And here it is, the start of the event I’ve been dreading – the culmination of DC’s murdering of Amanda Waller as a character. In the next few months we’re going to have a lot of comics focusing on her war on superheroes.
The only reason to think we might have an enjoyable time is that the main Absolute Power series is being handled by the writer/artist team of Mark Waid and Dan Mora, the men behind the terrific World’s Finest series.
Ground Zero is an anthology of the type we’ve become accustomed to getting from DC as an event kicks off, with three stories setting the scene in terms of plot and characters. All the strips here are co-written by Waid, ensuring the tone is right, while guest writers get to apply their own talents.
First up, Jon Kent’s boyfriend Jay Nakamura, on the run on the island of Gamorra after the murder of his President mother, is captured by Dreamer, who’s been blackmailed into working with Waller.
Well said, sir. I’m on record as not being a big fan of Jay, but here he’s finally showing a bit of edge, shining as a character without Jon by his side. Dreamer, by contrast, comes across as weak, which is surprising giving the co-writer here is Nicole Maines, the actress who played her in TV’s Supergirl. Also, some laying out of her nonsense powers beyond the phrase ‘dream energy’ would’ve been helpful. How, for example, can she bypass Jay’s phasing? That apart, we have a pacey, efficient script that hints at stronger stuff to come from Dreamer.
The art by Skylar Patridge is pretty good, with some nice work when it comes to facial expressions, and Patricio’s Delpeche’s colours successfully evoke the tones of a tropical island and a floating jail cell. If only Jay could lose that terrible pink hair.
Next, it’s the Department of Forgotten Villains as Time Commander becomes the latest of Amanda Waller’s ‘assets’ in her ongoing war against the actual good guys. It’s saying something for how far her character has fallen that we’re rooting for a scumbag crook – it’s also a credit to Waid and co-writer Chip Zdarsky, who have TC feeling very much like an original Suicide Squad character.
Oh great, that stupid alt-Batman robot…
V Ken Marion’s art serves the short well, with Waller seeming suitably satanic. And I really like TC’s tousled civvies look, very raffish. As for the colours and letters, it’s the talented Delpeche and Wands once more.
Finally, the Brainiac Queen from recent issues of Superman and Action Comics, rocketed to Earth from the doomed Brainiac hiveship, shows up at Waller’s feet. Recognising something else she can use, Waller plugs herself into the mindwiped android’s system, and embarks on a 20-year campaign to train it to hate heroes.
It’s not used often enough to have become a trope, but I hugely dislike the ‘character spends decades in an alternate life’ bit. You know, Superman and Wonder Woman spend 1,000 years in Valhalla, Superman spends 20 years in space… poor Superman. And in this case, I can’t believe it – with all the scientific and magical resources Waller has at this point, surely she’d have other options to corrupt the Brainiac Queen? We see that even though the 20 years were really just a 20-hour span, Waller lived them – that’s quite the sacrifice, even for a fanatic. Also, readers of Suicide Squad: Dream Team, to which readers are pointed in an editorial note in the Jay tale, will know Waller has been desperate not to fall asleep, for fear of attack by Dreamer… surely these 20 hours count as kip?
Which isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy the story by Waid and Josh Williamson. The incongruity of domestic Waller is fun – Finding The Wall in the kitchen making breakfast pancakes is akin to encountering Darkseid sitting in your armchair. And artist Gleb Melnikov, who has done some fine work across the Superman books over the past few years, has great fun with Waller’s outfits, and draws a marvellously creepy Brainiac Queen. While Wands once more provides the lettering, Melnikov colours his own work, and the singular visual vision results in the issue’s strongest art.
All in all, Absolute Power: Ground Zero – which has a great cover from that man Dan Mora – is a better-than-average tease for a bound-to-be-sprawling storyline. I would say it made me hate Waller more than ever, but I think I hit Peak Waller Hate awhile back…she’s far beyond redemption. Hopefully I shall see her get it. Fancy phasing through her, Jay?
Too Dangerous For a Girl 2 
I have it but I can’t bring myself to read it. Maybe I’ll be able to force myself to read the actual event. Well, except any Green Arrow tie ins.
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Actually, I have this week’s GA to read now… dunno why I’m bothering, it’s been so dull lately.
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spoiler for Green Arrow, but I don’t see how Oliver comes back from this, unless he has some super duper secret plan for siding with the murderous would be tyrant.
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Just read it, surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Yeah, Ollie definitely has a plan, he knew Roy would be fine. And I love Conner Hawke’s new/old look, anything that covers his terrible man-bun is fantastic.
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I’ve gotta say, I really liked this. I decided to buy this, and the main Absolute Power series (minus the sub-series and the tie-ins) on paper, waiting for the secondary stuff to show up on DCUI. And so far, I’m a fan.
As I’ve probably written, I’ve moved away a bit from the anti-Waller bandwagon; I feel like her time on Earth 3 is sufficient motivation for a heel turn for someone who was already skeptical of superheroes, and while not every writer will play her on what I feel his her new moral line–I think there are some things she still won’t do, as she still has protection of regular (American) humans as one of her core motivations–I can blame that on the writer, not the character. I think Waid (and this series) will do right by her, in general.
And Dreamer! I honestly love what’s being done with her, because it’s so surprising to me. She’s DC’s flagship trans character, and you’d think they’d be wanting to keep her untarnished, always choosing the right thing. That’s what I’d expected from DC, and also from Maines, who obviously has a very personal stake in the matter. But she’s a much more daring writer than I’d expected, and is taking some pretty huge risks with Nia. And having such a conflict between her and Jai is honestly the best thing ever for both Jai and Jon. I think this facet of the story will have great benefits.
The Time Commander story was fun, and made me want to go back and read his last appearance, in Batman: Urban Legend. I hope to do that soon.
As for Brainiac Queen, my only regret is that I spoiled the end of the Superman books for myself for reading this. But I like Waller’s devotion to raising/indoctrinating her, and it was presented well. Ultimately, these stories give Waller very different relationships with all of her main allies: Dreamer, Failsafe, Braniac Queen, and Green Arrow. (Who knows what his deal is? But as has been pointed out elsewhere, he’s expressed distrust for superheroes for longer than Waller’s been around, so there’s certainly precedent…though I’m hoping for better from him eventually.)
So bring on Absolute Power! I think this will be exciting as hell.
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Great, insightful thoughts as ever, Rob. I do see you point about Earth 3… maybe Amanda hasn’t read the footnotes about that morality on that world being fundamentally flipped. And I see her wanting to protect Americans. But I cannot get behind the constant torture of heroes and villains, and the likes of out and out murdering Jay’s Mom rather than, say, do a deal to use Gomorra as her HQ.
I actually went to DC Infinite in between AP shorts and read the three issues of Maines’ Suicide Squad: Dream Team that are up there. I was very impressed, bar the boring cursing. I am SUCH a good Catholic boy.
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Ha, the cursing always leaves me a little cold, too, whether in superhero comics or in other things. Too often it just seems shoehorned in.
As for Jai’s mom’s death, I haven’t actually read how that went down yet. But yeah, you’d hope Waller would be craftier than just murdering someone. But what happens in the field isn’t always what she intends.
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The most consistent through line to Oliver Queen’s personality is asshole (with adulterer the hypocrite as second and third) so his backing eeeeeeeeeeeeeevil Waller feels authentic to me. Even if he’s using her to achieve some end of his own, enabling the psychopath stays true to his asshole reputation.
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Nice to see you coming around some on Dreamer, Martin. I feel like I remember you having some discouraging words about her at one point — maybe when the “Suicide Squad” book was announced? — to the effect of, “Who cares about this character?” To which my answer was, “I do, very much.” (If I’m misremembering or misrepresenting, I apologize.) So I’m glad you liked what you read on DC Infinite.
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Hmm, was that me? I don’t recall commenting on the SS mini announcement. I try to accept that everyone is someone’s favourite character (even that kid with the Still Force) but I’ve been pretty positive about Dreamer, eg in my Lazarus Planet: Assault on Krypton and DC Pride #1 reviews. I have been down on the constant refusal to at least try to lay out Dreamer’s powers, though.
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Actually, I found the comments I was thinking of. They weren’t in response to the “SS” announcement, though they were shortly after it. It was over on Anj’s Supergirl blog, in the comments to his review of Action Comics #1060, where you wrote, “Why do DC keep pushing Dreamer?” and, “DC has so many great characters we rarely see – Firehawk, the Ray, Damage for starters – that I could live without TV characters being dragged in just because someone has a contact for the actor and can get a script from them.”
As a Dreamer fan, I did take those particular remarks as sounding pretty negative toward the character in general (though it’s true you also commented on her ill-defined powers, which I can’t really dispute, and allowed as how “Dreamer is likeable”). Anyway, not trying to call you out, just meant to say that if you’re liking her better now, it’s good to hear. Peace, and thanks as always for the blog.
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Good work! I do wonder why they keep pushing Dreamer but yes, the stories we’ve seen her in have been pretty good – Maines especially impressed with the Suicide Squad book. I’d be interested to see her wrote a non-Dreamer story. Mind, if we could have a story with Firehawk or Firestorm or the Power Company or any of a hundred existing characters instead, great. Really, DC should bring back traditional Brave and Bold/DC Comics Presents to showcase lots of characters.
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