Superman/Batman, Vol. 3: Absolute Power

Superman/Batman (12 Volumes Collected Edition)

by Jeph Loeb, Carlos Pacheco (Penciller), Jesús Merino (Inker)

A new softcover collecting the blockbuster story "Absolute Power," originally presented in SUPERMAN/BATMAN #14-18! In this reality-bending tale, Superman and Batman rule Earth with an iron fist. Before long, the World's Finest Duo is sent careening through a series of bizarre alternate earths, facing an assortment of classic DC characters including Kamandi, Sgt. Rock, Haunted Tank, and many more!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Batman, Dc Comics, Superman, Graphic Novels Comics, Superheroes

128 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 2004

About the author

Joseph "Jeph" Loeb III is an Emmy and WGA nominated American film and television writer, producer and award-winning comic book writer. Loeb was a Co-Executive Producer on the NBC hit show Heroes, and formerly a producer/writer on the TV series Smallville and Lost.

A four-time Eisner Award winner and five-time Wizard Fan Awards winner (see below), Loeb's comic book career includes work on many major characters, including Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, Hulk, Captain America, Cable, Iron Man, Daredevil, Supergirl, the Avengers, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, much of which he has produced in collaboration with artist Tim Sale, who provides the comic art seen on Heroes.

Reviews

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reread: 27/06/2022

This was so much fun omg! Evil Legion trying to manipulate Batman and Superman and raising them and then we see what this world is like but when they learn of the truth and have to visit different timelines to restore the proper continuity, it will test Bruce and Clark in various ways and I love the way it happens and how Jeph brings in so many classic DC characters like Kamandi, Jonah hex and LOSH and all and the way he tests the bond of these characters and its so awesome and the art is just insanely good! One of the best what-if stories easily and I like the moment towards the end with GA and WW! That one brought a smile to my face by the end ;)

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This was a weird yet fascinating story, its basically what if Legion of Supervillains like led by Lightning Lord manipulated the timeline in such a way that Supes and Bats were raised by them and were evil and took out people who would have been heroes in other timeline and then its a race as we see how the world is and their attempts to restore the DCU to its own reality and meets all sorts of character and the weird twists and turns that happen and people they lose and even after healing the timeline, the scars that remain with them. Its such a fascinating story about "What if" and shows how these two are the pillars of DCU and without them the world ceases to be the way it has. Good volume, the art was fascinating and the villains were good and a plot from earlier volumes also gets resolved here!

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

It started off strong, so I thought I would really end up liking it. Sadly, not so much. I usually enjoy the Superman/Batman graphic novels, but this one just didn't do it for me.
Shockingly this story revolves around a 'what if' time-travel plot. Naturally, because it's DC, it disintegrates into Crazy-Land.

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 1/2

I thought the story had a lot more promise than what it actually ended up being. I didn't like some of the premises/psychological implications of certain aspects of the story - i.e. that certain people are either inherently good or bad, and that, even under radically different set of circumstances, their underlying core will remain. I suppose you could say that this isn't necessarily there in the story - that it's more about how the original timeline bled through into the changed timeline, but that comes with it's own host of problems. And there's a reason why I don't like time-travel in stories.

It was well drawn, and had some decent moments of pathos and whatnot, but, mostly, it seemd like an excuse to throw in a bunch of DC characters - allies, enemies and other - into a story with the two heavy hitters.

I haven't read the others in the series, being under the impression that they work as standalones. This one did have a self-contained story-arc, but, perhaps if I'd read the others, this one would make more sense? (Based on some of the reviews on amazon, though, this isn't necessarily the case.)

Anyway - decent story, but I expected much more from it.

[The Lion's Share · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great premise, awful depiction.

Three beings from the future, jump back in time to kidnap Batman and Superman as children to raise them as their own. Sounds fucking ridiculous and you'd be right.

It only get's worse, but it has it's moments. I get the feeling this must be linked to a DC event? Infinite Crisis? I'm not sure as i've not read it, but there was the old Superman from the future in it, like the Supes from Kingdom come.

Overall a complete mess and to be avoided.

[Ryan Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jeph Loeb's third arc on Superman/Batman is ambitious but not anywhere near as good -- still not bad, though -- as his previous two efforts. It's a world that shows us several alternate timelines where changes in events have lead our heroes on different life paths, but some of them are just... ludicrous. Cowboys and indians. Planet of the Apes. Etc. I can't see monkeys taking over the earth just because Bruce's parents weren't shot in an alley... Anyway. There are some puppet masters behind the scenes who want to shape the universe the way they see fit and it's up to our heroes to figure things out, travel through time and set things right.

Loeb has written some of the great Batman books (The Long Halloween, Dark Victory, Hush) and one of the single best Superman books (For All Seasons), but this isn't one to write home about. It's probably worth a read if you have the time or want a long Elseworlds-esque tale.

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superman and Batman as supreme rulers of the Earth! Heroes dead and buried! Could this be true? Apparently so, because of some time travel shenanigans by a trio of villains from the future. Now I don't know if it's the novel idea (to me, at least) of seeing the DCU's top 2 male heroes in such roles and the alternate-reality around it, Carlos Pacheco's incredible art, or something else I can't put my finger on, but this book - far from being the best thing I've read - was actually a lot of fun to read and that is what tipped the scales and gave it its 5-star rating.

But it's the constantly shifting reality and the great visuals (colourist Laura Martin's work is awesome as always!), and the surprises that make this story the best of the series so far.
Even Superman and Batman's interior monologues were okay (those can get on my nerves), and that says something.

[Vasya Rudas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting point of view for iconic moments in main DC heroes line stories. Many unexpected relations with unknown heroes from DC Universe, but all of that can be covered by plain simple rule “time travels”…

[Hannah]

I have no idea what just happened.

[Supratim Dhar · Rating 2 out of 5]

everything seemed too easy and simple and fast; without proper story.

[Ignacio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Otro caso práctico de cómo Carlos Pacheco pocas veces tuvo un guión a la altura de su arte. Una historia por mundos alternativos alocada donde el punto fuerte está en los personajes que dibuja (Kamandi, Sargento Rock, Uncle Sam), las variaciones que hace sobre sus diseños en las diferentes realidades que visita (Wonder Woman), y las consiguientes secuencias de acción. No queda otra que conformarse y disfrutar de ello.

[Brenda Clough · Rating 5 out of 5]

There should be more than five stars. This is at least an eight-star book. It is very nearly a perfect tour through the greater DC universe, and at high-speed, with alternate time lines, angst and grief, and a solid Superman-Batman team.

[Jake Watmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is still one of my favorite Superman/Batman stories. Exciting, moments that made me openly gasp. Leave to writer Jeph Loeb. The dude knows these characters so well.

[Kati Végh · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yeah no this was unhinged, in a bad way

[hotsake (André Troesch) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the best thing ever, but thoroughly cool.

[Andrew Sorrentino · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great alternate history story! Fun. Full of action, pathos, and surprises. Thoughtfully designed and brilliantly illustrated.

[Matthew McElroy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I always thought of Marvel as the company with more mature themes and DC as the company with more mature characters.
In this hyper-violent collection, Batman and Superman grow up in a different timeline where they are the fascist rulers of the earth, because they were adopted by super-powered parents. The story revolves around what is inevitable and what the role of Kal-El and Bruce Wayne is on our earth. It's difficult to write too much about this without significant spoilers. But it is an interesting take on the trope of what happens when entities have unlimited power. What prevents Superman from being Homelander from "The Boys"? Was his childhood with the Kent family that important? What role does nurture play in our lives? Incidentally, if super powered parents adopted Superman, why would they adopt a young Bruce Wayne?
Many Justice League heroes make cameos in this story, but only Wonder Woman and Green Arrow have a significant impact. The violence in the story is often jarring in its depiction and suddenness, so this is not a read for children.

[Jerry Daniels · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this graphic novel from DC Comics, one of a number featuring the Caped Crusader and the Man of Steel, Superman and Batman fight with their respective foes, Darkseid and Ra's Al Gul, as well as three futuristic villains to restore the time line. The graphic novel also features other DC Comics super heroes who wind up at odds with the law in the alternative time line. One of them, Wonder Woman, tries to get Superman to remember.

Not a bad story. It just took a while before one could realize who was behind the plot to change the destiny of Superman and Batman.

[Vin · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far the best of the Superman/Batman series. Really shows how close of a bond there is between Batman and Superman as well as what causes this bond. The story showcases how important the pair is to Earth as well as time itself. Also shows various connections to past comics such as "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow" and "Kingdom Comes". I giggled slightly because I have recently read these two before reading Absolute Power and it just made it that much better. Overall, definitely worth reading.

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the Legions of Superheroes (or their villains... I confess to not knowing anything about the 30th century) travel back in time to raise Batman and Superman. Their plan goes awry, and our heroes get shunted through different dimensions revealing different bits of the DC Universe.
While I love time travel, it gets far too confusing after the third issue.
Carlos Pacheco's art is just great.

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this at all. Its a basic what-if time travel story that isn't very exciting because it all goes back to normal or whatever. Or they are haunted. In my opinion, not very interesting.

[Jenna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Weee alternate universes that all blur into an incomprehensible mess.

[Kinan Diraneyya · Rating 2 out of 5]

So the first page went on with the usual monologue about the kid who witnessed his parents murder in some dark ally and the baby arriving at earth in a small space capsule. After reading hundreds of Batman and Superman comics, you can't help but say: come on, people, does every new writer have to lead with that outdated shit? I was mistaken to say that, however (this time, anyway), for today, this introduction was serving a very different purpose.

As it turned out, a group of time-travelers from the year 3000-something interpreted the usual flow of events, kidnapping both baby heroes to raise them as their own weapons of world domination. And after reading those next five pages, I couldn't help but say: come on, DC, would you stop fucking the timeline?

Absolute Power tells the short story of a world ruled by Batman and Superman, who, in turn, are manipulated by their three parents (the time-travelers that kidnapped them earlier). The fact that both heroes treat this trinity as their parents, coupled with the fact that there are three of them (two dads), never became less cringy as I read on.

During their rule, Superman and Batman killed most of the known heroes in the world. One of those that remained is Wonder Women, and along with the Living Embodiment of the Human Spirit, American propaganda, or Uncle Sam for short, she sets her goal to restore the world to its original form. It isn't, though, explained how she learns about the world's original form or why it is any less "original" than the current one.

At some point, Wonder Woman's involvement is completely forgotten, as Superman and Batman suddenly begin to jump from one reality to another, jumps triggering if either of them dies (again, no explanation). During these jumps, Loeb takes us through a couple of his favorite DC universes. One time, the duo find themselves speaking to the intelligent animals of Kamandi. At another, they face the bullets of Jonah Hex.

The story is generally all over the place. Many of the realities they visit are outside their universe to begin with, which has nothing to do with time travel. Some heroes remember the original timeline, and others don't. Even after the restoration of the universe, Superman and Batman keep their memories, but Wonder Woman doesn't.

To tell you the truth, I might have appreciated this book a little bit more if it weren't for the Injustice series (an all-time favorite, by the way) as it is hard to see a product superior in every way and still appreciate the lesser one regardless of the difference in size. It is also worth mentioning that I regard Loeb as a terrible writer, and Absolute Power isn't any better than his average works.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

The trigger events in the life of Clark Kent (Superman) and Bruce Wayne (Batman) were when baby Kal-el landed on Earth and was found by the Kent’s and when Bruce’s parents were murdered in front of him. They were the triggers for their lives being devoted to the fight against crime and injustice. In this graphic novel, powerful people from the future travel back to those moments in time and dramatically alter the lives of Clark and Bruce. They grow up as brothers and in their roles as Superman and Batman become absolute rulers of Earth.
They are ruthless, wiping out all opposition, including the heroes that were their friends and allies in their normal timeline. That included killing them, their motto is “Obey or die.” However, messing with the timeline is an uncertain science and unusual things happen. During the time-altering actions, other DC characters such as Sergeant Rock and Easy Company, the Haunted Tank, Jonah Hex and Tomahawk are part of the fight. It is an amusing addition to what is an expression of an alternate history.
The story is very engaging, it is interesting to see the two greatest heroes of the DC line being depicted as the height of evil. There is a battle for the very future of Earth with the “normal” personalities of Clark and Bruce engaged in the struggle to return the world to the way it should be.

[Kay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read as Absolute Superman/Batman, Vol. 2.

Absolute Power by Jeph Loeb was a little Injustice: Gods Among Us... Superman and Batman are pulled from their points of origin by these time-traveling future Metas, who raise them to rule the world (as a dictatorship team). There's a bit of a resistance that tries to go up against them (lead by Diana), and of course, during the last battle, they rip open time and space, which sends Superman and Batman along a wild ride of dimension-hopping where they keep getting killed and then sent on to another world. They (Supes & Bats) finally end up on a future Earth where Darkseid rules, and he and Metron help Batman and Superman get back to normal after more time jumping and alternate dimensions, etc.
The time/world jumping should have been a lot of fun, but this story read like a weak Elseworld's book, with not enough of a world-building or solution (Darkseid somehow knows the world is messed up and gives Superman & Batman Boom Tube access to time-jump and fix it multiple times...) that really makes sense.

2/2.5 stars

[Vicenç Sanz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Otra historia con los dos personajes “en pantalla” y en ésta ocasión dejando de lado la continuidad de la colección para contarnos otra cosa. Digamos que son cuatro números muy buenos, que se pueden leer perfectamente por separado y que nos llevan a distintos momentos de la historia de los personajes, pero vistos de otra forma.

Y luego está el número final, mucho más típico y con menos interés, pero divertido de leer y repleto de acción.

Con los cinco números conjuntos nos queda una saga muy divertida de leer, ágil, acompañada con un dibujo magnífico y con unas ideas muy buenas. De hecho tiene ideas tan buenas que sabe mal el poco espacio que se les dedica (el número dedicado a Bruce daba para saga propia) y acaba por dar la sensación de cierto apresuramiento.

Incluso así es un comic notable, que los que conozcan a los dos personajes disfrutarán mucho y al que le falta cierta ambición para saltar al sobresaliente y a la lista de comics imprescindibles de la editorial.

Una buena lectura y un recomendable aunque sólo sea por el dibujo.

[Elliot Ratzman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This “what if?” story begins with an interesting premise: what if Superman and Batman ended up being dictators instead of heroes? We might imagine something like a cross between Man in the High Castle and the alt-Superman Red Son. Instead, the story avoids explaining how S/B dictatorship came to be, why Batman is considered a powerful hero (and not Wonder Woman) to recast as villain, and why we’re suddenly mucking around with time travel, with no logic at all! while avoiding political themes. This series, with its jumpy logic, just seemed like an excuse to portray scenes of carnage: Wonder Woman killing Batman, Superman being killed by Jonah Hex, Superman killing Wonder Woman, and so forth. While having Uncle Sam become a Green Lantern would make for an intriguing storyline—questioning or affirming American exceptionalism and utopian aspirations—this story doesn’t pursue it. It has been a longtime since I’ve read such comics and I was disappointed with the bad plot and silly dialogue.

[Tom Malinowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the more memorable storylines for me concerning alternate realities. Cosmic King, Saturn Queen, and Lightning Lord hatch a daring plan to rule the world - travel back in time, kill the Kents just as Superman's rocket crashes and slay the killer who just killed Bruce's parents. Thus Superman and Batman rule the world with the harsh edict - Obey or Die. When heroes rise up and force them to realize that this is all wrong, things get worse. Both Clark and Bruce witness other realities, ones born out of death and hope, especially where Bruce's parents aren't slain and he's lived a good life. What constitutes the right reality?

The weight and persistence of memory is heavy with this story. Is it possible to retain more than one lifetime of memories? At what price? Who's to say choosing a more pleasing outcome isn't the wrong thing to do? Great storytelling by Loeb and Pacheco.

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is far more out there than the last two stories but also the most enjoyable?

Basically Superman and Batman are raised by evil time manuplators changing the destiny of all our heroes. And they have to revisit major events in the DC universe to try and revert back to normal settings for the universe. Makes for some really awesome deaths, evil supes and batman is horrifying, and working together to restore things is great too.

Basically a whole story of "What If" but all were pretty solid. The art was shaky at points though with some ugly faces at points.

Overall a 3.5 out of 5.

[Matthieu Savignac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, de retour une histoire rocambolesque centré sur le duo Superman Batman !
Cela va être difficile de parler de ces issues sans en reveler quoi que ce soit, mais il s'agit d'une ode à l'univers DC. Une sorte de "What If" qui nous emmene rencontrer les plus obscures personnages de l'univers.
Mais quel pied, c'est le bordel, cela part dans tout les sens, mais Pacheco est parfait pour cela.
On sent ici, que tout le monde se fait plaisir et c'est dans un style dans le pur style "comics" qu'on se laisse emmener pour passer un bon moment.

Rien de révolutionnaire, juste un simple et bon moment. Cela fait du bien, surtout avec Infinity Crisis qui approche à grand pas.

[João Batista · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5* pela premissa.
E se as vidas de Bruce e Clark tivessem tomado um rumo diferente a partir de seus momentos iniciais? Um mundo com 'Gêmeos Hitler', conforme o Arqueiro Verde. Tudo por causa de seres do século XXXI. Boa premissa, mas desenhos simplórios e uma personagem chamada Tio Sam que é a "encarnação viva do espírito humano" (??)... Colisão de várias realidades; alianças perigosas; um mundo sem Batman.
Se já não bastassem os "tradutores"/editores da Eaglemoss.Br: "a ponto DA verdade e DA justiça ficarem..." Além de não terem cadastrado o ISBN da revista!