Last summer, horror was invading the DC Universe in the Knight Terrors crossover event. This year, the world of DC Comics will once again be shaken by another summer blockbuster event: Absolute Power! From the creative team of Mark Waid and Dan More (Batman Superman World’s Finest), DC Comics Absolute Power pits the greatest DC Super Heroes against the “Trinity of Evil” in a major conflict that will determine the fate of all metahumans in the DC universe.
Set in the aftermath of Titans: Beast World and House of Brainiac, DC’s Trinity of Evil—the Brainiac Queen, Failsafe, and Amanda Waller—has won. As DC explained, they “hold all the cards in their final gambit to eliminate all metahumans in the DC Universe! Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, and the rest of the World’s Greatest DC Super Heroes make their last stand in Absolute Power.”
What to Read Before Absolute Power?
As usual, we believe that each event should be written in a way that readers can understand it without having to read anything beforehand! Nevertheless, during the past year, DC Comics has been building its story towards Absolute Power.
Part of the Dawn of DC Initiative, Absolute Power is the conclusion of the buildup around a “Trinity of Evil.” If you want to explore the teasing and setup before Absolute Power, you should read:
- Batman Vol. 1: Failsafe – Chip Zdarsky and Jorge Jimenez’s run on Batman started with the introduction of Failsafe, an unstoppable foe that can outfight and outthink the Dark Knight created by by Batman’s Zur-En-Arrh personality. (Batman #125-130).
- Titans: Beast World – a Teen Titans event during which millions of people were changed into rampaging creatures. Amanda Waller played a part in those events and came into a position of power at the end of it.
- House of Brainiac – the Superman event from Joshua Williamson and Rafael Sandoval pits Superman and his family against Brainiac and introduces the Brainiac Queen.
For those interested in going a little bit deeper, you can continue to read Zdarsky’s run on Batman with the Dark Prisons arc (#145-149) wrapping up every plot from the run before the showdown! You can also take a look at Joshua Williamson’s Green Arrow.
Prologue: Countdown to Absolute Power
We’re coming closer to the start of the event! The Countdown has started with a miniseries and a few other issues:
- Suicide Squad: Dream Team – A Four issue miniseries by Nicole Maines and Eddy Barrows set after Beast World and centered on Nia Nal, a.k.a Dreamer
- Green Arrow #12-13 – The Countdown starts for Green Arrow, though it has to be said, #12 doesn’t feel really necessary for this event. While a panel from #13 references an event from Absolute Power, it is better to have read this part before.
- The Flash #10 – Set after Green Arrow #13.
- Green Lantern #12 – Not labeled as an Absolute Power tie-in, but Amanda Waller is present towards the end the main story and this quickly explains Hal Jordan’s situation in the event for those interested.
If you want to skip all the reading but still get some supplementary background information, DC Comics has you covered with an article that provides everything you need to know before diving into Absolute Power.
DC Comics Absolute Power Collected Editions
It’s too soon to have information on the collected editions yet. This part will be updated at a later date!
- Absolute Power Collected Edition
TBA - More to come…
DC Comics Absolute Power Reading Order & Checklist
The Main Event starts here! This reading will be updated as the story is unfolding
- Absolute Power: Ground Zero #1 – Amanda Waller sets the stage to go to war against superpowers.
- 2024 Absolute Power Free Comic Book Day Special Edition – Released before, the events depicted here are set after Ground Zero
- Absolute Power #1 (of 4)
- Wonder Woman #11 – Set during Absolute Power #1.
- Absolute Power: Task Force Seven #1 (of 7) – Centers on Billy and Mary from the Shazam family. A direct follow-up to WW #11. With the beginning of Steve Trevor’s little story.
- Superman #16
- Batman #150 – Only the backup story has ties with Absolute Power. An exchange between our heroes implies this is set after WW#11 and during or after Superman #16.
- Green Arrow #14 – The Green Arrow Family is on a mission.
- Green Lantern #13 – JSA’s story continues in Absolute Power: Task Force VII #3, so this issue can be read closer to the follow-up.
- Absolute Power: Task Force Seven #2 (of 7) (July 24) – Featuring Aquaman and the Doom Patrol, following the events of AP #1. Steve Trevor’s story continues here.
- Absolute Power: Task Force Seven #3 (of 7) (July 31) – Featuring Alan Scott, the JSA and Carol Ferris with part three of Steve Trevor’s story.
As events are unfolding, what follows is not a definitive order at this stage and will be modified when new information permits to give a more solid order:
- Absolute Power #2 (of 4)
- Green Lantern #14 – Set after Absolute Power: Task Force Seven #3 and AP#2, Featuring Hal Jordan, Alan Scott, Carol Ferris and the JSA.
- Green Arrow #15 – Direct follow-up to GA #14. As Oliver is present in AP #2, this issue can be read around here.
- Superman #17 – Superman and Zatanna trek into the darkest areas of the DC Universe.
- Superman #18 – Direct Follow-up to #17.
- Batman #151 – Batman goes on a mission with Catwoman, while Harley Quinn is the only one left to save Gotham in the backup story.
- Batman #152 – Batman/Catwoman’s mission continues and concludes. Back-up story with the Birds of Prey.
- Green Arrow #15 (August 16) – Conclusion of Arrow’s story (with his family)
- Wonder Woman #12 – Wonder Woman teams up with Damian for their secret mission.
- Absolute Power: Task Force Seven #4 (of 7) – If you ask yourself where Tim was, the answer is here, in a story also featuring Dick! And two pages with Col. Steve Trevor!
- Absolute Power: Task Force Seven #5 (of 7) – What did Col. Steve Trevor discover? Also featuring The Flash!
- Absolute Power #3 (of 4)
- Green Lantern #15 (September 11) – Hal rides into the Danger Zone!
- Absolute Power: Super Son #1 – Set before Task Force Seven #6 as a reference is made in the issue.
- Absolute Power: Task Force Seven #6 (of 7) (September 11) – Amanda Waller comes for the Amazons.
- Wonder Woman #13 – Wonder Woman, Damian and their new ally continue their mission.
- Absolute Power: Task Force Seven #7 (of 7) – It’s Global Guardain Global Guardian’s Worlwide siege! And the grand finale is almost here…
The origin story you didn’t know you needed! Absolute Power: Origins explores Amanda Waller’s past and can be read at any time. However, since the ending teases Absolute Power #4, reading it just beforehand feels more fitting.
- Absolute Power: Origins #1 (of 3)
- Absolute Power: Origins #2 (of 3)
- Absolute Power: Origins #3 (of 3)
- Absolute Power #4 (of 4) – The Last issue! [new]
After Absolute Power… DC goes All In!
After the events of Absolute Power, DC goes ‘All In’, a new status quo for the DC Universe starting in October! This new initiative will combine the classic ongoing lines of titles (under the All In initiative) with new starting points for readers with the launch of a new universe, DC Absolute Universe, introducing new versions of DC’s iconic superheroes! Everything starts with DC All In Special #1, out now!