DC is celebrating the one-year anniversary of the hugely successful Absolute Universe imprint with the release of Absolute Evil #1. This one-shot special offers critical new insight into the history of this twisted universe and the villains who have shaped it. Most importantly, we learn a great deal about Absolute Joker and why he's so profoundly different from the traditional Clown Prince of Crime. Plus, we finally meet a villain who's been the single biggest question mark of this new universe.
Read on to learn what this issue reveals about Joker's shocking motivations and other revelations about why there are so few heroes in the Absolute Universe.
Warning: Beware of full spoilers for Absolute Evil #1 ahead!
How the Absolute Universe Reinvents Joker
Absolute Evil #1 revolves around a meeting between the major villains of each individual Absolute Universe title - Absolute Wonder Woman's Veronica Cale, Absolute Superman's Ra's al Ghul, Absolute Green Lantern's Hector Hammond, Absolute Flash's Dr. Elenore Thawne, and, of course, Absolute Batman's Joker. These villains have never cooperated in the past, but with a new generation of costumed revolutionaries rising up to threaten the world order, Cale sees an urgent need for unity.
Cale has trouble making her case until Joker finally interjects. The other attendees take his speech very seriously, since, as Ra's repeatedly points out, Joker never jokes. He's utterly humorless.
As already established in Absolute Batman, Joker is basically everything Bruce Wayne is in the regular DC Universe. He has immense wealth and a faithful butler. He's traveled the world molding himself into the ultimate warrior. He's refined and dignified. And, again, he never laughs.
Joker reveals that his team of scientists have been studying the fabric of the universe. Using their advanced particle accelerator, they discovered a particle even more fundamental to the nature of existence than the fabled Higgs Boson. Joker calls it the Omega Particle. The Omega Particle proves, on a mathematical and even spiritual level, that the universe is the way it is for a reason. He and his partners possess power over others because they deserve to. The Omega Particle is proof that the arc of the universe bends toward justice.
From there, Joker makes his proposal. He, Cale, Ra's, Hammond, and Thawne will form a team to safeguard their power and promote peace and justice. They'll be the Justice League.
Joker's discovery of the Omega Particle ties back to the origins of the Absolute Universe seen in last year's DC All-In special. The Absolute Universe is a mirror of the regular DCU that has been fundamentally warped by Darkseid. With his immense new power, Darkseid has corrupted the universe through sheer force of will and robbed DC's heroes of their innate advantages. As Joker has discovered, Darkseid's malice permeates the very subatomic fabric of existence.
This issue serves as a valuable glimpse into the mind of this Joker, making it all the more clear that he's completely unlike just about every other version of the character. He's not a cackling jester or prankster. He's not even an anarchist. He's someone who believes very firmly in preserving order, whereas Batman as a Gotham City revolutionary now represents chaos. Their dynamic has completely reversed in this universe.
Interestingly, the way Joker is portrayed here, it almost seems as though speaking at length and maintaining a calm facade causes him physical pain. That may well be the idea. We've already seen in Absolute Batman that Joker relies on a grotesque ritual where he wraps himself in a cocoon of dead babies, something we assume grants him increased strength and a longer lifespan. More recently, writer Scott Snyder and artist Nick Dragotta revealed a tease of Absolute Batman #15, which will apparently showcase Joker's true, monstrous form:
In short, we don't exactly envy Batman in having to go toe-to-toe with this version of Joker. In part because this issue makes it painfully clear what happens when heroes run afoul of the new Justice League.
The Secret History of the Absolute Universe
Interspersed with the inaugural meeting of the Justice League are flashback scenes detailing the secret history of superheroes in the Absolute Universe. It quickly becomes clear why there are so few beyond Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, Green Lantern, Flash, and Martian Manhunter. Darkseid's corruption runs deep.
We see that the Golden Age Sandman, Wesley Dodds, was murdered shortly after he began his crimefighting career in the '30s, with the government repurposing his sleep gas to create a powerful neurotoxin. Wildcat accepted a bribe and retired to open a boxing gym. Unlike in the regular DCU, Hawkman agreed to reveal his secret identity to the House Un-American Activities Committee and rat out his fellow heroes. In these and other cases, the growth of the world's superhero community in the 20th Century is stunted and suppressed. The Absolute Universe isn't unlike Marvel's new Ultimate Universe in that regard.
Other scenes in the present show that Oliver Queen has begun masquerading as Green Arrow. Ollie is determined to use his fortune and training to wage war on wealthy elites like Jubal Slade, a billionaire sex trafficker. But no sooner does Green Arrow begin his crusade than Hawkman (now bandaged and wearing black leather) murders him and presents his lifeless body to the Justice League members. This is what happens to those who threaten the natural order of things.
This is an unexpected twist in light of the fact that DC recently confirmed an Absolute Green Arrow series for 2026. Given that Ollie is shown talking on the phone with an incredulous Roy Harper, we assume the series will actually focus on Roy taking up the mantle of his slain mentor. Hopefully he'll be a little more cautious about threatening powerful, well-connected billionaires on unsecured phone lines...
The Debut of Absolute Lex Luthor
Absolute Evil #1 shares one last, big twist for the end. The Justice League meeting is secretly monitored by Ra's al Ghul's minion, Brainiac, who then confers with the Flash villain Mirror Master. Mirror Master notes that all the members of the League exist as mirrored opposites of one another. There's a balance to the group, except that one person is missing. Someone needs to balance out the Joker.
The story cuts to an idyllic scene on a farm, where a husband and wife are enjoying the sunset. The husband reflects that his time as an angry, jealous young man is behind him. He then receives a phone call from Brainiac, answering, "This is Lex Luthor speaking. How can I be of help?".
And with that, the one villain whose absence in the Absolute Universe has been most glaring finally debuts. And just as Batman and Joker have basically reversed places in this universe, Lex is looking an awful lot like Clark Kent here. He even has his hair still.
It remains to be seen why Brainiac has selected Lex Luthor to be the sixth and final Justice League member, and why this version of Lex is meant to be the mirror to Joker. He certainly doesn't seem much like his traditional self here, but appearances are probably deceiving.
What do you think of these new Joker revelations and the other big twists in Absolute Evil #1? let us know in the comments below.
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