DC’s Absolute Universe line is finally getting its first crossover. Per an Instagram video of Absolute Batman writer Scott Snyder discussing the franchise’s future, Absolute Superman writer Jason Aaron will be the main writer, though he’s working with the other Absolute creators to bring the event together. As in our universe, the Absolute Universe’s Martian Manhunter is set to play a major role in assembling the team.
The Absolute books feature new takes on icons like Wonder Woman, Batman, Superman, and many other DC mainstays. The stories take place on Alpha-World (or The Elseworld), where the presence of the super-villain Darkseid has infused the world with dark energy. (By comparison, the main DC Universe is more influenced by Superman’s heroism.) The Absolute line continues to shine in sales, critical reception, inventive storytelling, and fan response. In 2025, Absolute Wonder Woman swept the Eisners, walking away with Best New Series overall, as well as a Best Colorist award for superstar Jordie Bellaire.
Jason Aaron’s take on Absolute Superman with artist Rafa Sandoval has been a heavy hitter for the line since its introduction in November 2024. This Superman was raised on Krypton, in an industrial hellscape fueled by corruption. His journey to Earth nonetheless brought him to the Kent family, but their relationship was fundamentally altered. This is a Superman who’s well-acquainted with the evils of the universe, adding lots of bumps in the road of his hero’s journey.
Aaron has the kind of comic book resume that only comes to someone who’s been immersed in the medium for nearly two decades. His first major work of note was Vertigo’s Scalped, a gritty Western that ran for 60 issues, from March 2007 to August 2012. This was followed by runs on books like Wolverine, Ghost Rider, Punisher MAX, The Avengers, and many more.
The most exciting prior work suggesting Aaron’s bona fides for an Absolute Justice League project is his seven-year run on Thor, which kicked off in 2012. His Thor ultimately served as a major inspiration for Taika Waititi’s film Thor: Love & Thunder. Introducing The Odinson’s longsuffering love interest Jane Foster as The Mighty Thor, Aaron and artist Russell Dauterman (among others) created an epic the likes of which the book had seldom seen. Around the time Aaron’s Thor run was wrapping up, he spearheaded Marvel’s massive War of the Realms. This story emphasized his ability to turn sprawling concepts into a solid, impactful crossover in which many characters have time to shine.
The grittier, moodier Absolute Universe is strikingly different from our the mainline DC universe, while still touching on many of the same themes of justice vs. corruption. Its Justice League is an alliance between villains, not heroes. This League will include the Joker, Ra’s Al Ghul, Hector Hammond, Veronica Cale, and Elenore Thawne. So what will the gathering of superheroes fighting them be called?
In another video from the same Instagram account, Snyder says, “You can guess it pretty well. The bad guys formed the Justice League, and if you want to bring about the Doom of the Justice League, the heroes need to form something else.” The capitalization of the word “Doom” is doing a lot of heavy lifting here — chances are, we’re talking about The Legion of Doom, the classic inverse of the Justice League.
Regardless of how that all shakes out, Aaron is the perfect choice to head up the first Absolute crossover. His history of gritty crime stories via his Vertigo work, his penchant for sprawling epics via Thor, and his familiarity with the universe via Absolute Superman makes him a top-notch candidate for turning this crossover into superhero story gold.
