The Absolute Universe comes from Omega Energy contained in Darkseid, the big bad of the DC Universe. As explained in October’s Absolute Evil one-shot, this is a universe in which goodness is unnatural and evildoers ordinarily have power. That is why the Joker and Cale call their organization the Justice League, because those who do good disrupt the balance and order of their universe.
That evil bent infects the heroes of the Absolute Universe, who want to do good, but do so in an often unsettling way. Absolute Batman still wants to free Gotham City from crime, but must do so by dispensing extreme violence. Absolute Martian Manhunter frees people from Darkseid’s misery by putting them through psychedelic, and often unwanted, experiences. Absolute Green Lantern must undergo a strange testing process that purges her of all fear. Even Absolute Superman slowly learns to care about humanity, and is still isn’t ready to trust them.
Because this world lacks open expressions of goodness, Wonder Woman’s empathy and kindness shine like a beacon through the coldest night. She’s a witch from the depths of Hell, and that suffering only makes her love life more, makes her more determined to help anyone she can.
Absolute Wonder
Wonder Woman’s refusal to go back to the shadows catches Batman off-guard, but he doesn’t mock it. Instead, after pausing to think for a moment, he allows, “We all have our own paths,” which sounds dismissive until he adds, “Though I think my father would have preferred yours.”
“Then I will take that as the compliment it is,” she responds. The statement isn’t just Diana’s way of saying “thank you.” It’s a recognition that Bruce’s father matters, a recognition that the work he did continues, even if Bruce doesn’t think that it continues with him.
In Absolute Batman #16, Diana repays the compliment by using her magic on Bruce. As he sleeps, she sprinkles dust on him, which allows him to visit Thomas Wayne in the afterlife. In the form of a child, Bruce hugs his father, and thanks Thomas for saving him when the gunman attacked the school, but Thomas insists he misunderstands. “For me, ‘saving you’ was what I did every day before that one. Teaching, being your dad.” Thomas explains that his work has found its culmination in Bruce, who helps the city in ways he never could.
