Have you visited DC’s Absolute universe yet? If you haven’t, then you might want to prepare yourself before you read any further. Since its debut over a year ago, this world of reimagined DC icons has pushed its heroes to the absolute limit. It’s also pushed the envelope when it comes to violence, body horror and psychedelic imagery. You can see some truly shocking examples below as we round up seven of the most mind-shattering Absolute moments, one from each comic to have debuted so far.
Bane Maims Batman
Truth be told, it’s hard to pick just one shocking moment from Absolute Batman since the series has been wall-to-wall insanity. From Batman’s brutal fight with the Party Animals in issue #1, to the surprising revelation that Martha Wayne survived to see Bruce come of age, Absolute Batman has been full of surprises. However, Absolute Batman #11 took things to a new level, as we saw just how brutal this universe’s Bane could be.
Alfred imagines a battle between Batman and Bane, where Bane takes Batman’s axe and uses it to chop off the Dark Knight’s hands. Bane then uses the axe to crush Batman’s skull before taking him to doctors, who rebuild Batman’s body using Venom. This entire sequence takes place in Alfred’s imagination, but that doesn’t make it any less intense. If anything, it makes me even more worried for Batman and Bane’s upcoming fight. And we haven’t even gotten to Absolute Joker yet!
Wally West Accidentally Kills Barry Allen
One of the great things about DC’s Absolute line is how it plays with your expectations. Absolute Flash is a great example because as you read the first issue, you think you know where the story is going. It looks like Barry Allen’s experiments will give him and the teenage Wally West powers, but things don’t quite go that way.
Absolute Flash #1 ends with the revelation that Barry died in the aftermath of the lab accident that gave Wally his powers. As if that wasn’t dark enough, a flashback in Absolute Flash #2 shows that Wally might have killed him after accidentally hitting Barry with a lightning discharge. This reframes Wally’s entire story, putting him alone against the world, on the run, and forcing him to deal with his guilt over accidentally killing his mentor.
Absolute Green Arrow is Introduced and Immediately Killed
By now you’ve probably gathered that the Absolute universe isn’t a safe place, even if you are an iconic hero. Oliver Queen made his Absolute universe debut in Absolute Evil #1, but his career as Green Arrow didn’t go as planned.
The book opens with Oliver training in his Arrowcave, making plans to hunt down a corrupt billionaire named Jubal Slade. What happened next left my jaw on the floor. A group of villains (Hector Hammond, Elenore Thawne, Ra’s al Ghul, Joker and Veronica Cale) get together for a meeting where they discuss the growing hero problem they’re facing. Veronica Cale suggests working together to solve one another’s problems, and to prove her point, she has Hawkman bring in Oliver Queen’s bludgeoned corpse. It was a shocking moment and a grim reminder that the Absolute universe operates under its own set of rules.
Wonder Woman and Her Kaiju-Sized Sword
As fans of Absolute Wonder Woman know, the Eisner-winning series is one of the most intense comics on the stands today. For example, there’s Diana sacrificing her right arm to get Steve Trevor out of hell in Absolute Wonder Woman #3, ripping her magical replacement arm off later that issue, and turning herself into a giant Medusa to fight the Tetracide in Absolute Wonder Woman #5. However, the most shocking moment—for my money, at least—occurred in Absolute Wonder Woman #4.
Realizing that her Athena Blade is too small to battle the giant Tetracide, Diana uses a spell to make the weapon grow. The sword becomes larger than a skyscraper, and Diana uses it to slice Tetracide in half. Here’s the cool part. Diana remains her normal size while wielding this kaiju-sized blade. I really need to see this epic scene in live-action one day. It’s funny because people thought her Athena Blade was large before, but they had no idea what was coming.
Brainiac Body Horror
Absolute Superman #7 introduces us to Brainiac, and he’s nothing like any incarnation of the character we’ve seen before. The alien/machine hybrid is reimagined as a horrific fusion of robotics and decayed skin. His brain is exposed, and his legs are more machine than man. His face appears both lifeless and menacing at the same time.
Oh, and he’s absolutely insane. Brainiac is seen conducting experiments on his prisoners and they’re pure body horror. One prisoner is dismembered, but his discarded limbs and organs remain connected to his body through wires and machines. His brain was also removed from his body but remained connected to his nervous system via Brainiac’s machines. It’s Cronenberg-level stuff, and the truly insane thing is that for all his twisted abilities, Brainiac is subservient to Lazarus Corp chief Ra’s al Ghul. What does he have up his sleeve?
Abin Sur’s Rampage
Absolute Green Lantern turns Hal Jordan’s origin into an alien invasion story and it’s downright horrifying. Abin Sur is no longer the science fiction space ranger we met in the Silver Age. Instead, he’s reimagined as an invader who doesn’t mind spilling some blood, and that’s just what he does.
In Absolute Green Lantern #2, Sur tells the citizens of Evergreen, Nevada that he’s going to pass judgment on them and things escalate from there. Guy Gardner is incinerated, a cop named Rita is decapitated and her partner Roy gets his hand cut off. And if you’re looking for Hal to save everyone…well, he’s dealing with his own issues, namely the alien curse that just may turn him into an even bigger threat to the world than Abin Sur.
Martian Manhunter Takes You on a Mind Trip
One thing I love about Absolute Martian Manhunter is that you can tell DC let Deniz Camp and Javier Rodriguez cook, and what they came up with was a mind-bending treat. It’s hard to point to one particular moment because the entire series is a psychedelic mind trip that is disorientating, entertaining and visually mesmerizing. The first two issues in particular stand out, as John Jones tries to make sense of the way his senses are perceiving new and unseen things.
I won’t spoil the nature of John’s relationship with the Martian, but the lead-up to the revelation makes for an interesting read, as what John is perceiving gets more and more abstract. Absolute Martian Manhunter is a title that doesn’t play it safe, but it’s easily one of the most unique comics on sale today.
Joshua Lapin-Bertone writes about TV, movies and comics for DC.com, is a regular contributor to the Couch Club and writes our monthly Batman column, "Gotham Gazette." Follow him on Bluesky at @joshualapinbertone and on X at @TBUJosh.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Joshua Lapin-Bertone and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.
