As the DC Universe braces for the Absolute Power blitzkrieg, the key to capturing metahuman powers on planet Earth will at last be unlocked! Bridging the events of Batman, Superman: House of Brainiac, and Suicide Squad: Dream Team, this special oversize Ground Zero issue brings Waller’s total dominance to the doorsteps of the world’s finest heroes…using the combined might of Failsafe, Brainiac Queen, and the Suicide Squad to do it! Absolute Power: Ground Zero #1 is a good introduction to the upcoming event setting up Waller’s plan.

Absolute Power is the upcoming summer event that has Amanda Waller taking on the heroes of the DC Universe. Years in the making, the planning for the event has been meticulous with pieces of the puzzle being sorted and in Absolute Power: Ground Zero #1 they come together more.

With three stories by Nicole Maines, Mark Waid, Chip Zdarsky, and Joshua Williamson, Absolute Power: Ground Zero #1 adds three more pieces to that puzzle as we see Waller building her team to take on DC’s heroes. But, what the comic does well is show that no matter how far ahead you’ve thought, Waller is further steps ahead of that. She’s playing the long game and has no issue with getting her hands dirty to make her goal a reality.

Big events are always interesting as they often launch out of stories that have been years in the making but at the same time need to be relatively easy for new readers to dive in to. Absolute Power: Ground Zero #1 achieves that focusing on Waller continuing to put her plans together. It gives you a good idea of who these characters are and while it doesn’t fully reveal the plan, it delivers an ominous tone as to what’s to come. It also gives us some drama in those manipulated by Waller, drama where you can feel bad for those she bends to her will.

The art is solid. Skylar Patridge, V Ken Marion, and Gleb Melnikov handle the pencils while Patricio Delpeche and Melnikov handle colors, and Steve Wands the lettering. The comic looks solid capturing DC’s “style” and delivering action that’s fun and interesting to follow. The team also does a solid job of the emotional punches. We get some solid moments throughout as those manipulated by Waller struggle with their actions and Waller herself uses AI to manipulate another. It looks great.

Absolute Power: Ground Zero #1 is a nice chapter to the event that will likely get people interested in what’s to come. It does feel like it’d have had greater impact as the Free Comic Book Day release, but as is, it does a good job of keeping long time readers engaged and introducing what’s coming to new readers. It’s a tease of a potentially solid event to come.

Story: Nicole Maines, Mark Waid, Chip Zdarsky, Joshua Williamson
Art: Skylar Patridge, V Ken Marion, Gleb Melnikov
Color: Patricio Delpeche, Gleb Melnikov Letters: Steve Wands
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25 Recommendation: Purchase

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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