Absolute Power; Absolute Passion

DC is rebooting their beloved franchises with a darker tint! Here's a little bit about how I found out through an impassioned email from my local comic book shop.

I recently got into US comic books after having read Japanese manga for most of my life. 'Just what sorts of stories have been hiding beneath the masks and capes?' I wondered. It's been a fun ride through an interesting sub-culture in American society and I wish I got into them sooner. Plus, it feels good knowing I'm supporting artists and storytellers in this space.

Truthfully, my first foray into comic books began with Marvel. However, the other day an interesting email from the local comic shop swayed my heart. It was a lengthy exposé about DC's upcoming Absolute Batman series, and I found it quite endearing to see that someone's passion spilling onto script can still be so powerful.

Naturally, I had never heard of this series. I had thumbed my nose up at anything DC related for years. 'Probably absolute garbage,' was a legitimate thought that popped into my head when I originally read through their appeal. By the time I got to the end of their message though, whatever magic they had felt also rubbed off on me and I couldn't wait to get in on this as well.

It turns out, Absolute Batman (and Absolute Superman and Absolute Wonder Woman) are alternate reality versions of our familiar heroes. DC has supposedly promised that there's only two realities that matter at the moment, and eventually both will confront/converge. It's pretty cool - but it's also something very similar to the Marvel Ultimate line of comics as well.

Really, the thing that made me most excited was that this new series was making the comic book regulars hyped. Yes, that's right. The good people who have seen pretty much every storyline twice are pumped that the company that never bends (DC) has finally given a little ground when it comes to their franchises.

Are you hyped, too?

The new series kicks off on Oct-2nd with a one shot called DC All In.

Check it out at your local comic shop!

- James