DC's Absolute Power grows to a 34-part summer event epic

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This summer, all of Amanda Waller’s plans and schemes come to a head in a new DC comic book event that threatens everyone with super powers in the DC universe, and sees Waller make the ultimate power move… literally. What happens when the Trinity of Evil takes on the big DC Trinity of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman — and the assembledled heroes of their world? Find out as the entire DCU comes under the thumb of Absolute Power.

The main story of Absolute Power will take place in a four-issue series from the Batman/Superman: World’s Finest creative team of Mark Waid and Dan Mora, launching in July... but that's not the whole story. No less than two one-shots special issues will lay the groundwork in the months prior, including one explicitly connecting the storyline to upcoming events in DC's Superman titles, and there are clues to be found in other ongoing storylines already unfolding across DC’s comic book line.

What was initially announced as an untitled DC Free Comic Book Day release on May 4 has since been officially unveiled as 2024 Absolute Power Free Comic Book Day Special Edition, featuring a preview of the first issue of Absolute Power alongside an all-new 12-page story by Waid and Mikel Janin recapping the events that have led up to the series. A month later, June will see the release of Absolute Power: Ground Zero, a one-off issue written by Waid, Nicole Maines, Joshua Williamson, and Chip Zdarsky with art from Gleb Melnikov, V. Ken Marion, and Skylar Patridge that connects the upcoming series to current events throughout the DCU, and brings many elements into (unsettling) focus.

What is the Absolute Power story?

What is Absolute Power about, you ask? Well, it’s simple. Amanda Waller, in her belief that superpowers beings are inherently dangerous, has come up with a solution: she’s going to take all their powers away from them, whether they like it or not — and she’s going to use the strategic know-how of Failsafe and the technology of the Brainiac Queen to do it... as well as a callback to Justice League villains of the past. (Yes, now we know what the Trinity of Evil is up to.)

Of course, things aren’t going to go well. This wouldn’t be a summer event if they did. While Waller's plans will run rampant throughout the DCU, the cover to the first issue of the series places Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman in the foreground, offering fans the first chance to see the three together in action since the end of the Justice League's last series in 2022.

Absolute Power will also signal the end of the 18-month long 'Dawn of DC' initiative, and the first issue in the series will also see DC return to Wednesday releases for the first time in four years.

What is in the Absolute Power checklist?

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While the main storyline will be taking place inside the Absolute Power series, two additional tie-in miniseries will run the length of the event. Absolute Power: Task Force VII is an anthology series showing what happens when Amanda Waller’s army of Amazos — robots powered by the combined technology of Brainiac and Failsafe — take on the wider DCU, with each issue by a different creative team, while Absolute Power: Origins tells the backstory of Amanda Waller in full for the first time, by John Ridley and Alitha Martinez. Additionally, the storyline will crossover into the primary Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman comic book series for the three-month extent of the run. So far, the following Absolute Power titles (include lead-in issues) have been announced by DC:

• May 4: 2024 Absolute Power Free Comic Book Day Special Edition
• June 4: Batman #148 (lead-in issue)
• June 11:Suicide Squad: Dream Team #4 (lead-in issue)
• June 18: Batman #149 (lead-in issue)
• June 18: Wonder Woman #10 (lead-in issue)
• June 18: Titans #12 (lead-in issue)
• June 25: Green Arrow #13 (lead-in issue)
• June 25: Superman #15 (lead-in issue)
• June 25: Absolute Power: Ground Zero #1
• July 2: Batman #150 (tie-in issue)
• July 3: Absolute Power #1 (of 4)
• July 10: Absolute Power: Task Force Seven #1 (of 7)
• July 10: Green Lantern #13 (tie-in issue)
• July 17: Superman #16 (tie-in issue)
• July 17: Wonder Woman #11 (tie-in issue)
• July 24: Absolute Power: Origins #1 (of 3)
• July 24: Green Arrow #14 (tie-in issue)
• July 24: Absolute Power: Task Force Seven #2 (of 7)
• July 31: Absolute Power: Task Force Seven #3 (of 7)
• August (date to be announced): Batman tie-in issue
• August (date to be announced): Superman tie-in issue
• August (date to be announced): Wonder Woman tie-in issue
• September (date to be announced): Batman tie-in issue
• September (date to be announced): Superman tie-in issue
• September (date to be announced): Wonder Woman tie-in issue
• TBA: Absolute Power: Task Force Seven #4 (of 7)
• TBA: Absolute Power: Task Force Seven #5 (of 7)
• TBA: Absolute Power: Task Force Seven #6 (of 7)
• TBA: Absolute Power: Task Force Seven #7 (of 7)
• TBA: Absolute Power: Origins #2 (of 3)
• TBA: Absolute Power: Origins #3 (of 3)
• TBA: Absolute Power #2 (of 4)
• TBA: Absolute Power #3 (of 4)
• TBA: Absolute Power #4 (of 4)
• TBA: Absolute Power collected edition
• TBA: Absolute Power: Task Force Seven collected edition
• TBA: Absolute Power: Origins collected edition

Look for more on Absolute Power right here on Popverse as the storyline continues.

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