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My girlfriend was never interested in superheroes. She told me that her perception of them has mostly been shaped by the MCU movies (“Marvel movies,” as she calls them). While it’s easy for a snobby comic book reader to dismiss the opinion of someone who can barely tell the difference between Marvel and DC characters, she made a very interesting point: it feels as though MCU heroes are always there to preserve the status quo. According to her, the stories are almost always about some radical person or group who might have good intentions (to humanize them and make them relatable), but then go too far, and the heroes have to stop them. It’s a fairly simplified reading of decades of storytelling, but I do think it’s an interesting point, and it touches on something important.

Across DC and Marvel’s main continuities, there exists a form of equilibrium. Superman might be down on his luck today, and even Lex Luthor might be president, but this is an anomalous state for the world. When everything runs as it should, and villains are stopped without causing too much havoc, that is what I would call equilibrium. It’s not a perfect situation, as even a third-rate villain might be onto something, but they are dealt with quickly. It’s only when things really go south in a major event that this equilibrium is temporarily lost.

I believe the 'dark' universes, such as the Dark Multiverse, are evidence of this. Reading the Tales from the Dark Multiverse anthology books, much like many other 'dark' Elseworlds stories, is really fun because they explore universes that did not recover from temporary catastrophes (events) and instead remained in a state of disequilibrium. That is also why we don’t get ongoing series set in those worlds, for example, set in the universe of Batman the Silenced, a tortured and clinically insane version of Batman who fights his CEO and politician brother in the US government.

However, my girlfriend, as well as some friends who never really bothered with comics, really liked DC's Absolute series to varying degrees. Of course, they are not alone, as Western comic books (at least partially), thanks to the Absolute series, haven't been this popular in a long time. And I think I know why.

Related: DC has big questions about Absolute Batman & the Absolute DC Line - and is doing a fan survey

DC's Absolute is about breaking the status quo, not upholding it

People have compared the Absolute series to Ultimate Marvel and argued that the reason it has been doing so well is that it reimagines the DC universe in a different and darker setting. So, 1) you don’t need knowledge of the continuity to get into it, and 2) it’s more messed up. It’s similar to an Elseworlds title, but more restrained, so it can be followed on an ongoing basis.

And I don’t think that captures the essence. I believe the main reason is that the Absolute series is about our contemporary world. In the old continuity, the temporary challenge to the equilibrium was relatable; however, the younger generation no longer likes the equilibrium or the people who want to uphold it.

According to Pew Research Center, only about two in ten Americans say they trust the government, a figure that has declined dramatically since the Clinton era, when Lex Luthor was president. This decline shows up in broader attitudes toward politics itself. International IDEA summarizes recent U.S. survey research by noting that majorities of Americans report feeling angry and exhausted when thinking about politics, that people see political debate as less respectful and less fact-based, and that polarization between the two major parties has increased. The same overview adds that at least one in ten Americans is open to the use of political violence.

These patterns are also visible in other parts of the Western world, with the rise of the far right and broader political radicalism. V-Dem Institute’s 2026 Democracy Report states that the U.S. was no longer classified as a liberal democracy in 2025 and was shifted to the category of electoral democracy. That does not mean the U.S. became authoritarian, but it is a serious signal from one of the main comparative democracy datasets that anti-pluralism, institutional erosion, and radicalized conflict have become substantial enough to affect regime classification. So to speak, even if Lex Luthor is out of office, that will not solve the institutional issues or restore public trust in those institutions. So it is very understandable that, when you compare Absolute Batman to the main continuity Batman, the former becomes more relatable in this era.

Related: Absolute Green Arrow’s huge pre-orders show growing confidence in DC’s Absolute Universe

Absolute Batman is a man of the people, while Batman is a man for the people

At a time when public sentiment toward billionaires is increasingly negative, driven by concerns over extreme wealth inequality, political influence, and tax avoidance, it is very difficult to maintain Batman as a charitable billionaire who fights crime and whom we are supposed to root for. Of course, the laws that govern DC continuity are not the same as ours, and Gotham City functions differently. However, that is exactly the problem. Chip Zdarsky and other writers on the main continuity Batman title have played with the idea by having Bruce go broke for a while and exploring how essential his money and influence are to his character. But the Absolute series does something special.

When I told my friends about Absolute Batman, and how he is a blue-collar worker and, in this universe, it is the Joker who is the rich guy, and in cahoots with other powerful and wealthy villains who run the world, they immediately became interested in reading it.

People don’t want to root for the maintainers of the equilibrium anymore; they want to root for those who disrupt it. As people feel increasingly alienated and powerless, it is the revolutionary underdog who becomes attractive.

Related: DC's Absolute Universe: ✓ Reader success, ✓Sales success, and now ✓ Critical awards success with Eisner noms

Absolute DC heroes feel timely because they fight systems, not just villains

'Man of Steel,' taken literally to mean someone whose class deals with steel (Labor Guild –the working class), gave me chills the first time I read it in Absolute Superman. It’s a simple reformulation of Superman’s identity that makes him infinitely more relatable. The fact that he constantly chats with his AI buddy, similar to our LLMs, is the cherry on top.

My girlfriend, who once couldn't tell the difference between Marvel and DC, finished Absolute Superman in two sittings and immediately asked what to read next. She has since developed opinions about writers, artists, and continuity that would make a snobby comic book reader uncomfortable.

That, I think, is the point. She wasn't won over by a darker aesthetic or a cleaner entry point. She was won over because, for the first time, a superhero story wasn't asking her to root for the world as it is. It was asking her to root for someone trying to change it. Someone without money or institutional power, up against people who have both. That's not a new story. It's the oldest story. It just hasn't been told in a cape, to this audience, at quite this moment.

Here's an update to date guide on the Absolute Batman release schedule.