Absolute Power 2024 FCBD Special Edition #1

Absolute Power

by Mark Waid, Mikel Janín (Artist), Patricia Mulvihill (Colorist)

The prelude to the biggest DC Comics event of 2024 is here! It’s a story 30 years in the making... and in this special Free Comic Book Day tale, the final domino to fall in an epic scheme comes tumbling down, and the DC Universe will never be the same. More details coming soon!

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Science Fiction, Superheroes, Graphic Novels, Fiction

15 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 4, 2024

About the author

Mark Waid is an American comic book writer widely known for shaping modern superhero storytelling through influential runs on major characters at both DC Comics and Marvel Comics. Raised in Alabama, he developed an early fascination with comic books, particularly classic stories featuring the Legion of Super-Heroes, whose imaginative scope and sense of legacy would later inform his own writing. He first entered the comics industry during the mid 1980s as an editor and writer for the fan magazine Amazing Heroes, before publishing his first professional comic story in Action Comics. Soon afterward he joined DC Comics as an editor, contributing to numerous titles and helping shape projects across the company. After leaving editorial work to focus on writing, Waid gained widespread recognition with his long run on The Flash, where he expanded the mythology of the character and co-created the youthful speedster Impulse. His reputation grew further with the celebrated graphic novel Kingdom Come, created with artist Alex Ross, which imagined a future DC Universe shaped by generational conflict among superheroes. Over the years he has written many prominent series, including Captain America, Fantastic Four, Daredevil, and Superman: Birthright, bringing a balance of optimism, character depth, and respect for comic book history to each project. Waid has also collaborated with notable artists and writers on major ensemble titles such as Justice League and Avengers, while contributing ideas that helped clarify complex continuity within shared superhero universes. Beyond mainstream superhero work, he has supported creator owned projects and experimental publishing models, including the acclaimed series Irredeemable and Incorruptible, which explored moral ambiguity within the superhero genre. He later took on editorial leadership roles at Boom Studios, guiding creative direction while continuing to write extensively. In subsequent years he expanded his involvement in publishing and digital storytelling, helping launch online comics initiatives and advocating for new distribution methods for creators. His work has earned numerous industry awards, including Eisner and Harvey honors, reflecting both critical acclaim and enduring popularity among readers. Throughout his career Waid has remained a passionate student of comic book history, drawing on decades of storytelling tradition while continually encouraging innovation within the medium. His influence extends across generations of readers and creators, and his stories continue to shape the evolving language of superhero comics around the world today through enduring characters imaginative narratives and thoughtful reinventions of familiar myths within popular culture and modern graphic storytelling traditions.

Reviews

[Vinicius]

Gibi introdutório e necessário para ler o Absolute Power da DC.

A Amanda Waller, como sempre, bem ambiciosa e focada em acabar e/ou controlar os super heróis. Vamos ver o que ela planeja agora com essa breve introdução.

[Khurram]

What's the plan

A good introduction yo the upcoming Absolute Power story coming up. See some of the big players on and dome of the threads of plan, but only one person knows everything. One person and probably one machine.

[Gordon]

I'm so tired of everything revolving around Amanda Waller tbh.

[Murphy C]

8/31/24

[James]

FCBD 2024

This teases up Mark Waid’s upcoming event, Absolute Power. Looks real promising. I’ll definitely be checking that out.

[Kieran McAndrew]

Absolute Power 2024 FCBD Special Edition #1

Amanda Waller is building a team to defeat the former Justice League and will stop at nothing to achieve her goals.

Fantastic artwork imbue the page with a sense of doom and foreboding which is perfect for the start of this event.

[Roland Baldwin]

Such a great prelude. Finally I’m excited for a DC event again

[Geo Nelson]

So tired of Amanda Waller related stories but the preview at the end of it was actually interesting

[Ron]

FCBD book, not a full story, just a partial story intended to lure you in hoping you'll buy the series.

This is not what FCBD was intended for in the beginning.

Disappointing

[Erik]

Sigh another DC “Let’s kill everyone…..but leave the F listers around” storyline.

[cauldronofevil]

Another Free Comic Book day sampler.

“The Prelude to the Epic Event”

Yeah, that usually means Advertisement-Not-Story.

Yup. As suspected this is just an advertisement for a ‘cross-over’ event that will allow you to read the entire story - if you buy every issue of every comic released the entire next year!

Geesh, even the stupidest kid isn’t stupid enough to fall for this are they?

At the back of it is another story involving Superman.

And of course it’s two pages of meaningless crap.

Another 1 star Bait-and-Switch.

[RubiGiráldez RubiGiráldez]

La nueva gran amenaza que representa Amanda Waller en un mayor puesto de control global alcanzará el estatus de evento DCita al implicarse Failsafe. La IA que conocimos en el arranque de la etapa de Batman de Chip Zdarsky y que actualmente ha puesto en jaque total al Caballero Oscuro. Suplantándole como Batman de cara a la galería y relacionándose con Waller y sus planes. Los cuales en este número prologo no parecen cambiar mucho de la manipulación de metahumanos para misiones peligrosas como en sus años en las sombras del Escuadrón Suicida. Pero quien ha estado leyendo los Titans ya puede estar temiendo el qué pasará con esa llegada de elementos alienígenas que puedan acelerar su plan.


No deja de ser esto un mero trámite para acaparar atención cara Absolute Power. Pero bueno, al menos Mark Waid ha sabido conducirlo todo con el personaje de Rey Reloj. Y Mikel Janín sigue estableciéndose muy bien en el panorama gráfico DCita.

[Dan]

Opens at the Hall of Order (formerly known as the Hall of Justice).

Dylan Moore, aka Haywire, has been apprehended. Purple Batman is not pleased.

It looks sorta like the Batman, though his black suit has an odd, purplish tint to it.

Turns out, Purple Batman is known as “Failsafe.”

Clock King explains about Amanda Waller and her heavy involvement in the shady goings-on.

Black Alice, Deadeye, and Harley Quinn are already being held at the facility.

Waller’s frustrations continue to grow.

Haywire goes…haywire. (couldn’t resist)

Waller has big plans, but they remain a mystery to her crew of underlings.

Sad and mysterious ending.

[Nancy]

Amanda Waller is best known as the leader of the Suicide Squad, a black-ops unit that utilizes villains to do her dirty work. She now has absolute power, and you know the saying- absolute power corrupts absolutely. A vision of the future shows the Justice League members defeated and in chains. In this prelude to a longer story, Mark Waid sets up an intriguing storyline. This comic also includes some profiles of the newer characters, which I found helpful.

[Don]

DC has gone completely bonkers. Waller is the evilest villain and must be stopped! I read all the universe level event summaries from last year and things are dialed up to ten. Artwork was great. Stories are extreme but seem entertaining.

[James Norton]

Yet another suicide squad reboot

When the first page is a guy with a cow image on his chest and then the whole suicide reboot I kind of lost interest but I did read the whole thing. It looks nice. Recommended to the easily amused and the really young.

[DOUGLAS J BERRY]

Absolutely.

Good color artwork. Free comic day preview of Amanda Wallace and the new world of Suicide Squad wreckage. The thirst for power is Unquenchable.

[R Preston]

Only half a book

I know that this isn't all to this fcbd book. I saw a blank cover edition on sale Wed and it has another short story with Superman. I felt so betrayed, wish I could have been free to get the original that holiday 😞

[Freya]

2.5

[Gabriel Benitez]

Pues otra de esas ondas más de superhéroes que ya hartan.

[⛧⸸ dennis ⸸⛧]

Mark me intrigued 👀👀

[Meital Gertel]

Waller. that's it. it's all her

[farhan maqsood]

crime is a big superhero

I have noticed that adult and language are violence against each other’s thinking as they relate to criminals comics superhero books.

[James B]

Free comic by Mark Waid, teasing a future comic by him. Yes, please! My only gripe is that it involves Waller, AGAIN!!! Are there no other villains in the house of Bat?

[James]

Bad times for heroes. Waller is going too far with her vendetta.

[Dave]

Interesting enough set-up into the big summer DC event but really hard to buy Waller as Big Girl on campus around these truly deadly tech killers. It will be interesting to see how this all goes.

[Lucas O]

6

[ComicBookCult Luke]

A nice little intro to the Absolute Power event, nothing crazy yet but nice art and good writing.

[Nichole]

Very short preview.

[Holly]

This sure is the set-up to another comic event. I can't say it really grabbed me, a little intriguing but don't think I'll be reading more.