Issues one and two of this series were solid reads, but had their problems that led me to think this series may not be for me. However, issue three has alleviated all my concerns.
Absolute Superman is a new reimagining of the Man of Steel without his family farm, without his job as a reporter, without Lois Lane, and without some of his power. You can check out my review of issue one here and issue two here. After issue two, I was a bit concerned with how much I would like this series. After reading issue three, I’m feeling very confident in the writer, Jason Aaron, and artist, Rafa Sandoval.
SPOILERS for Absolute Superman #3 below.
This issue focuses heavily on Kal-El’s schooling, his discovery of writing, and the idea of free speech as a whole. The overall theme is executed with narrative ease and impressive writing. It starts with Kal’s parents telling him they’ve received a message from his teacher. Kal has been writing using his own sources, words, and logical conclusions instead of using the “luminarium”, a kind of knowledge base created by Krypton’s elite. It seems as if his parents might scold him, but, in spite of Kal’s grades suffering, they praise his original creative thought. They encourage him to follow his passion. It’s a great bit of dialogue that is written realistically and conveys a common problem through the setting and characters of a comic book.
Kal eventually catches on to his parents’ knowledge that something is wrong with Krypton. Kal starts investigating on his own. He finds crops dying, animals killing themselves, fish floating to the tops of lakes, and the planet itself acting strangely. When Kal goes on a school trip, he decides to put his thoughts onto paper and finds that passion his parents were talking about. He submits his paper to the school only to find himself censured, his passion killed by the agenda of the Kryptonian elite. Once again, the theme is presented perfectly. The ideas of censorship and free speech expertly mimic modern issues without becoming too tied into the politics of the real world.
When Kal and his class make it to the Halls of High Wisdom, Kal coincidentally sees his father being dragged off by Kryptonian law enforcement. Jor tells Kal to find his mother and warn her of what is happening.
We then get some beautifully drawn comic book style action. Lara, armed with Sol, the suit Kal wears on Earth, and an awesome gun that shoots lava, Lara decides to get her husband back. I’m not sure why she thought it was a good idea to bring her son to a shootout, maybe simply to keep an eye on him, but she brings Kal and Krypto along for the fight. The artwork has been great in every issue of this series, but it really excels in issue three, especially when there is action.
The family flees the city to their farm where they try to tell Kal the planet is dying, and Kal confesses that he already knows. He predicts that his parents are going to send him into space all alone with Sol and the personal space suit, similar to what happens in the main Superman stories, but his parents prove him wrong. They’re going together. They’ve built a ship large enough to go undetected during the building process, but not big enough to take as many people as they wanted. It is then that Jor and Lara learn that, somehow, an article has been published “everywhere” showing that the Science League knew all along that Krypton was dying and has been building giant ships for their own escape. Who published it? Kal-El.
The comic ends with one scene on Earth. It takes place in a senior living facility where we see a dying Marhta Kent, longing for her son, referring to him as an angel.
This issue is excellent. Out of all the comics I’ve reviewed on ComicBookMovie.com, this is one of the best. I get the Absolute Universe isn’t for everyone, but this truly is an amazing book. Maybe it just spoke to me as a writer, novelist, and English teacher, but the themes of following passion, especially a passion for writing, speaking and writing your thoughts even when discouraged, and continuing hope were truly wonderful. Every page is truly brought to life by the excellent art as well. My reservations about the series as a whole have been relieved. I just hope to see more of the El family’s escape from Krypton in the next issue as it is much more entertaining than Kal El’s efforts on Earth.
This comic is a 10/10 masterpiece.
