Next week, the first issue of Cristos Gage’s “Absolution: Rubicon” will be released from Avatar Press. The first miniseries wrapped up over three years ago, and it’s understandable if you’ve forgotten about it (if you ever knew). Is it good enough to deserve a sequel after all this time?
Written by Christos Gage
Illustrated by Roberto ViacavaJohn Dusk is a superhero in a world where they’re a sanctioned arm of law enforcement. But this veteran hero has been scarred by his exposure to man’s infinite capacity for evil, and he’s seen one too many escape justice. One day, he crosses the line… lets a murderer die… and discovers it feels good. Surrounded by sociopaths, both human and superhuman, who he knows will prey on others if they’re not stopped – permanently. How far will he go, knowing every step he takes puts him further on a collision course with his teammates Alpha and The Servant, not to mention his homocide detective girlfriend?
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Like most superhero comics from a publisher who isn’t Marvel or DC, “Absolution” can be accurately described as a “What if…” book. In this case, what if a superhero gave up his no-killing rule? Dusk does so before the series starts, and the narrative follows him as he falls deeper into the mindset and is eventually caught. Along the way, the plot follows familiar twists and turns.
After a brief opening which quickly establishes Dusk and the types of villains he kills with the expository aid of an unnaturally self-aware sociopath, we’re exposed to a variety of crime scenes to show us exactly the kinds of horrors Dusk sees in his line of work. At this point, all of his victims are unambiguously evil and unsympathetic. When one of his villains learns what Dusk has been doing and tries to blackmail him, Dusk becomes responsible for the death of a friend and eventually outted as a murderer. His former teammates try to capture him, and there’s numerous conversations on the morality of his actions.
Gage doesn’t offer up many original thoughts in this book. The various superpowers are all pretty standard – mostly punching powers with some Green Lantern-like constructs and telekinesis. The characters are all straight out of the mold, which lets you know exactly who they are without Gage having to provide much motive or back story for any of them. The villains exist in the story for no reason other than to be killed.
This isn’t to say the narrative is bad. The plotting, pacing, and dialogue is all handled wonderfully. All the various decisions and actions in the book are completely natural, not just existing to move the plot along. When read as a collected volume, the chapter breaks are seamless. If not for the back-to-back splash pages and included covers, they would be invisible.
Viacava’s art is a pitch perfect match for the story. His clear visuals explain the various superpowers without exposition, and every character has a very distinct appearance. With a multitude of sizes, shapes, and dress, you will never wonder who’s who. Even during the most dynamic fight scenes, his pencils are crisp enough to convey exactly what is happening. Like all good artists, he’s found a happy medium between detail and simplicity.
The trade comes with a decent amount of extra material. In addition to a cover gallery, there are ten “crime files” providing in-universe history on some of the major, minor, and barely-seen characters. While none of them are particularly compelling or referenced by the plot, it is nice to know these histories exist. Perhaps they’ll be made relevant in the upcoming sequel.
Looking back, this review doesn’t seem to kind to the book, but that’s not because it’s bad. Even with the cookie cutter characters, Gage has done some fine writing. Viacava’s art is above average at least. If the basic premise appeals to you, you won’t be disappointed. It just doesn’t shine enough to recommend over all the other cape and tights books available out there.
Final Verdict: 6.5 – It’s exactly what it says on the tin.
