According to reports, DC Comics is closely monitoring the success of Marvel’s Ultimate Comics and may even be considering launching a similar publishing line of its own.
As Ultimate Spider-Man continued to dominate the sales chart, it was inevitable that another company would attempt a similar concept. Recent reports confirm that DC Comics will be the next to give it a try.
According to a report from Bleeding Cool, DC is set to introduce a new line called Absolute Comics, which will fulfill a similar purpose as Marvel’s Ultimate Comics line.
The team behind Absolute Comics is anticipated to be headed by writer Scott Snyder, renowned for his success in spearheading the Batman series to critical acclaim during the DC relaunch, ‘The New 52.’ Though DC has not officially confirmed, there are rumors that Absolute Comics will emerge from the upcoming summer event, Absolute Power, which will first be showcased in an upcoming Free Comic Book Day issue.
Despite some previous attempts, DC has had mixed success with their own Ultimate line. While the All-Star Comics imprint produced the beloved ‘All-Star Superman,’ it also yielded the heavily criticized ‘All-Star Batman & Robin, The Boy Wonder.’
Another effort was made to release a series of graphic novels under the ‘Earth One’ label, which received a mixed response, but was generally well-received. From 2010 to 2021, a total of 13 graphic novels were published under ‘Earth One’, featuring revamped and edgier versions of characters such as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Teen Titans, and Green Lantern.
Ultimately, DC has not found it necessary to create a line similar to Marvel’s Ultimate Comics. Unlike Marvel, DC’s regular line has been consistently refreshed and its universe has been reset multiple times, preventing the need for an alternative for readers who may be tired of continuity. While some of these reboots, such as ‘Flashpoint’ and ‘New 52’, were not well-received by fans, others like ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ have been praised as some of the greatest stories in comic book history and have led to successful periods for DC superheroes.
Absolute Power #1, written by Mark Waid and illustrated by Dan Mora, will be available on July 2.
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