Review: Absolute Power #4
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Mark Waid
Art: Dan Mora
Colors: Alejandro Sanchez
Letters: Ariana Maher
Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd
Summary
The good guys win! No, really, they do. They break into Waller’s base and reverse the Amazo’s super powers steal and get a confession from Waller.
Positives
Dan Mora’s art continues to be the biggest bright spot in this mini-series. Um, about the only blast of excitement in Absolute Power #4 comes when the Flashes team up with Hal Jordan, Green Lantern.
Negatives
Like last issue, too much of the heavy lifting is done in other issue rather than the main book of this event. And, the fact that it’s an event instead of a story is probably the underlying reason. Having an event is the purpose of this series, not telling a great story. Too much relies on the reader having read the tie ins like Green Lantern #15. And, that’s the technical problem with Absolute Power #4. You just don’t get the whole story. Important things happen elsewhere that impact what’s going on with this comic. From the perspective of crafting a story…it doesn’t work. At all.
Of course, with a weak overall concept and lame villain in Amanda Waller, it’s hard to land the ending. It just feels like Waid is doubling down on bad ideas. This was never going to change. Ollie is revealed as “not a traitor.” Everything you thought would happen would happen. There’s almost no way Waid could land the ending. He even steals the mindwipe from Identity Crisis to solve the problem of Amanda Waller knowing all the heroes identities. (I wasn’t even aware this was an issue- when did this happen?) And no, this doesn’t make Dreamer suddenly cool or interesting. Additionally, it also feels like just set up for the next phase of the DCU.
Some of the fallout will be dealt with in the upcoming Justice League Unlimited title, but other things like the inability to access the Multiverse will have to be handled elsewhere/ elsewhen. Does Black Canary really have heat vision now?!?!?! Who’s missing heat vision? Beuller? Beuller? DC still doesn’t seem to understand how to utilize the Mulitiverse properly. It’s a no brainer that when the crossover with the new forthcoming Absolute Universe comes to pass that barrier to the Multiverse will be sorted out.
Verdict
Overall, Absolute Power #4 is pretty boring. It was never that interesting from the beginning and the need to read all the tie ins takes away from whatever impact this series had potential to have. Waid seems handcuffed by the approach to this series and he had very little plot to work with throughout. This is one of those pointless series that never needed to happen
