It has become a joke among comic readers that DC Comics reboots their multiverse every few years to keep things fresh. Thankfully, DC All-In Special is merely concerned with establishing a new wing of the ever-growing DC Multiverse. Unfortunately, based on this issue, the new Absolute Universe is doomed to join the Tangent and Stan Lee’s Just Imagine realities as interesting experiments, rather than the start of something brave and bold.
DC-All In Special tells two different stories. One offers a bright, hopeful view of the DCU to come and is easily accessible to new readers. The other is dark and gritty and mired in the lore of times past. Ironically, both stories are written by the same creators, with only the art teams differing.
The first story, “Alpha”, concerns the formation of a new Justice League. It largely centers around the time-traveling Booster Gold. Once a goofball concerned only with fame and fortune, Booster has matured in recent years and become the secret guardian of Earth-Prime’s timeline. This role comes into play by the end of “Alpha,” placing Booster at the center of a cosmic disaster.
The second story, “Omega,” centers on the intergalactic warlord Darkseid. Teased by some cosmic imbalance, Darkseid begins constructing a great machine to claim a power that threatens all reality. This leads to the same finale as the “Alpha” story, and the formation of the new Absolute Universe by Darkseid’s design.
DC All-In too much for too little
Scott Snyder and Joshua Williamson are both skilled writers and well-versed in the history of DC Comics. Additionally, they are also both generally capable of making that history accessible without a lot of exposition and editor’s notes boxes. Unfortunately, while readers who aren’t familiar with Booster Gold can read “Alpha” without issue, “Omega” requires a working knowledge of DC’s cosmology. Those who aren’t already familiar with the New Gods, the Quintessence, or Final Crisis will be undoubtedly lost.
The artwork is similarly divided. Daniel Sampere‘s open yet detailed style suits the hopeful tone of “Alpha”. Wes Craig‘s art is markedly gritty by comparison and the action often unclear as a result. While this suits “Omega,” and offers symbolic visual contrast to the brighter “Alpha,” it is still aesthetically displeasing.
In the final analysis, DC All-In Special is a conflicted book. It is not a bad one, for it manages the task of establishing just how the new Absolute Universe is created. However, it does little to inspire enthusiasm the Absolute Line will be more than DC’s answer to the Ultimate Universe of Marvel Comics.
Grade: 3/5
DC All-In Special arrives in comic shops everywhere on October 2, 2024.
