Jason Aaron's comic books are known for their brutality and the surprises along the way. For example, during his run of Wolverine, Aaron shocked Logan by having him meet his biological father in Hell (Wolverine Goes to Hell), and later having Wolverine kill people that he later found out were his kids (Wolverine's Revenge). It’s not shocking that this trend is continuing in Absolute Superman, despite this series starring one of the most wholesome characters in comics. But, as we’ve seen throughout the Absolute Universe, the characters in this series aren’t like their Earth-Prime counterparts.
In issue No. 9 of Absolute Superman, Kal-El was in a crisis. He started seeing people be horrible, and possibly irredeemable. This caused him to wonder if some people deserved to die. Later, after thinking about a conversation with his father in issue No. 10, he ultimately decides that killing people isn’t the way to go. Sadly, Ra’s al Ghul has other plans.
Ra’s wants him to be a murderer so that the two of them can save the world. Beyond that delusional idea, he’s started calling Kal-El his son and saying that he will teach him to be worthy of being called a child of al Ghul. Superman refuses, but Ra's has a contingency plan. His daughter, Talia al Ghul, stabs Superman in the back with a Kryptonite blade and reveals herself to be the leader of the Omega Men. However, at the end of the issue, Talia says, "All hail the Omega," not the Omega Men.
Absolute Superman No. 10 creative team
- Writer: Jason Aaron
- Artist: Carmine Di Giandomenico
- Colorist: Ulises Arreola
Jason Aaron left clues throughout the series that something was up with the Omega Men’s leader. She continuously tried to talk Superman into being a killer, even when that extreme a measure wasn’t necessary. It was also weird that we never learned her real name. Now, it all makes sense. It was a fantastic build-up to this issue, and a nice lead in to DC Comics’ Absolute Evil in October.
As mentioned earlier, this Superman differs from the Man of Steel in Universe-Prime. While there are similarities, not having the consistent love of Martha and Jonathan Kent has left him unsure of himself. He knows right from wrong, thanks to his biological father and mother Jor-El and Lara but you can see that he’s still struggling to find his true place in the world.
After this story arc ends, readers could witness a Superman who kills. It would shock the world and upset comic book fans, but what a moment it would be. Stay tuned to Bam Smack Pow to find out if that happens.
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