The cover of Absolute Power: Origins #1 boasts a tagline that says “Waller: Year One”, which could also be a fitting title for this series. It wants to explore the events that made “The Wall” into who she is, starting from the tragic loss of her family to her leadership of the Suicide Squad and ultimately her war against the superhero community in Absolute Power. It’s a premise with a lot of promise, and in the right hands it could really shine.
It somewhat succeeds. The creative team of John Ridley, Alitha Martinez, Norm Rampund and Andrew Dalhouse open with a sequence that juxtaposes the death of Bruce Wayne’s parents with the death of Waller’s husband and daughter. Martinez’s work immediately draws the eye, as she draws imagery that you’ve seen before (the Waynes’ fateful trip down Crime Alley) juxtaposed with imagery you haven’t (Waller’s daughter approaching a drug dealer.) Paired with Rampund’s bold inks and Dalhouse’s vibrant colors, it makes for a great contrast.
This opening also solidifies a truth I’ve believed about superhero fiction: the lines between villain, hero, and antihero are defined by choice. In Bruce Wayne’s case, he chose to be Batman so that he could defend the innocent from the same fate that befell his parents. In Waller’s case, she chose to get into politics to try and prepare for a future where superpowers are commonplace. “I can see the future,” she says at one point, hinting at her Machiavellian nature, which she backs up with blackmail and other means of control.
Yet I feel like Absolute Power: Origins #1 – more specifically, Ridley’s script – isn’t digging deep enough. Waller losing her family was common knowledge. Her blackmailing folks to work for her is common knowledge. I’d have liked to see more scenes with her family, particularly her husband and daughter, before the tragedy since it could have given more insight as to why Waller does what she does. Also, her sudden desire to control superhumans feels like it comes out of nowhere.
Absolute Power: Origins #1 is a solid start to a “Year One” story for Amanda Waller, with gorgeously rendered art doing most of the heavy lifting. The rest of the series will have to catch up, particularly in the script area, to showcase what makes her a formidable member of the Trinity of Evil.
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