Throughout Absolute Power, the heroes of the DC Universe have been pushed to their absolute limit – especially Superman. The Man of Steel was depowered, shot, and forced to blow up his Fortress of Solitude, not to mention the gut punch of watching his son Jon be transformed into one of Amanda Waller’s weapons. Superman #18 finally presents Superman and Zatanna with the edge they need against Waller’s army: a map that can lead them through the shadows of the universe.
The issue is that the demon lord Neron has the map, and in true demon form, he wants something from Superman. Reading this part, I was rather wary – especially given how other superheroes’ proverbial deals with the devil have gone down – but Neron zigs where most would expect him to zag. He even makes a cheeky joke about how snagging Superman’s soul won’t do him much good since the Man of Steel is invulnerable. The fact that Joshua Williamson can still get in moments like this makes his Superman run worthwhile.
Williamson also gives some great character moments to Zatanna, especially when she and Superman are walking down the Dark Roads (a name that becomes all too fitting as the book goes on.) In an emotionally charged monologue, she reveals that when Waller took away her magic, she took away Zatanna’s whole life.
For a Zatanna fan like myself, this hit home: Superman has a secret identity to fall back on, but she doesn’t, and her whole world is tied to magic. It only makes me yearn for an ongoing Zatanna series because that’s a story rich with possibilities.
Credit: DC
Thanks to Jamal Campbell’s artwork, Superman #18 continues to look beautiful. The sequence where Superman and Zatanna walk the Dark Roads is a visually disturbing moment; the “road” they’re on looks like it’s made out of human bones and seems to descend into an endless pit of shadows.
Making things even more trippy is how Campbell draws Superman and Zatanna as a seemingly endless loop of figures, to the point where you won’t be sure where the Dark Roads begin and end. There are even a few surprise appearances from certain characters, with Campbell getting to put his artistic spin on them (and Ariana Maher getting the chance to play with certain letters.)
If there’s one downside to Superman #18, the B-plot of Superman’s friends and family still feels a little cut short. I’d have liked to see more of Lex Luthor bonding with others following his memory loss and for Lois Lane to play a bigger role now that she has a superpowered battlesuit. Those elements may come into play in future issues – especially since Lois is set to be Superwoman – but they feel overshadowed by the main story. Regardless, Superman #18 is a solid cap on the Absolute Power tie-in – and more proof that DC needs a Zatanna ongoing series.
Superman #18 is available wherever comics are sold.
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