That's right, the newest Now Absolute Flash has reached a benchmark no one saw coming.
Jeff Lemire and Nick Robles' Absolute Flash #1 only debuted in comic book shops this week, but it's already become a smash success. Per DCU Updates on X, Lemire has confirmed that his latest title is one of the best-selling comics featuring the Fastest Man Alive, achieving over 180,000 pre-orders.
That alone would be fantastic news, but a sweetner is that, with those numbers, has become the best-selling Flash comic book since 1987's Flash #1. Interestingly enough, both series featured a major debut for Wally West who was the lead character in both books.
Absolute Flash is the Best-Selling Comic in Literally Decades
Does Anyone Doubt the Absolute Line's Success Anymore?
DC Comics' Absolute line of comics is one of the core aspects of its ongoing All In initiative. This new line centers around a world shaped by Darkseid, who was killed in the DC All In Special. His energy broke through the multiverse and settled on Earth-Alpha, which altered the universe to reflect his ideals. In the Absolute Universe, iconic DC heroes still exist, but they face greater challenges than ever and lack many of the things their Prime counterparts have. In Absolute Flash, there is no Flash legacy and Wally West is struggling to deal with his newfound speed.
Scott Snyder, one of the key visionaries behind the Absolute Universe, confirmed that he was seeing great numbers for Absolute Flash, so this achievement isn't that surprising. That being said, it's still a huge victory, both for the Absolute line and the Scarlet Speedster. Absolute Flash's pre-orders rival Absolute Superman #1's pre-order numbers and exceed Absolute Wonder Woman #1's. While it’s perplexing that it’s taken four decades for a Flash comic to rival 1987’s success, the gangbusters sales of Absolute Flash #1 show how DC Comics’ experiment is tapping into something that fans really want to see.
Absolute Flash #1's Success is Proof That Ambitious Swings Are Paying Off
DC Comics Needs to Keep Its New Line's Energy Up
It’s hard to predict what’s going to resonate with readers, but it’s clear that what DC has going with the Absolute Universe is working. Not only is it an intriguing concept that takes chances fans aren’t seeing in the mainline titles, but it’s a jumping-on point that invites everyone to check it out and see what wild things the creators are allowed to do. It paid off for the first wave of titles, and now it’s paid off for the latest Scarlet Speedster on the block. Hopefully, Absolute Flash’s success is something that will be matched by future Absolute titles.
Absolute Flash #1 is available now from DC Comics.
Source: X
