Absolute DC Figures/Merchandise

[Atomic Knight]

Or lack thereof.

We’re fourteen months into Absolute DC. Five ongoing titles and one limited series so far, and at least one more series in the works. Scott Snyder says he has the first 40 issues of Absolute Batman plotted and could possibly go to 60 issues. Absolute Wonder Woman is one of the best superhero comics going today IMHO.

So where’s the stuff? Not just action figures from Todd, but any type of merchandise from any other vendors. This is the type of thing that you’d expect DC to monetize. Still nothing.

Speculation was that Mattel would launch their new product line with Absolute figures. But that’s another thirteen months out. Seems unlikely DC would want to wait that long. Strike while the iron is hot and all that. Who really knows what the next big thing will be in another year?

Any thoughts, news, rumors I’ve missed, or idle speculation? Thanks.

 

[altcunningham]

I'm sitting here waiting to give them my money.

I don't know what the hell they're doing.

Did we have leaks for KO stuff?

 

[Atomic Knight]

Nothing to my knowledge on K.O. I wouldn’t mind, but not exactly a priority at this point.

 

[Reno]

I feel like anything Todd has planned to get out by the end of next year has to already have been planned and be in the pipeline for manufacture, which usually means that we'd likely already have some leaked info on it. I have seen nothing from the early solicitation list leaks that reference Absolute in any way. That leads me to believe that it's not in his plan. Now whether that is by DC Comics directive to hold for Mattel or just because it came late enough in Todd's plans, who knows.

This stuff is planned out so far in advance, that even though there's 13 months left in the license for distribution - everything coming out has likely already been finalized for quite some time now.

I agree that by the time Mattel could release Absolute figures that they may no longer be relevant. However there was a huge delay on the Dark Knights / Metal stuff as well that didn't get done until Todd got the line, when both Mattel and DC Direct seemingly had plenty of time to get product out and didn't. Again, by directive from DC or not, who knows. I can only speculate. I could see Mattel wanting to launch with Absolute, though - kind of like Todd kind of did with Metal as a big part of his early figure offerings.

Who knows, though? McF could easily announce figures from these storylines next month and throw all of this conjecture out the window.

 

[Atomic Knight]

It’s not the thirteen months left, it’s the fourteen months prior added to that. Plenty of time to get started, even factoring in that Mattel got the license back in the first quarter of 2025. These should’ve already been in the works. DC knew this was a smash hit with the FOCs. Todd should’ve been on this even before he knew he was losing the license.

 

[altcunningham]

It kills me because Absolute, if people aren't reading it, is a universe created by Darkseid specifically to harass the people he hates (the League). Everything wrong, every obstacle is designed to allow them to still be Batman or Diana or Flash, but in a Darwinian Sisyphian way.

So it's a Hell Reality. And everyone is huge or spiky or armored or demonic.

And every reimagining is so McFarlane/90s grit it hurts. It's good material. It's a great story. Highly recommend.

But the designs are tailor made for Todd, just like Metal seemed to be. And that's why the lack of material is baffling.

 

[Reno]

I'll admit that I haven't been reading anything Absolute. I read the very first issue of Absolute Batman and decided that it wasn't for me. I haven't revisited it except for watching some YouTube videos to keep up on the story.

At the time Dark Knights and Metal came out I had been on a very long run of buying and reading all Justice League stories going back several years so I was all in on those books. However, I completely stopped reading pretty much all DC except for DC for Vampires when they killed off the Justice League members a few years ago. That was just a logical jumping off point for me. The only ongoing series that I'm currently reading is somewhat ironically Spawn Scorched, another team up book based upon Todd's own characters.

I generally don't like these alternate universe stories and fundamental re-imaginations of the characters, so that probably partially explains why I haven't gravitated to this - that and I read all Justice League material for so long that I kind of got burnt out. I'd probably still buy figures, but my desire for them likely isn't as high as it for others fully invested in these books.

 

[Schizm]

It kills me because Absolute, if people aren't reading it, is a universe created by Darkseid specifically to harass the people he hates (the League). Everything wrong, every obstacle is designed to allow them to still be Batman or Diana or Flash, but in a Darwinian Sisyphian way.

Thanks for sharing this - I didn't know the genesis of Absolute and I kinda love that. I just thought Superman looked really good in gold.

 

[Atomic Knight]

It kills me because Absolute, if people aren't reading it, is a universe created by Darkseid specifically to harass the people he hates (the League). Everything wrong, every obstacle is designed to allow them to still be Batman or Diana or Flash, but in a Darwinian Sisyphian way.

So it's a Hell Reality. And everyone is huge or spiky or armored or demonic.

And every reimagining is so McFarlane/90s grit it hurts. It's good material. It's a great story. Highly recommend.

But the designs are tailor made for Todd, just like Metal seemed to be. And that's why the lack of material is baffling.

Pretty accurate description here. It’s almost like Todd helped design Batman at least. Batman still doesn’t kill, but he’ll permanently cripple you without a second thought.

Flash is pretty much the only traditional “superhero” so far. Green Lantern is a trippy, brain cramp inducing sci-fi story so far. Wonder Woman, as I said, is sublime.

Jury still out on Superman.

 

[TheSameIdiot]

Absolute Wonder Woman is my favorite of them. It feels more like mythology than DC-flavored mythology.

As far as toys go, LPZZ and Inart are working on Absolute Batman. No telling when those will see the light of day, though.

I didn't think Todd would make any Absolute figures when it was announced that he was losing the license. Why bother spending money on new molds at that point?

 

[Revox]

It kills me because Absolute, if people aren't reading it, is a universe created by Darkseid specifically to harass the people he hates (the League). Everything wrong, every obstacle is designed to allow them to still be Batman or Diana or Flash, but in a Darwinian Sisyphian way.

Okay, while I *adore* AWW, what I really don't get about the whole darned thing is this: given what you say...how does this help Darkseid at all? The people who've kicked his ass over and over again are all fine and dandy and still going about their lives, so what does making other versions of them in an entirely different universe supremely miserable achieve? His problem is still *his* universe and that's all business as usual.

As for figures, I just took it to be was unfortunate timing: Mattel's stuck waiting for their turn while Todd's time draws to a close and there isn't time to do a full line so folks would likely be annoyed at getting an unfinished line up, etc. Far less excusable to me is why likewise Hasbro hasn't done any new Ultimate stuff: yes, it's ending now but it's been two years and there have been some cool new takes in there (Spidey and Magik excepted).

 

[altcunningham]

Okay, while I *adore* AWW, what I really don't get about the whole darned thing is this: given what you say...how does this help Darkseid at all? The people who've kicked his ass over and over again are all fine and dandy and still going about their lives, so what does making other versions of them in an entirely different universe supremely miserable achieve? His problem is still *his* universe and that's all business as usual.

Not addressed yet, but if you haven't read Absolute Justice, give that a read.

He's merged with Spectre and the Ab Universe and I think Earth....Zero? are locked off from the rest due to Flash stuff.

I only came into it off WW and Batman and went back to read the inciting event.

 

[Atomic Knight]

I'll admit that I haven't been reading anything Absolute. I read the very first issue of Absolute Batman and decided that it wasn't for me. I haven't revisited it except for watching some YouTube videos to keep up on the story.

At the time Dark Knights and Metal came out I had been on a very long run of buying and reading all Justice League stories going back several years so I was all in on those books. However, I completely stopped reading pretty much all DC except for DC for Vampires when they killed off the Justice League members a few years ago. That was just a logical jumping off point for me. The only ongoing series that I'm currently reading is somewhat ironically Spawn Scorched, another team up book based upon Todd's own characters.

I generally don't like these alternate universe stories and fundamental re-imaginations of the characters, so that probably partially explains why I haven't gravitated to this - that and I read all Justice League material for so long that I kind of got burnt out. I'd probably still buy figures, but my desire for them likely isn't as high as it for others fully invested in these books.

I believe that this is a repurposed story. The third Metal series. However, Capullo was unavailable and Batman Who Laughs was badly overexposed. So Snyder changed it up. Still featuring Superman, but not involving the Dark Multiverse stuff. And finally reworking Darkseid into a Thanos level villain.

As for the alt Universe stuff, I’m almost all in for it. I think it’s one of DC’s best creative avenues.

 

[AceofKnaves]

I haven’t dug into Absolute yet but hot damn I love the hardcore antifascist stuff I’m seeing coming out of Absolute Batman. I’d buy an AbBats figure just for that.

 

[Atomic Knight]

Okay, while I *adore* AWW, what I really don't get about the whole darned thing is this: given what you say...how does this help Darkseid at all? The people who've kicked his ass over and over again are all fine and dandy and still going about their lives, so what does making other versions of them in an entirely different universe supremely miserable achieve? His problem is still *his* universe and that's all business as usual.

FWIW, Snyder, like Morrison, likes to take big swings. Sometimes they connect, sometimes all you get is the breeze. Whatever is going on in “Darkseid’s Universe” probably connects back to the Metal and Death Metal stories. How it shapes the DCU going forward is the real question. And will Snyder be there to help shepherd and shape it? He did decamp from DC for several years after the end of Death Metal. Stretching his creative muscles on a wide variety of creator owned projects with some of the top artists in the business.

Now he’s back. Geoff Johns is gone. No rivals with alternative visions for the future of the DCU. Whatever he has in mind, it’s been gestating for a long time. I hope it’s fun. I hope it’s interesting.