batman #4
Absolute Wonder Woman #4
Absolute Superman #4
Absolute Batman #5
Absolute Wonder Woman #5
Absolute Superman #5
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The sad thing is that we all line up and can’t wait for yet another remake of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. Can’t DC and Marvel at some point just take the plunge and just let them create a whole new universe with new characters? My god, these guys can do it. Does it HAVE to be BATMAN. Nothing else will satisfy us? Run it for 5 years, burn it down and do another. Over and over again. NEW STUFF. PLEASE.
Lol y’all keep saying that, there are already other characters in other publications doing original runs, and you know what still sells? Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, all of the legacy characters that already exist.
People keep asking for new things, but when new things are made, another group of people would complain.
“Oh why would they make a new character? They’re just hogging the spotlight, bring so and so back”
“Oh why these ones again? Can’t they think of other characers? So unoriginal.”
it’s a cycle I tell ya.