By removing so much of what defines these characters, there might be nothing left to build off of.
Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman are all set to star in DC's upcoming Absolute Universe publishing initiative starting this October. Anchored largely by Scott Snyder's Absolute Batman, the line is a direct answer to Marvel's new, popular Ultimate Universe comics and an attempt to reinvigorate interest in the DC brand. Despite what some pundits are desperate to push as truth, the reality is that the American comic book market is not in a good place. Shops are struggling, and in many instances outright closing, as the comics being put out by Marvel, DC, and other publishers aren't drawing an audience.
But therein lies the question: why aren't readers interested? In a time when popular media is inundated with superhero content, comics should be a no-brainer to sell. Yet, they're not, and what it seems to boil down to is an overabundance of politicking, poor characterizations of beloved heroes and villains, and shoddy storytelling. And when I look at Absolute Universe and its version of the DC trinity, I can't help but wonder if, once again, messaging is taking a priority over storytelling.
In the Absolute Universe, all three characters share the commonality of having their families ripped from them. Bruce has no Alfred, Clark has no Ma and Pa Kent, and Diana is sans her mother and sisterhood. Those aren't the only things the characters lack, of course, as Bruce is also devoid of his wealth, Clark his planet, and Diana her mission of peace. As a reader, I look at these changes and think there are ways this could be handled very well, while there are other, more unsettling ways things could go.
Some people working in comics are not for traditional family values. By removing this aspect of all three characters, I worry that DC editorial is trying to send some kind of message to readers against societal norms that I honestly wouldn't support. We've also seen open hostility towards some of these properties within popular media, most notably Batman who is repeatedly targeted for being wealthy and white. G4 infamously asked an influencer during an interview why she would cancel Batman—that's how widespread this sort of thinking has become. Thus, when I see that Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman are devoid of their family element, I worry that this is a shot at the values of the average person, a shot that has no business being in these comics.
On the other hand, if I'm being fair, it might not be about that at all. By distilling these characters down to their most basic forms, it creates a blank slate to explore Bruce, Clark, and Diana in ways that fans might never have seen before. Where the Ultimate Universe is all about reimagining long-established characters as though they were invented today, the Absolute Universe takes things a step further and goes down to the characters' very foundations. And within that paradigm, perhaps the writers get to show fans that the spirit of decency and heroism that rests at the core of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman will always shine through, no matter what their origins are.
If Absolute Universe targets the fabled modern audience at the expense of the average reader, it will fail. It will fail for the same reason that all of these modern takes on beloved heroes keep falling flat, which is that they try to please everyone, and as a result please no one. They lack heart and they lack authenticity. They present warped takes on morality and heroism that the average person simply cannot and will never identify with. If DC instead rips its trinity down to the studs and builds them up in new ways while maintaining the things that make fans love them, Absolute Universe might have a shot. If not, this could end very quickly, which would not bode well for DC.
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