Marvel was able to keep their sit on the throne for quite some time now. The reason being is because of its iron grip on cinema. But what novice fans tend to overlook is the importance of the source material; comic books. Comic books have set the foundation of all the success and fame of superhero films. Because of the popularity of film, comic books regrettably take a back seat. But the guys on the other side of town are dominating that space right now. DC has brought attention to comic books because of what writers are doing with the Absolute Universe. Comic book and superhero fans are flocking to these books because of how great they are written, how perfect they are drawn, and the magnitude of storytelling. The Absolute Universe for DC is what’s hot right now in the comic book community. These stories are bringing in a lot of love which by extension is helping this particular universe but will this success bleed into comic books as a whole?
What the Absolute Universe is, it’s an extreme version of beloved DC characters while at the same time deliberately altering, excluding, and adding familiar and new material. The best-case scenario of this is Absolute Batman. While other characters are carving their own path, Batman – like in any other DC continuity – seems to be the flagship of this universe. Here, he is about 7’0 ft, about 350lbs of pure muscle, a construction worker, missing the standard Wayne wealth, has his mom alive, and using his mind in engineering to create most of his gadgets. And uses the bat symbol on his chest as an axe head. It was a version of him that got fans talking but it wasn’t until his villains were revealed where the full potential of the Absolute Universe was displayed. Mr. Freeze is basically a Wendigo. Poison Ivy is an Eldritch version of mother nature. Bane is a towering monster of a man that is able to cleanly lift Batman 10 feet off the ground. Killer Croc was joked about being Godzilla. And The Joker is essentially a devil. This style goes out for a lot of other DC characters. Wonder Woman is part witch. Hawk Man is a hitman. Superman’s suit is living a weapon akin to Spawn’s suit. And Green Arrow is a serial killer who targets the corrupt. This type of approach to DC lore has fans excited, pleased and puts them in a constant state of anticipation. Whenever a new character is revealed, it sets the bar. But the very next reveal sets the bar even higher. It may have been viewed as a gamble to drastically alter nearly everything but with success and anticipation that the Absolute Universe has revolving around it, it’s definitely bringing a loud buzz to comic books.
With many movies receiving most of the attention, it is refreshing to finally see comic books get some of the glory. Within the comic book community, it’s easy to discuss film or even games, while comic books themselves were lightly referenced. But now, due to the success of the Absolute Universe, those comic books are the center of attention. The drastic changes in a character’s lore is brought up. The extreme visuals of them are what spearheads those discussions. In a first time in perhaps a long time, the actual books are the hottest topics to talk about. The Absolute Universe arrived at the right time because of the number of superhero movies is down. It opened up a great opportunity for comic books to grab the spotlight and that’s exactly what happened. For true fans of the literature, they need to have these stories in their collection because the stories are written well plus, it puts a fresh bold coating on DC lore, it’s tempting. Then it’s these fans that pass the hype onto someone else, whether it’s fan, a novice fan or a non-reader. It’s creating a rallying point toward comic books.
So, while the success of the Absolute Universe is bringing a bright spotlight to comic books, it appears it’s only on the Absolute Universe. Will that sort of attention bleed to other comic books? Will the success of it encourage fans, old and novice, to venture into more comic books? The answer is leaning toward a no. If it were true that the Absolute Universe was leading people to other books, it would be heard by now. The only other comic book, or in this case storyline, that is being looked at is DC K.O.; a tournament style story that is pitting DC characters against each other. Ironically, it does have ties to the Absolute Universe. But as of now, the Absolute Universe has all the attention on it. Because it is being handled exceptionally, it’s very very tempting to stay with the Absolute Universe. That momentum is settling within the Absolute Universe. Even though dedicated fans will go out and get what they want to read, no matter if it’s trendy or not, the talk around town is this new universe. There is not talk about how it led readers, especially new readers, down a rabbit hole of comic books. It’s serving as the main attraction and not the gateway. Everything about the Absolute Universe is great but it’s the main, and perhaps, only draw. Once fans are in it, there’s not much worth in venturing out elsewhere. The MCU had this type of treatment. The MCU rose in popularity and instead of a spreading interest going into the books, it remained with the films. DC is facing this right now. It is an achievement to have this type of hyper focus on books, but it is limited. Still, it is a blessing for comic books fans to have comic books stealing the limelight.
For the last several years, the trendiest way to participate in the superhero genre is to watch films or streaming shows. An occasional game would come along and become the main discussion. But throughout that time, comic books just feel deeply below the radar even though they are the roots to everything. It has finally turned around. The Absolute Universe has brought love to comic books. Many voices in the comic book community are shouting about the excitement revolving around this new universe. But although it has brought in a lot of eyes on comic books, eyes may only stay on the Absolute Universe. No eyes are going to wonder toward anything else. But regardless, this is still a big win for comic books. They served as the basis for it all and now they are getting their due.
