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Credit: DC StudiosBatman, Superman, and Wonder Woman are among the most iconic superheroes ever. Each first brought to life in comic book form several decades ago, they have stood the test of time and have since transcended the medium into both animated and live-action storytelling. More recently, the three took center stage in Warner Bros.’ DC Universe (DCU).
However, despite gaining widespread popularity with fans, Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne/Batman, Henry Cavill’s Clark Kent/Superman, and Gal Gadot’s Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, who collectively appeared in Man of Steel (2013), Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Suicide Squad (2016), Justice League (2017), Wonder Woman (2017), Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021), and The Flash (2023), are no more, as the DC Universe is being rebooted by DC Studios’ co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran.
Related: Goodbye, Affleck, Cavill, and Gadot: New DCU’s Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman Revealed
Directed by Gunn, the first film in the new DCU will be SUPERMAN (2025), starring David Corenswet as the titular Kryptonian.
Then, a new Batman movie titled The Brave and the Bold (TBA), based off the comic book series of the same name, will recast the Dark Knight.
As for Wonder Woman, it remains to be seen whether the character will be brought back for the new cinematic universe. But until then, the three iconic Justice League leads have already returned in another brand-new DC continuity, aptly titled the Absolute Universe.
Related: Brand-New Batman Reboot Finally Arrives: Official Logo Explained
Written by Scott Snyder (not to be confused with Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, and 2021’s Justice League director Zack Snyder–we aren’t aware of any relation) with artwork by Nick Dragotta, DC’s all-new Absolute Universe comic book series reimagines some of the most iconic superheroes of all time in daring new ways.
Gone are the restrained Caped Crusader, the hopeful Man of Tomorrow, and the empathetic Amazonian–despite still being heroes, these new iterations are frightening. Now, the second issues for Snyder’s “Absolute Batman” and “Absolute Wonder Woman” have finally arrived.
Released on November 13 and 27, respectively, “Absolute Batman” #2 and “Absolute Wonder Woman” #2 expand the all-new Absolute Universe further, delving even deeper into the bold new character arcs of Bruce Wayne/Batman and Diana Prince/Wonder Woman.
Batman, a “brave and bold” new version heavily inspired by the one from Frank Miller’s graphic novel miniseries “The Dark Knight Returns” (1986), is no longer a billionaire bachelor with a mansion and a butler.
Instead, he’s a musclebound city engineer who frequents a small gym in his new hometown, Crime Alley, of Gotham City. And Wonder Woman, once an inhabitant of the paradise, Themyscira, has now been raised in Hell itself.
Kal-El/Superman, seemingly yet to don his third alias, Clark Kent, arrived on a dystopian Earth as an adult, with a surprising twist on his God-like powers and his iconic suit. While the new Batman and Wonder Woman follow-ups reveal plenty more about these daring new Multiversal superhero variants, unsurprisingly, they also end with pretty major cliffhangers.
“Absolute Superman” #2 is due for release on December 4. It’s not yet known how many issues each series will collect, but four or five is usually the magic number. Either way, the Absolute Universe isn’t going anywhere, and the first issues for “Absolute Flash,” “Absolute Green Lantern,” and “Absolute Martian Manhunter” are set to arrive in March, 2025.
Have you read DC Comics’ Absolute series yet? Let us know in the comments below!