When Good Guys Go Bad (Superman/Batman: Absolute Power - Jeph Loeb)

Member Name: SWSt

Product:	Superman/Batman: Absolute Power - Jeph Loeb
Date:	13/02/09 (166 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Interesting twist on characters we know well, good solid story and artwork

Disadvantages: Story has been done before, loses its way in the middle section, weak final page

Back in the 90s, DC created Elseworlds, which took some of their major characters and re-imagined them in eras, locations or situations different to the ones we were familiar with. Absolute Power is essentially, an update of that idea, imagining a world in which Superman and Batman were raised as brothers and became dictators, ruling the world with an iron fist.

It's an interesting idea - taking two of DC's best-loved heroes and essentially making them "evil" - and it's one which works very well. The basic plot proves immediately gripping, and it's fun to watch heroes behaving badly. There's a lot of fan fun from watching Superman and Batman kick the butt of people that, in other worlds or other times, we know are their friends and allies. There's still an air of continuity, though, as in terms of abilities, Superman and Batman remain the same, it's just their attitude and how they use those powers which has changed.

The danger is that such a plot only has a limited amount of mileage in it, but writer Jeph Loeb has some tricks up his sleeve to keep our interest. Once the initial excitement of seeing an evil Superman and Batman begins to pall, Loeb switches the storyline around. We start to see what happens when the more conventional timeline begins to try and reassert itself and the impact that has both on the world and on the two lead characters. Stories such as this always run the risk of becoming rather silly and unbelievable, but the excellent writing always gives the tale some kind of plausibility, no matter how outlandish it might sound. There's nothing hugely original about the basic plot, but it adds enough of a new spin to be entertaining.

Just occasionally, it does lose its way and appears to be meandering a little, almost trying to find a way to resolve the conundrum and get the heroes back in the normal time stream. In particular, there's a subplot involving a Bruce Wayne who never became Batman that is rather weak and unconvincing. But for every slight mis-step, there is a corresponding strong section, which makes it all worthwhile.

In particular, the middle segment, which sees Supes and Bats flitting between a whole series of different alternate realities that offer some interesting glimpses of what might have been. Some are so interesting; you feel they would be capable of supporting a full story in their own right.

The plotline is backed up by some excellent characterisation. Loeb is a seasoned writer of both Superman and Batman, and it shows. He subtly subverts some of their key characteristics so that they fit into the story, whilst ensuring they remain faithful to the characters we know. It's interesting to see how the characters fare as "evil". For Batman, the shift is less of a major change - he has always had a dark side. The impressive character change comes in Superman, who goes from being a goody two shoes into someone very nasty indeed. Personally, I found Superman far more interesting as a bad 'un than I ever have before. His transition to the Dark Side is convincingly handled and gives a whole new dimension to his character.

Credit too, must go to the excellent artwork. Throughout the comic, it's of a very high standard and adds a huge amount to the story. Artist Pacheco proves highly adept at drawing both the darker, grimier side of the DC Universe, and the more fantastical elements of the plot. His artwork shows a huge amount of imagination - particularly in the sequences showing multiple alternate realities. In many cases, he only has a couple of panels to show the new world before we are whisked off to another, yet he manages to convey the sense of a genuine world with just a few pen strokes. His artwork is dark when it needs to be - particularly the start and middle of the book - but captures a lighter tone when required.

The only problem I really had with the book was the ending - particularly the final page. This was a bit of a non-event and left me feeling a little cheated. Somehow the final panels weren't up to the same quality as the rest of the story. They had a somewhat tacked-on feel, as though they had been added an afterthought once the rest of the comic was completed, and their content and tone sits uneasily with the rest of the book. In addition, Loeb tries to tie the ending in with one of his own earlier Superman titles, and people who have not read this may be left scratching their heads with a slight air of puzzlement.

To date, I've read three of the Batman/Superman titles and have to say I have been impressed with them all. Probably the strongest of the three I've read is Public Enemies, but this one runs it a close second. Well worth a read.

Basic Information
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Absolute Power
Jeph Loeb and Carlos Pacheco
Titan, 2006
ISBN: 978-1845761448

Available new from Amazon for £6.99 or second hand from £4.22

© Copyright SWSt 2009

Summary: Elseworlds by any other name