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With the Absolute Universe, DC Comics has the opportunity to create an entirely self-contained superhero universe from the ground up. And the Absolute Universe doesn't have to play by the rules of the mainline DC Universe at all. And that's part of what makes the Absolute Universe so interesting to fans - all bets are off. Case in point: the Absolute version of Oliver Queen was introduced in Absolute Evil #1, and then was killed off in the same issue. Brutal.

I interviewed Al Ewing about Absolute Evil #1 and what's to come for the Absolute Universe. In case you haven't read Absolute Evil #1, it's an issue that marks the villains of the Absolute Universe getting together to make alliances and hatch their evil plans against the heroes of their world. Contrary to what you might think, there isn't a Justice League (or any other team for that matter) in the Absolute Universe. And that's by design, according to Ewing.  

"I think people are definitely hungry for the heroes to start teaming up," says Ewing. "I feel like there was a cover that whetted a lot of appetites... This is not a world where the heroes get together and decide to form a group, and then the bad guys come to them. This is a world much like our own where the bad guys are making the alliances. And getting together and deciding, ‘Yeah, we can further our goals, as a group, better than we can just [alone].'"

Sometimes the superhero presages the supervillain, but in this case its the supervillain team that could be setting up the first superhero team in DC's Absolute universe.

"And the heroes, they're still, at this point, everybody's still on their individual journey... It's a shared world, it's a shared universe. Eventually, those worlds are gonna start touching," Ewing continues. "The bad guys, that moment happened a long time ago. And, you know, they're not just starting, they’re fully in concert. And the heroes should be afraid, if they knew about it. So, you'll have to see exactly how it all plays out, and what's coming next. And, maybe there's a hero who does know better."

So while we're all mourning the death of poor Ollie Queen, let's all take comfort in the fact that "maybe there's a hero who does know better," about the state of the world they're living in. 

You can read our full interview with Al Ewing about his Absolute DC plans here.

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