The DC Absolute Trinity is complete with the debut of Absolute Superman, and like Absolute Batman and Absolute Wonder Woman, there are a variety of changes to the original origin story fans are familiar with. There are also plenty of changes to the overall mythology, the supporting cast, and Superman’s current relationship to Earth, and that’s not even taking into account Superman’s powers. We’re diving into all those changes and getting you up to speed on the biggest ones and what’s drastically changed in one place, and we are going to talk full spoilers from here on out.
Krypton
The changes start on Krypton years ago, and we quickly get a bird’s eye view of Krypton’s class system. The Science League sits at the top of the system, and we learn that unlike in the original story, Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van, who are Kal-El’s parents, are not a part of that class. Instead, they are part of Krypton’s lowest class, the Laborers Guild, and that is represented by the familiar S crest. They are also referred to as the people of steel.
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It is revealed that both Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van were supposed to have places in that League but were both kept out by higher powers for taking a stand against the government. Lara was said to be destined for great things from early on, but that all changed after she wrote an essay at the age of 9 that criticized Krypton’s lack of funding for interstellar exploration. She was labeled as unruly and banned from ever applying to the science academy as a result.
Meanwhile, Jor-El, who is now a lead engineer in the Geological Engineering division, was also supposed to be in a high-ranking position, but that changed at his graduation ceremony. That’s when he gave a speech that condemned the Science League’s environmental recklessness, calling out how Krypton was pillaging the planet’s natural resources and endangering it as a result. He was then laughed out of his graduation and quickly lost his place and status in the aftermath.
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While Jor’s place in Kryptonian society changes, he is still cognizant of what’s happening to Krypton and witnesses the beginning of the end down in the mines. While the destruction of the planet hasn’t completely happened yet, it is already taking lives in another change from the story, and in relatively brutal ways.
Last Son of Krypton
The other major change to the origin story is in regard to Kal-El. In the original story, Kal is just a baby when Krypton is destroyed and is sent off in a small ship that ends up landing on Earth. This time around we see that Kal is already older when Krypton is on its final lap, marking a huge change in his early years and in his dynamic with his Kryptonian roots.
There’s no definitive age given in the first issue, but he’s significantly older. If I had to guess, maybe 12 or 13, but it could be outside of that range as well. What is clearly apparent is that Kal is very close to both of his parents, as they all hug when Jor-El comes home after a close call with the planet’s ongoing decomposition.
The Kent Farm
On Earth, we get a quick glimpse of the iconic Kent Farm, which is where Kal grows up with the Kents after he crash lands on Earth in the original story. The farm has seen better days here, with the house looking rundown and absent of occupants while the barn looks dilapidated and has a huge hole in the roof to boot.
Kent is still on the mailbox, but it’s dented and looks like it’s been unused for quite some time, and that is likely due to the final tease of this scene, which shows a sign out front that reads “Property of Lazarus Corp”. The Kents clearly exist in this world, but it’s unclear where they are at the moment, what led to Lazarus taking over their home, and if they’ve ever had any run-ins with Kal since he arrived on Earth.
Relationship to Earth
In the years since, Kal has made a home on Earth, and we quickly see that he’s pretty conflicted about it. In the original origin, Kal grew up on Earth and thus developed an appreciation and love for Earth and those who live there. This time that doesn’t seem to be the case, as Kal roams around from place to place helping people but has also clearly seen the darker side of humanity. The few conversations he has with others reveal humanity hasn’t exactly made the best first impression.
We meet a Superman far more conflicted in regards to his relationship with Earth, and he’s trying to still figure out where he lands as he also avoids the Lazarus Corp continually hunting him down. We still don’t know the full extent of what has happened between the two parties or why they are currently hunting him, though we do get an idea later on.
Familiar Faces
Two of Superman’s more iconic characters make their debut in this issue, and both are on the opposite side. After Superman is discovered, we see Lazarus send their Phenomena Field Team to the scene to confront him, and they do manage to knock him down. He then lights them up (literally in some cases) in the ensuing battle with heat vision (more on that in a minute), but is then confronted by a whole task force looking to take him down. That leads to one of the agents coming out of nowhere and cuffing herself to him, and that ends up being Lois Lane, who is an Agent for Lazarus.
The other familiar face is also in the employ of Lazarus, specifically its R&D department, and that turns out to be Brainiac. He can be seen with his brain exposed and connected to a variety of devices, and you can also see what appear to be shrunken cities or entities in containers around him screaming in pain or for help. Video screens are all showing live footage of Superman, and Brainiac makes it clear he’s curious about who this new individual is.
The Powers
There’s so much just in regards to the powers that we’ll leave a full breakdown for a later time, but to give you a quick rundown, we see several of Superman’s key powers make their return here. That includes X-Ray vision, super strength, super speed, invulnerability, and heat vision. What’s different this time around is that his costume is actually a pseudo A.I. that guides and advises him, and the suit is what charges him up with solar power.
We see that process cut off due to the ambush, and that means Superman’s power levels are rather low since he couldn’t get a full charge. He also can’t control all of his powers yet, as we see in one particularly fiery sequence later on. Freeze Breath hasn’t made a return yet, nor has flight, but odds are we’ll see those in future issues. While he still has the powers, his relationship with them and how he utilizes them has drastically changed, and it also remains to be seen how much the suit is intertwined with them.
What did you think of Absolute Superman #1? You can talk all things comics and DC with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!