The Battle for Smallville Concludes Here

*Cover of* ***Absolute Superman #14***, written by Jason Arron, art by Rafa Sandoval, and colors by Ulises Arreola
Cover by Rafa Sandoval and Arreola

It was recently revealed that the Absolute Universe imprint has been a massive boon for DC Comics. Having sold over 8.5 million units since its launch in 2024, the line has been cited as a breath of creative fresh air—not just for DC, but for the medium as a whole. It has successfully welcomed both new and veteran fans to these reimagined takes on iconic characters. After reading Absolute Superman #14, it comes as no shock why this line stands tall and dominates pull lists at local comic shops across the nation.

More than that, this issue proves that regardless of the universe or timeline, no matter how the deck is stacked against him, the resilience of Superman and what he represents transcends his mortal-defying powers. That crest, regardless of how stylized it may be, carries weight. It means something. Superman means something. This issue perfectly encapsulates that truth.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Absolute Superman #14.

The Final Showdown

Ra’s al Ghul plunges his Kryptonite blade into Kal-El.

The issue begins with a vision: Kal-El is back home with Krypto, greeted by the images of his parents. It is a heartbreaking scene, made all the more poignant by the reality of his situation: he is in the process of being brutally murdered by Ra’s al Ghul. Snapping back to the present, we witness a horrific sight as Ra’s literally stabs Kal through the back. Wielding a sword forged from Kryptonite, the leader of the Lazarus movement dominates Superman.

Ra’s is hellbent on forging the Kryptonian into his “son”—an instrument of his will that would sweep away all who stand in his way like a deluge, a great red storm of judgment. But even as Ra’s stands over Kal, toying with him, Kal defies and rejects everything al Ghul stands for, spitting in his face. This only serves to further infuriate Ra’s, who continues to torture Kal in the desperate hope of breaking his spirit.

We cut away to see Lois and the others trapped by Brainiac, who has effectively hacked Sol. He is determined to use the "dust of Krypton" as a weapon against Kal’s friends—the very people Ra’s claims are holding the Kryptonian back from his true potential.

In a final moment of resistance, Sol refuses to be an accomplice to murder. It acknowledges that while Brainiac may have corrupted its programming, it will never truly belong to the likes of Brainiac or its masters. In a heroic act of defiance, Sol disables its processors and permanently deletes its operating systems, preventing any further access to the Sunstone. By sacrificing itself for the sake of others, Sol proves itself worthy of the name El.

The loss is too much to bear, yet Kal endures. With agonizing grit, he pulls himself from the Kryptonite blade pinning him to the ground and rises to face Ra’s. This only further emboldens the despot, who shouts for Kal to finally unleash his rage—to embrace his "destiny" as Kal al Ghul.

But Kal does not yield. Instead, he delivers a devastating, point-blank blast of heat vision directly into the face of the Demon's Head. The resulting explosion dominates the battlefield. As the smoke clears, Lois leads the Smallville resistance out of the tunnels, where a devastated Jimmy gathers the lifeless, dusted remains of Sol.

From a distance, Talia and the Peacemakers witness the massive detonation. When the soldiers move to interfere, Talia stops them, coldly noting that her father bathes in toxic saunas that would dissolve the sinews and sanity of lesser men. Ra’s al Ghul does not need help. She tells the Peacemakers that if they truly wish to assist, they should pray: pray to the Omega to end the "sin of hope" and the "blasphemy of justice."

Pray for the rise of the Son of the Demon. Pray for Superman.

People of Steel

Ra’s emerges virtually unscathed from a blast of heat vision.

We return to Kal, anguished and exhausted—but he is not alone. Ra’s al Ghul still stands tall. His clothes are charred from the heat vision blast, but he is otherwise uninjured and more determined than ever to break Kal and claim him as a son. The hulking al Ghul charges at Superman, Kryptonite sword in hand, just as a Peacemaker in a giant mech suit interferes, restraining Kal on behalf of the Lazarus Director.

Suddenly, the battlefield becomes crowded as the citizens of Smallville rise in defense of the strange visitor from another world. The remaining Peacemakers level their advanced weaponry, warning the civilians that it would be all too easy to mow them down. But Smallville does not bend so easily, let alone break; they ready their own weapons despite the impossible odds.

Before either side can fire, an incensed Ra’s turns his blade toward the Peacemaker who dared to interfere. He is furious that anyone else would presume to lay a hand on "his son."

Despite being an alien, Kal displays more humanity than Ra’s could ever hope to possess by physically preventing the blade from cutting through the soldier. This only further infuriates Ra’s, who berates Kal for his compassion, labeling it a weakness to protect those who would otherwise persecute him. He strikes Kal down one last time before declaring the siege of Smallville over. He orders the Peacemakers to open fire on the civilians, but Kal interjects, offering to surrender and do whatever Ra’s wants if he will only let the people go. Ra’s replies that what he truly wants is for Kal to embrace his destiny and let go of his old life.

In a display that is as symbolic as it is heroic, Kal rips the "S" emblem from his chest, exposing his skin. As Jimmy protests, Kal explains that while this was the symbol of his people, he no longer has a people; he is the son of nowhere and nothing. He offers to grovel before Ra’s if it will save lives, though he suspects Ra’s will kill them regardless. Ra’s chillingly corrects him: Kal will be the one to kill them, and Ra’s will simply watch.

Then comes the most awe-inspiring and rallying moment of the comic. Kal takes the dust of his emblem—the symbol of the Labor Guild—and forges it into a blazing sword. He recalls how his parents wore that symbol with pride; they were the "Children of the Sun," people who made their way with their own two hands. They were the People of Steel! Ra’s blocks the blow, visibly stunned, before giving the order for the Peacemakers to open fire.

But then, something curious happens.

The Peacemakers, for once, don’t follow orders.

…they don’t.

Instead of a hail of gunfire, a curious silence falls over the battlefield. The Peacemakers begin to question these abhorrent orders, realizing they never signed up to slaughter farmers. One by one, they begin to lay down their arms, refusing to be the executioners of Smallville.

In the midst of this moral standoff, Lois Lane provides a classic, "yep, that’s her" moment. Seeing the tide turn, she doesn't wait for permission or backup; instead, she charges directly toward Primus—the woman otherwise known as Talia al Ghul.

Sons and Swords

Kal-El and Ra’s al Ghul prepare their final battle.

Ra’s and Kal square off with their respective blades. The Demon's Head boasts that he has been killing men for half a millennium and mocks Kal for not even knowing how to properly wield a sword. As Ra’s swings, Kal calmly agrees—but retorts that, in turn, Ra’s doesn't know how to fly. We are treated to a gorgeous shot of Kal soaring mid-air, slashing at Ra’s before descending for what will undoubtedly be the deciding blow for the fate of Smallville.

As he strikes, Kal’s thoughts drift back to his parents and Krypto once more. He is eager and ready to go "home." But just as he embraces them, his mother informs him of the heartbreaking truth: he already is home. Kal cries out in despair as he is torn away from the vision and returned to the present. His crimson blade shatters the Kryptonite sword of Ra’s, and the Director of Lazarus finally falls to his knees in defeat.

Even in surrender, Ra’s goads Superman into cutting him down, urging him to assume his "rightful" place as the Son of the Demon. He argues that if Kal truly wants to protect the world, he must execute the man responsible for such incalculable crimes. With eyes burning red with heat vision, Kal brings the manifested sword to Ra’s throat as the despot practically begs for the death he believes he deserves.

This version of Ra’s is more unhinged than the mainstream continuity version, which is saying A LOT.

We transition thousands of miles away from Smallville, Kansas, arriving in the streets of Orangi Town, Pakistan. Kal descends from the sky, carrying a very much alive—yet bound—Ra’s al Ghul. Despite the despot's goading, Kal has refused to take his life.

He informs the gathered citizens that this man is responsible for countless deaths and must stand trial for his crimes. One of the civilians assures Kal that justice will be served, but then asks a simple, echoing question: who are they to thank for this gift?

And Kal has no answer to give them.

We jump ahead weeks later as Smallville recovers from the siege. Lois and Jimmy’s broadcasts reached the rest of the world and, though Talia has slipped away, Lazarus is in ruins thanks to their efforts in exposing the truth. It is a victory of sorts. An incognito Kal walks the streets of Smallville, having gathered every last speck of Sunstone crystal. His cape functions, but without Sol, it is merely a lifeless machine. After sitting in the fields for days to hide from news crews, Kal’s injuries have finally begun to heal under the warmth of the Earth’s sun.

In one of the most beautiful, heartbreaking, and uplifting endings I have read in a long time, Kal finally makes his way to the Smallville Senior Living community to visit Martha Kent. He is informed that she passed away peacefully in her sleep. But before she went, she knew he would return and had something waiting for him. In spite of her battle with dementia, Martha’s memory of her "angel" and lost son never wavered. We are left with a final page that ties the entire series together in a way I wasn't prepared for.

Kal-El with the homemade suit made by him by Martha Kent.

Absolute Perfection

Superman essentially being a cosmic working class hero is the fresh take that we need.

The Absolute Universe succeeds for a myriad of reasons, chief among them being the willingness to let creators tell engaging stories that present iconic characters in ways that are both fresh and true to their core. In this universe, heroes fight uphill battles, stripped of the luxuries and safety nets typically associated with them. Darkseid has crafted a world where hope is a scarcity and villains do not seek to upend the status quo; they are the status quo.

Despite being denied the traditional, happy upbringing of the Kents and finding himself more alone than ever, Absolute Superman stands tall as a champion of the oppressed. He is the defender of the "other"—the disenfranchised who are manipulated or discarded by the very systems meant to protect them.

The battle against Ra’s al Ghul was handled with a cinematic magnitude that cannot be understated. Jason Aaron took a character deeply ingrained in the Batman mythos and delivered a version of the Demon’s Head that was a believable threat to Superman. This wasn't just due to his Kryptonite weaponry or his massive physical presence, but what he represented. Beneath the supervillain trappings, religious theater, and pseudo-immortality, this Ra’s represents the all-too-familiar tale of untold wealth and power used to subjugate humanity. Faced with such a tyrant, Superman shines all the brighter. The sword fight between the two was stellar—a unique spectacle in the history of Superman comics. Furthermore, the innovative use of Sunstone crystals is a feature I hope to see continued, even in the absence of Sol.

The book’s ending hits hard for a multitude of reasons. Martha passing away before being reunited with Kal one last time is a gut punch harder than anything Superman could ever throw. The fact that she was battling dementia adds a layer of profound sorrow—especially as a son to a parent beginning to face similar memory issues. It is a testament to Jason Aaron’s writing that we get a Superman who is more alien than perhaps ever before, yet entirely human when it counts.

Seeing Martha’s parting gift—a homemade costume, complete with the iconic "S" shield—is what ultimately brings the story full circle. It is a moment where tragedy becomes triumph, and triumph remains bittersweet. Martha Kent may be gone, but her and Jonathan’s kindness, and their all-too-brief time with Kal-El, have helped our titular hero take the definitive step toward becoming this world’s ultimate champion.

This is probably fight of the year for me in terms of comic books.

The art in this issue is nothing short of incredible. Rafa Sandoval’s line work depicts both the grim brutality of Ra’s al Ghul and the extreme vulnerability of Kal, who continues to lose more and more of those precious to him. The explosive power of both characters is made readily apparent; with his Kryptonite sword, Ra’s is presented as more than a match for the most powerful entity on the planet.

Joining Sandoval is Ulises Arreola, whose masterful use of color elevates this book to heights that are truly out of this world. The sickly green of the Kryptonite blade contrasts perfectly against the crackling, fiery dust motes of Kal’s sun-crystals. The page where Kal descends toward Ra’s from on high, with the bright sun blazing in the background, is impeccable. It is so unique that I cannot even find a proper comparison, which is the highest praise I can give. If you were to show that scene to someone with zero context and no text boxes, they would be shocked to realize it came from the pages of a Superman comic—further confirming just how groundbreaking Absolute Superman truly is.

Final Thoughts and Review

The Absolute imprint has dominated the sales charts for some time, and it is not difficult to see why. Each of these books offers a distinct perspective, and Absolute Superman is no exception. This latest issue brings the conflict with Lazarus and the al Ghuls to a definitive close, yet it carries a tremendous emotional weight. Kal finds himself truly alone once more, having lost both Sol and Martha despite successfully saving Smallville.

But in the face of that tragedy, the book reminds us that hope is *always* worth fighting for—especially when simply believing in it feels like anathema to the world. In this universe, that is quite literally the case, given its dark origins. Kal-El isn't just fighting villains; he is fighting the very fabric of a reality designed to break him, and he refuses to yield.

Final Review: 10/10

I do not give perfect scores to many books—and I certainly haven't during my time here at Comic Book Clique prior to this issue—but truly, this book is perfect. It not only closes the door on this first extended arc of Absolute Superman, but it does so in a timely, relevant manner that reminds us why this character remains the North Star of all superheroes, regardless of how he is interpreted or reimagined.

This issue offers everything one could possibly ask for in a superhero comic book: thrilling action, resonant characterization, superb art, and a profound sense of inspiration in its wake. Absolute Superman #14 delivers absolutely.