Absolute Superman #24 Review
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist & Colorist: Juan Ferreyra
Letterer: Becca Carey
Cover Artist: Rafa Sandoval & Ulises Arreola
Variant Cover Artists: Mitch Gerads, Juan Ferreyra, &
Carlo Pagulayan
Editors: Ash Padilla & Chris Conroy
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock
Release Date: October 7, 2026
Ra’s al Ghul is dead. His daughter, Talia, who supported him
while pretending to lead the Omega Men resistance, is in prison. But the alien
entity that enabled the family to kill and enslave people around the world
remains at large. So as the Omega Men comb through Lazarus Corp’s files, Jimmy
Olsen feeds Kal-El clues to Brainiac’s location. But while remaining one step
ahead, Brainiac manipulates Kal’s emotions, making him angry and disgusted with
the rich and powerful.
Can anyone help Kal-El outsmart the alien technical genius?
Or will his anger at Earth's overlords overwhelm him as it did King Shazam?
Let's leap into Absolute Superman #24, and see!
Story
John Henry Irons forged a hammer to kill Ra’s al Ghul. But
when he discovered Superman fighting King Shazam, John Henry fought by the
Kryptonian’s side. Lois Lane may have exposed the working conditions in John
Henry's slaughterhouse. But with Lazarus Corp shuttered and Ra's al Ghul dead,
John Henry is at a loose end. An invitation draws him to the Kent farm outside
Smallville. There, he finds a man with divine powers tilling the fields. An
alien parasite that once fed on Humans is his docile pet. And he asks John
Henry to call him Clark.
In Absolute Superman #24, John Henry Irons is assessing his
life. As a child, his mother encouraged his penchant for invention. At this
turning point, he thinks of her. As if writing a letter, John Henry shares his
thoughts, feelings, and reactions with her. But mostly, he shares his amazement
at Superman's abilities and character. John Henry may be lost. Yet in Clark
Kent, he has found a guiding star.
As John Henry intertwines his fate with Superman, Jason
Aaron weaves John Henry's arrival at the Kent Farm with his later life by Clark
Kent’s side. With Brainiac leading him on a Not-So-Merry Chase, Clark needs
someone to help him search for the alien menace. Even if John Henry isn't sure
about who he is, Clark believes in him. But while John Henry needs someone to
help him discover who he can be, Clark needs a friend to remember who he wants
to remain in Absolute Superman #24.
Art
As John Henry arrives at the Kent Farm, he carries the
symbol of Ra's al Ghul's enslavement. Scenes of Clark showing John Henry around
the farm recall Kal-El's youth on Krypton, while his mother worked the family
farm. As the former slaughterhouse worker descends a staircase surrounded by
sun crystals, he evokes Clark's father serving Krypton and fighting to protect
his fellow miners.
As Juan Ferreyra adorns Absolute Superman #24 with a vibrant
palette, he uses two-page layouts to introduce other people that Clark and John
Henry meet. Like these two heroes, these people have suffered. Black borders
frame heroes attempting to help characters driven to chaotic action. Green
frames surround someone that others regard as a monster. As the red sun
crystals form organic shapes and seem to welcome John Henry, the red dust that
swirls around Clark when he flies resolves back into a cape when he returns to
the ground. Later, a second splash page echoes John Henry's arrival. But
instead of showing him from behind, this frontward view shows how John Henry's
visit to the Kent Farm has transformed him.
As Becca Carey fills white dialogue balloons with black
uppercase text, spiky transmission balloons feature italicized text. The
letters shrink for lowered voices, grow bold for intonation, and enlarge to
express pain. While white clouds capture John Henry’s thoughts about Clark and
himself, black clouds reveal the thoughts we repress when suffering. Sound
effects help us hear a storm of bullets and John Henry wielding his hammer.
Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.
Final Thoughts
In his youth, John Henry Irons sought to understand how
things worked. He didn't tinker with people. Instead, he took apart their
creations and tried to create technology that would serve Humanity. As Clark
Kent searches for Brainiac, John Henry seeks to help him. Yet as he watches
Clark couple power with gentleness and temper anger with compassion, John Henry
Irons strives to forge a new life for himself in Absolute Superman #24.
Rating 9.8/10
To look inside see Absolute Superman #24 Preview.
For Kal-El's search for Toyman, see Absolute Superman #23 Preview.
For Kal-El's reunion with a former Peacemaker, see Absolute Superman #22 Preview.
For Kal-El's battle on the moon, see my review of Absolute Superman #21.
For how Kal-El prevents King Shazam's attacks from destroying the Earth, see my preview of Absolute Superman #20.
For what happened even more before that, see my review of Absolute Superman #19.
For John Henry Irons' origins, see my review of Absolute Superman #19.
For King Shazam's origins, see my preview of Absolute Superman #18.
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