DC Comics’ Absolute Evil No. 1 was a way to celebrate a year of the Absolute Universe and show what’s next for the future of this dimension. Both were done in a way that accurately depicts what the creators are trying to get across. And that, to coin a phrase from The Divine Comedy, is “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.” Because there is no hope in the Absolute Universe.
As we find out in this issue, it’s because the characters we know as villains are the true heroes.
*** WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for DC's ABSOLUTE EVIL No. 1. ***
Absolute Evil No. 1 creative team
- Writer: Al Ewing
- Art by: Giuseppe Camuncoli
- Colorist: Romulo Fajardo Jr.
At the start of Absolute Evil, readers see Oliver Queen beginning his journey to become Green Arrow. He’s practicing his archery and talking to someone named Roy on the phone. He's attempting to get Roy to join the cause. Queen says that he’s tired of the way things are going in the world and decided to try and be a force of good.
This seems like something Oliver would do. He's a billionaire and saw a person using their power to hurt children. Sadly, this gets him killed by a cabal consisting of “Joker”, Ra’s al Ghul, Veronica Cale, and Elenore Thawne.
Oliver was murdered to show Hector Hammond that they took care of his problem quickly. Before he entered the meeting, Hammond was talking to his associate, Jubal Slade (this universe’s Jeffrey Epstein), about Oliver coming after him. Less than two minutes later, Hawkman walks in and drops Oliver’s dead body on the table. It was a show of force that worked to bring Hammond into the group. But who is this group? That comes later.
The most intriguing part comes at the end when The Joker speaks. He tells everyone that he found an element that explains the universe, and it has a moral dimension. He goes on to say that they (the people in that room) have an obligation to keep things in order because they are morally right. They are the ones upholding justice. He ends his soliloquy by saying, “A toast, then. To an ordered world…and to our Justice League". That would have been a great point to end the series, but Al Ewing gave readers more.
After Joker’s speech, we’re transported to Brainiac’s lab. We learn that the reason he can see through Ra’ al Ghul’s glasses is thanks to Mirror Master’s technology. Brainiac says that all of the people in the Justice League balance each other out, except for The Joker. What was his answer to that? It’s a calmer, happier, Absolute Lex Luthor.
In this universe, Lex overcame his envy and anger toward people who have something he wants. Now he lives in the country and has a wife and children. It's very much like the Kents. This is something no one could have seen coming. It’s a welcome surprise since everything else in this dimension is terrifying. However, we can guess that something is up with him. Or maybe Lex is the good person and the hero needed to protect the world. Stay tuned to Bam Smack Pow to find out.
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