Review: ‘Absolute Superman’ #18 Launches a New Arc With Two Electrifying Debuts
ABSOLUTE SUPERMAN #18
Release Date: April 1, 2026
Creative Team Writer: Jason Aaron Artist: Rafa Sandoval Colorist: Ulises Arreola Letterer: Becca Carey Publisher: DC Comics
TL;DR
Absolute Superman #18 kicks off the "Reign of the Superman" arc in the best possible way, introducing two major DC characters into this universe while never losing sight of what has made this book great from the start. Jason Aaron and Rafa Sandoval are firing on all cylinders, and this is as good a jumping-on point as the series has had.
Full Review
The Absolute line works best when the creative teams take familiar characters and shake them up just enough to make them feel unpredictable. Absolute Superman #18 does exactly that. Jason Aaron knows his Superman history, and he uses that knowledge to set up surprises that land because you think you know where things are going right up until the moment you don't.
The issue opens in ancient Africa with the origin of this universe’s Black Adam/King Shazam. He’s born into oppression, forced to survive at the bottom of a brutal caste system, but Aaron puts a sharp twist on how he gains power. The Brainiacs are behind his abilities, which immediately complicates where his loyalties and motivations might land once he fully enters the picture. It's a smart piece of world-building that draws a direct line between Black Adam and Clark, two men shaped by systems designed to crush them, who ended up on completely opposite sides of what that experience means. One was hardened into something bitter and dangerous. The other let it fuel his belief in people. That contrast is what this book has always been about, and Aaron makes it feel earned rather than on-the-nose.
Back in the present, Lois Lane is hunting down Ra's and Talia al Ghul, and it's in this storyline that the issue delivers its most unexpectedly moving moment. Superman's efforts to reform Ra's al Ghul have actually worked. When Talia pushes her father to use the Lazarus Pit and reclaim his strength, he refuses, and goes a step further by sabotaging the machine entirely. It would have been easy to let him slide back into old habits. Aaron doesn't take the easy road. Ra's standing firm is a quiet but powerful statement about what Superman represents in this world. He doesn't just do good. He makes the people around him want to be better.
There's also the introduction of this universe’s Steel, whose debut is one of the issue's best visual moments. The mysterious figure, clad in an insulated suit and welding a massive hammer, crashes the Lois/Talia standoff with a bang. The hammer, including it’s ability to magnetize bullets played in mid-air, was brilliantly brought to life by the creative team..
Speaking of the creative team, Rafa Sandoval’s return felt like a warm hug. There's a physicality and edge to his work on this book that suits Aaron’s tone perfectly. Ulises Arreola's colors do tremendous work throughout, bathing Clark's eyes in unsettling shades against the swirling chaos of his cape. This is not the Golden Age man in the bright primary colors. Becca Carey's lettering rounds it all out, using bold, black text boxes to give Black Adam's ancient rage a distinct voice that sets him apart from everyone else on the page.
Absolute Superman has been one of my favorites titles within the Absolute Universe, and issue #18 proves the series still has plenty of surprises left to reveal.
Rating: 5/5
