Absolute Superman #5
Scheduled to arrive in stores: March 12, 2025
Cover date: May 2025
“Last Dust of Krypton” – Finale: “Ad Astra Per Aspera”
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artists: Rafa Sandoval
Cover: Rafa Sandoval and Ulises Arreola
Variant Covers: Sean Murphy and Simon Gough, Jae Lee and June Chung, Darick Robertson and Diego Rodriquez
Reviewed by: Craig Boehmer
This issue focuses on the destruction of Krypton, and I am so excited to say that the twists and turns Aaron wrote surprised and delighted me. We start with Kal narrating the results of his explosive information dump from two issues ago about the destruction of Krypton. The Law Guild’s Shock Troops attempt to arrest Jor and Lara at their home. The Els burst through the forces and go on the lam in a giant dump truck sending troops scattering, troops that bare the insignia of the Law Guild… eerily reminiscent of Zod’s insignia in the Rebirth Era. While the Els escape to their ship, riots tare through Krypton causing violence and unstoppable pain. Deep within the Crystal Mountains that the Els have used as a shop for their ship, Lara mourns at how they could not save more people. Jor comforts her by saying they have done all they could do, without damaging the structural integrity of the ship.
Meanwhile we flash forward, to a Pakistan Outpost of the Peacemakers. Where we get the rage of Superman. He smashes through a platoon of tanks, and crushes the outer doors. Sol, his AI suit, is attempting to help him find Christopher Smith, a Peacemaker who murdered twenty-three people in the last issue. Sol warns him against the violent rage that is building up, but is able to locate Brainiac who tells him he can show him where Smith is. Superman begins to interrogate a Peacemaker and we get a fantastic inner dialogue about his helplessness to save Krypton and his own determination to save Earth. But rather than killing anyone, Superman leaves the outpost.
We then go back in time to the destruction of Krypton. The Els are loading people onto the ship and getting their flight suits on, as they get ready, in the cities rioting Kryptonians flood the Elite’s ships causing them all to crash and explode. But the Els ship, with their neighbours, safely takes off. While in flight the exploding planet destroys the ship, the Els neighbours begin to plummet to earth when they are encapsulated by their flight suits, which turn into little personal ships. Even now, when they believe they are safe, the green energy emitted from the planet slowly destroys each ship, until the only one we can see is Kal’s. Thus he becomes the last Kryptonian.
Back on Earth, in the present, Kal ignores Sol’s findings about Brainiac and heads home to Smallville to gain some clarity.
Story – 5: Wow. Aaron is creating a modern masterpiece of Kryptonian Mythology. His issues focused on the destruction of Krypton are incredible. I wish he had had the entire story of Krypton’s destruction isolated to the first few issues, similar to Byrne’s Man of Steel mini-series. Krypton’s destruction manages to create something new out of a familiar story. Because the Absolute Universe is undefined, Aaron is able to create moments of false hope that redefine the tragedy of Krypton before ultimately enhancing the sense of loss that returns Kal to our more familiar status quo. Of the media that I have consumed showcasing the last days of Krypton, this feels the most real because Aaron shows how citizens across the globe react. He also increases our own investment by showing the Els fight to save as many people as they can. Not only are the pages recounting Krypton’s destruction a treat, but Superman’s appearance is also fantastic. His pursuit of Smith, and the attack on the Peacekeepers base is the first time this series that he has felt like a fleshed-out character. Having it culminate with him heading back to Smallville has me incredibly excited for what comes next.
Art – 5: This is still the most beautiful book of the Absolute Universe. Rafa’s pencils and Ulisses’ colors are gorgeous. Their depiction of the destruction of Krypton is incredible.
Cover Art – 5: Rafa Sandoval’s cover for this issue is fantastic. We see a kneeling Superman against the backdrop of an exploding Krypton. The explosion of the planet come forward to form the burning energy of his forearms. It is a fantastic sight that showcases a depth of emotion in Superman and highlights the catastrophic nature of Krypton’s destruction. This is a poster worthy image. It is my favourite cover of the Absolute Universe so far.
Variant Cover Art (Sean Murphy) – 3: Sean Murphy’s cover features Superman holding up a tank. It’s a great action pose for the character, but the way Murphy draws Superman’s proportions doesn’t appeal to me.
Variant Cover Art (Jae Lee) – 3: Jae Lee draws Superman in the midst of a battle with some robotic creature. Superman is lithe and creepy looking, like a character from a noir horror. It is a cool image, but I much prefer his work on Superman in the New 52.
Variant Cover Art (Darick Robertson) – 3: Darick Robertson create an image of Superman confronting Peacemakers, there is nothing wrong with the image per se, I just prefer other styles of art for Superman.
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