Rating: 4.5/5 – What would REALLY happen if a super-villain went bad
Absolution is the story of John Dusk, a hero with powers that allow him to manipulate solid light/energy (sort of like Green Lantern’s ring). He started out in the 1st mini-series as a cop that had seen just one too many bad thing and he started exacting his own brand of final justice on criminals. In Rubicon, he’s a vigilante and bad-guy Polymath has gone wild.
The Polymath is sort of like Darwin from the X-Men, he evolves new abilities to counter any kind of attack or threat against him, he’s VERY powerful. The rampage he goes on is similar to the one by Kid Miracleman in the classic Miracleman #15 by Alan Moore & John Totleben. The story here by Christos Gage is not treading completely new ground, but it’s got enough of a twist on it to make it extremely entertaining, and most people have not read as many comics as I have, so this could very well be completely new territory for most readers. I like the fact that Dusk has decided to “draw the line” around a specific neighborhood that he puts under his protection, not allowing any crime there. Well, not until the Polymath comes calling.
This series has been building since #1 and this issue is very gripping. I was on the edge of my seat for most of the confrontation between Dusk (and his sidekick Happy Kitty) and The Polymath. Be warned, this (like most books from Avatar) is not for the faint of heart. There are some fairly graphic depictions of violence, much as one would expect to see as a result of a super-power letting loose on normal humans. Especially one with a sadistic streak like The Polymath.
We’re one issue away from the conclusion of this mini-series and Gage leaves us on quite a suspenseful note at the end of the issue. I usually wait until the concluding issue of a story arc to do a review, but this is one of the stronger “#4 of a 5 issue series” issues I’ve ever read. A lot happens here and while it certainly leaves me immensely curious about what happens next, it was a very satisfying read all by itself. This is a highly recommended series.
Reviewed by: Bob Bretall – bob@comicspectrum.com
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