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The DCU is taking a hint from the success of Creature Commandos, moving forward with its plans for more animated projects, something I have been wanting both DC Comics and Marvel Comics to do for so long. While DC has had many animated series and movies hit the screen before, seeing the DCU commit to animation is exciting – and it makes me think that the publisher already has the perfect stories to adapt.
In 2024, DC All In Special #1 by Joshua Williamson, Scott Snyder, Daniel Sampere, Wes Craig, and more led to the debut of the Absolute Universe, which sees Darkseid change reality as his energy permeates this world. As a result, the heroes of DC have different origin stories here – and brand-new titles like Absolute Superman, Absolute Batman, and Absolute Wonder Woman, which would all make for great animated stories.
Superman comes to Earth later in life; Batman is born into a working-class family; and Wonder Woman is not raised with the Amazons. Despite these changes, these comics still capture the heart of these characters and what makes them heroes. Plus, with these being new origin stories, each series is a great jumping on point for new readers while still being captivating for long-time fans.
DC’s Best-Selling Comics From 2024 Are The Best For Good Reason
Pages from Absolute Wonder Woman #2 by Kelly Thompson, Hayden Sherman, Jordie Bellaire, and Becca Carey
Personally, I think comics are better suited for animated adaptations than live-action, in large part because live-action movies lose the visual style of the comics they’re adapting. Meanwhile, animated features like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse ooze the style and charm of a comic, even though they do not directly adapt one specific comic run.
However, animated projects can also be more comic-accurate in terms of the stories they adapt, and 2024 delivered three comics – Absolute Batman by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta, Absolute Wonder Woman by Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman, and Absolute Superman by Jason Aaron and Rafa Sandoval – that would benefit from being adapted as animated DC projects for the DC Universe. For one thing, the creators have a lot more freedom because these titles are not married to DC’s main continuity. Giving these iconic characters such a clean start allows the writers and artists to take bigger swings, ones that have been paying off.
With the Absolute Universe, though, I can just dive into Absolute Batman without needing to be up-to-date on his several other in-continuity titles out right now.
After all, Absolute Batman was the best-selling comic of 2024, marking the iconic hero’s next hit. It’s no wonder these titles are doing so well. Along with being such a clean entry point, they are also separate from the decades of lore behind established characters. While I love the history of superheroes, it can be intimidating to dive into a character who has been around so long. With the Absolute Universe, though, I can just dive into Absolute Batman without needing to be up-to-date on his several other in-continuity titles out right now.
DC’s Animated Movies Can Be More Comic-Accurate Than Live-Action Movies
Animation Often Adapts Comic Storylines More Closely Than Live-Action
Animation tends to be more accurate when adapting comics storylines. While some live-action movies have adapted iconic runs in name, like with Captain America: Civil War, a lot of changes had to be made to suit the live-action world. For instance, with the MCU not having mutants at the time, issues around them in relationship to Civil War weren’t brought up. That is not to say that live-action adaptations of comics are bad; however, they do not strive to be accurate plot-wise. Instead, they strive to adapt the themes and characters of the comics.
DC has had a long history with successful and fan-favorite animation projects dating back to the 1940s with the Fleischer Studios Superman movies, moving through the ’70s with Super Friends, and into the ’90s and ’00s with Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League Unlimited, Teen Titans, and so many more.
Animation, on the other hand, exists in its own world, and it can adapt comics more accurately. DC has been doing this for years, adapting comics like Superman: Red Sun, Flashpoint, and Justice League Dark, turning them into some of the DC Animated Universe’s best movies. Sure, liberties are taken, but animation lends itself better to the original comic plots, and trust me, I want any adaptation of the Absolute Universe to be as close to those plots as possible.
Along with that, animation allows for bigger swings across the board. For instance, there are a lot more variables at play with live-action in terms of what characters can and cannot be used. An animated film, on the other hand, can bring in whatever characters are needed with more ease. Plus, comics and animation are media where anything is possible. Of course, there is live-action movie magic, but there are a lot more moving pieces to take into account: practical effects, special effects, permits, actor safety. In animation, though, if it can be drawn, then it can likely be done, just like with comics.
DC’s Animated Movies Can Stay True to the Artistic Vision of the Absolute Comics
Art from the Upcoming Series Absolute Martian Manhunter by Deniz Camp and Javier Rodríguez
It’s so much more than just that animation can do more than live-action can. Comics are a visual medium, with every book having a distinct style based on the artists. That is inherently lost with live-action. Sure, a live-action film can frame a shot like how a comic panel is framed, and a costume designer can base a supersuit off of the design from a specific comic, but it will never look like what those artists originally intended, because this is the real-world with real actors, not drawings.
Animation, though, can recreate the style of a specific comic run – as long as it gives proper credit to the artists it adapts. Take, for instance, Deniz Camp and Javier Rodríguez’s upcoming Absolute Martian Manhunter, which sets up the titular character’s return with tons of trauma and trippy art. From the cover art to the previews alone, there is a distinct art style to this book thanks to Rodríguez’s art, and that style could never be translated as beautifully and abstractly in the live-action medium.
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DC Drops Its Best Look Yet at Absolute Martian Manhunter Ahead of the Hero’s Epic Reboot
DC is growing its hit line of Absolute titles with a new take on the Martian Manhunter, debuting early next year, and now the best look yet drops.
This style is a massive selling point for Absolute Martian Manhunter, and it is one of the reasons why it is my most anticipated book of the new Absolute titles. That’s what got me interested in it in the first place, especially as someone who does not usually follow this character. It would be an injustice to adapt this comic, or any of the Absolute titles, without taking their distinct art into consideration. While it is still early into the Absolute Universe and the DCU, if these worlds do collide in some way, the Absolute titles from DC Comics would benefit the most from animated adaptations.
Absolute Batman, Absolute Superman, and Absoluter Wonder Woman are all available now from DC Comics. Absolute Martian Manhunter #1 is available March 26th, 2025 from DC Comics.
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