Absolute Superman #8 Review

It’s Wednesday, which of course means it is new comic book day! This week brings us another addition to the exceptional Absolute universe, Absolute Superman #8. The stories second arc started in such a flawless way last month with its prologue, by giving us a deep dive into one of Absolute Superman‘s main villains, Brainiac. Will the hype continue in this issue? Lets find out in this Absolute Superman #8 review.

In Nerdy Nook fashion, this review will be spoiler free, but make sure you have read through the previous issues before continuing. You have been warned.

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The Review

Image by DC Comics

Last issue, we took a step away from the current time period to get a deep dive into the Brianiac responsible for all the Peacemaker attacks, but along the way we discovered that there is someone else calling the shots, Ra’s Al Ghul. In Absolute Superman #8 we finally get our official introduction to Ra’s and catch up with things in Smallville

The comic starts in such a unnerving way, instantly giving Ra’s such a strong presence right off the bat. The Absolute comics are becoming widely known for there tendency to not hold back when it comes to horrific or even questionable moments – Batman even found himself dropkicking a baby at one point… no, I am not joking – and yet, with each new issue, I am constantly surprised. I am of course talking about a particular moment where Ra’s drops a baby off a balcony, this made me audibly gasp. It was so unnerving, so unexpected, and quite frankly such a power move from Ra’s. This moment did not really move the story forward massively, but it feels worth the mention since it is a perfect example of how heavy this universe can get sometimes though I have no doubt it will once again bring controversy for angry parents – parents, seriously – stop letting your child read this… not all comic books are for kids.

Despite being so heavy, this issue in particular was such an easy read. There was not a single moment where my gaze left the pages, and before I knew it I was left with any other cliff-hanger. Jason Aaron has done exceptionally well to create a story that just draws you in and will have you pre-ordering the next issue before you have even fully comprehended what happened.

Image by DC Comics

As this is the first issue in the new arc, things are, as expected, fairly slow, but still so much happens and it sets up the second arc so effortlessly. Usually, the start of a new arc can be quite relaxed, pretty much a calm before the storm, but Absolute Superman #8 does the opposite of that. Rather than starting a new story in an expansive world, the first and second arc feed into each other so well creating a most larger and complex narrative than any other Absolute comic has shown us so far.

Once again, Rafa Sandoval is back with his amazing artwork to bring this comic to life. I do not mean to bring up that horrific opening again but the sheer look Rafa captured on Ra’s Al Ghul’s face as he performed such an evil deed made it all the more effective and added so much depth to the character.

I find it hard to rank this one lower than a 10, and so I’m sticking to it. This truly is exceptional comic deserving of nothing but praise. If you have yet to pick up on this series, I highly recommend you do, since the series will likely continue at this pace for the forceable future. I believe Absolute Superman #8 was a step in the right direction to having a connected Absolute universe and I would not be disappointed if Ra’s was the core of all of that – what a badass depiction.

Image by DC Comics

Absolute Superman #8 is every bit as bold and brilliant as the series previous issues – a worthy addition to the absolute universe. Once again Absolute Superman has proved to be a flawless series with an interesting story that will surely be remembered for years to come.

What are your thoughts on Absolute Superman #8 and this new ultimate evil version of Ra’s Al Ghul? Whatever your thoughts and feelings, share them with us in the comment section of this article.

See also: Previous issue review

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