Summary
DC Comicshas officially announced its newAbsolute Universeline of comics, with fan-favoriteBatmanandJustice LeaguewriterScott Snyderreturning to the publisher to writeAbsolute Batman. Never fear: the Absolute Universe announcement comes alongside the news of a new “All In” DC initiative, with the central DC Universe chugging along without any reboots or retcons. Many current titles will continue all while DC launches its reimagined Absolute line, reinventing DC’s superheroes in brand-new contexts.
After weeks of speculation and only days before San Diego Comic Con, DC revealed its plans for the fall in aYouTube “conversation"with Snyder and fellow writer Joshua Williamson. DC Comics announcedthe launch of the Absolute Universe, a new world with reimagined versions of its iconic characters, which begins with theDC All In Special#1, a flip book one-shot by Snyder, Williamson, Daniel Sampere, and Wes Craig that will reveal more details about how this Universe comes to be — and how it involves both the Justice League and Darkseid.
This Universe, withnew titles launching fall 2024, will be inextricably tied to the main DC Universe, whose continuity will remain the same, following up on storylines begun during the Dawn of DC initiative. The DC All In initiative begins in October 2024after DC’s major summer event,Absolute Powerby Mark Waid and Dan Mora, concludes with issue #4. While more Absolute books are on their way, featuring a number of top-tier creators from across the industry, DC has confirmed Snyder will be returning to Batman withAbsolute Batmanalongside artist Nick Dragotta.
DC’s ABSOLUTE POWER Concludes with a Final Justice League Battle So Massive, the Multiverse Will Change Forever
DC Comics has revealed details about the final issue of ABSOLUTE POWER, its 2024 event. The Justice League — and the DCU — will never be the same.
DC’s New ABSOLUTE UNIVERSE Line Arrives This October
Scott Snyder Officially Returns to WriteAbsolute Batman
After four years, Snyder — whoseNew 52 run onBatmanwith Greg Capullopermanently reshaped the character — returns to DC Comics to writeAbsolute Batmanwith Dragotta on art. DC has yet to confirm further creative teams for the new Absolute Universe, butnew designs for the Absolute version of Superman and Wonder Woman were also revealed during the livestreamed announcement.
In the main DC Universe, meanwhile, many titles and creative teams will continue their earlier work, while books likeBatman and Robin,Nightwing,Harley Quinn, and more will receive new creative teams. Snyder and Williamson promise that all of October’s titles, new and old, will serve as perfect jumping-on points for new readers.
DC’s previous publishing initiative, Dawn of DC, began at the beginning of 2023 with the launch ofAction Comics#1051’s main story by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Rafa Sandoval, Matt Herms, and Dave Sharpe.
After a fraught history of reboots and retcons,DC’s Absolute Universe takes a page straight out of Marvel’s Ultimate Universe playbookby creating a brand-new parallel world that restarts continuity for new readers. Meanwhile, the main DC Universe will preserve the beloved eighty-six-year history of the publisher’s interconnected world. After much critical and fan success with itsDawn of DC relaunched titles, including the likes ofWonder Womanby Tom King and Sampere andSupermanby Williamson and Jamal Campbell, DC clearly hopes to preserve that momentum with “All In,” all while launching exciting new projects by some of the industry’s top talent.
DC Comics Preserves Its Beloved Continuity with “DC All In”
DC’s Long History of Legacy Continues
The launch of this fall’s Absolute Universe is certainly thrilling, but it will relieve many-to-all fans to know that the DCU’s history will be preserved alongside this new line. DC has spent the years sinceDark Crisis on Infinite Earthsby Williamson and Sampere insisting upon the importance of legacy (and legacy characters) in the DCU, and it wouldn’t do to backtrack all of that narrative work now. But with theAbsolute Universe,DC Comicsquite literally gets the best of both worlds, and readers can expect exciting stories set in both Universes from the likes ofScott Snyderand many more to come.
