REVIEW: Absolute Superman #19

Absolute Superman #19, “Reign of the Superman, Part Two: Red Steel in the Hour of Chaos” is non-stop action at lightning speed as Teth-Adam, also known as King Shazam, awakens after thousands of years and finds Earth sorely lacking. Writer Jason Aaron, artist Rafa Sandoval, colorist Ulises Arreola and letterer Becca Carey unleash one of Earth’s first Supermen, a being ready to enforce his Absolute power and will over the world.

Month after month, this creative team continues to cook with new versions of classic DC superheroes we know, love and thought we knew — until we met them in the Absolute Universe. This issue delivers a new hero out for revenge, the unearthing of an antihero and a cameo by a fan-favorite Absolute Universe hero. Before we fly head-on into the review, let’s talk about this month’s covers.

The standard cover by Sandoval and Arreola throws readers straight into the central conflict of Absolute Superman #19, with Superman caught in a violent clash against King Shazam. Teth-Adam looms above while golden lightning tears across Superman’s body, making the threat feel massive. Sandoval captures the physical intensity of the battle, while Arreola’s colors give the energy a divine, destructive quality. This is Superman facing a power that feels ancient, angry and overwhelming.

The Björn Barends variant turns King Shazam into the full focus, presenting him as a terrifying force of judgment. His glowing eyes, grim expression and imposing frame make him feel like a god of wrath walking through smoke and rubble. The lightning around his hands and chest feels unstable and dangerous, adding to the sense that this Teth-Adam is not someone to be reasoned with.

The Haining variant offers a beautiful contrast, showing Superman in a far more hopeful light. His cape sweeps across the cover like giant red wings, giving him an angelic presence as he reaches toward the reader. The bright sky, soft expression and open hand feel warm and inviting, almost as if Superman is welcoming readers into the issue himself.

There are also variant covers available from Chuma Hill and Jeff Dekal.

Sandoval and Arreola, who officially returned to the interior duties they originated, are a great collaborative team. Whenever they are working together, the action pops and every page looks cinematic. They take readers across the world within this issue, making every location and explosive moment feel big and important.

Aaron’s writing surprises me, and at the same time, it does not. It surprises me how he can take DC characters that I and other readers feel we know unequivocally and reshape them in ways that feel very different, yet still familiar. That takes talent and creativity. I have come to expect it whenever a new character shows up in Absolute Superman, but that expectation does not lessen my excitement.I am also excited to know that an Absolute Universe crossover is coming and that Aaron is going to be heading it up. I have complete confidence in him, and I look forward to seeing what he and the other writers and artists have in store.

Back to Absolute Superman #19, we get a brief origin of the Absolute Universe’s John Henry Irons, also known as Steel, and a motivation for why he is after the reformed Ra’s al Ghul. We also get a face-to-face meeting between Ra’s and King Shazam. What Ra’s once was before Superman’s intervention, King Shazam now is, but with raw, unbridled power.

Clark tries to reason with King Shazam, but much like with Ra’s at the beginning of this series, there are no words that can reach this Brainiac-empowered former slave. That parallel gives the issue extra weight because Superman is once again trying to reach someone twisted by power, pain and the belief that domination is the only path forward.

(10/10) Absolute Superman #19 is another explosive issue with a strong story, incredible action and meaningful character parallels. With the focus centered so heavily on Ra’s, King Shazam, Superman and Steel, Lois’s presence almost slipped my mind from the previous issue. That does not hurt the story. It simply shows how fast these powerful forces are colliding.

I love the parallels shown between Superman and King Shazam, King Shazam and Ra’s, and surprisingly, Ra’s and Superman in the way they both try to reach out to King Shazam. Those layers make the issue more than just a massive fight. They give the action meaning.