The Absolute Universe has offered many incredible reinterpretations of DC Comics’ greatest heroes and villains. Sometimes the changes are subtle, while other times they leave the characters barely recognizable compared to their main-universe counterparts. This trend continues in the miniseries Absolute Catwoman, which has already provided a far more ruthless and sinister version of the second Batgirl, Cassandra Cain. Absolute Catwoman #2 is no different. The story entails the titular heroine going down a rabbit hole in search of a friend involved in a dangerous criminal organization. And in it, we are introduced to the Absolute Universe’s reimaginings of two fan-favorite street-level heroes: Huntress and the Question.
Absolute Catwoman is an exciting spin-off spy thriller series that offers an incredible new version of the iconic anti-hero. And as Catwoman travels the world on her latest and most daring mission yet, Huntress and the Question make their Absolute Universe introductions in the best way possible.
The plot of Absolute Catwoman involves Selina reuniting with Holly, a childhood friend and member of the heroine’s former crew, the Calicos. Despite refusing to join Holly on a job, Selina eventually gets roped into it when Holly secretly gives her an orb that leads to a powerful AI system called the Yarn. Selina then really is sucked in when Holly is kidnapped by a mysterious, masked group led by Cassandra Cain. To find Holly, Selina puts the orb up for auction to lure out Holly’s abductors. However, this plan accidentally leads her to reunite with her old friends, Helena Bertinelli and Victoria Sage.
Helena and Victoria are both former members of the Calicos. When they were kids, the Calicos would steal from the wealthy and give to the poor like Robin Hood. Like Selina, neither Helina nor Victoria continued as thieves into their adulthood. Although Selina tries to keep things civil with Victoria, things quickly devolve into chaos when Helina smashes through a window while fighting the auction’s security. In the main DC Universe, Helina is the Gotham anti-hero and Bat-Family member Huntress. There, she was born to a wealthy crime family, but became a vigilante to avenge the deaths of her family at the hands of a rival gang. In the Absolute Universe, even as a child, Helena fought crime by helping the Calicos steal from her crime-lord parents.
In contrast to Helina’s moderately different origin, the Question of the Absolute Universe has undergone a complete reinvention. Victoria Sage is obviously meant to be a gender-swapped version of Vic Sage, the original Question. In the main universe, Vic was a detective, vigilante, and conspiracy theorist. Of course, the Question being female in the Absolute Universe is not a complete departure from the main universe. There, the female detective Renee Montoya permanently took the Question’s mantle after Vic’s death. Although neither version of the Question has ever been a thief, they both tended to question everything and everyone and weren’t afraid to challenge corrupt officials in the name of justice. Ultimately, Victoria Sage is an amalgamation of the two main universe Questions, with a greater fondness for thievery.
Currently, the Absolute Universe doesn’t have much in the way of superhero teams, especially because the world’s villains have taken the Justice League name for themselves to discredit and destroy the real heroes like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. However, that has changed with the reunion of Catwoman, Helena, and Victoria, who work together to save Holly and stop Cassandra and her group’s plans involving the orb and Yarn. Instead of one of the big names like the Justice League or Teen Titans, the superhero team that may be arising in the Absolute Universe are the Birds of Prey.
In the main DC Universe, the Birds of Prey are an all-female superhero team made up of some of Gotham’s best protectors. Most of the time, these heroines focus on missions involving espionage and street-level crime. Catwoman, Huntress, and the Renee Montoya Question have all been members of the Birds of Prey in the main universe. With all this in mind, the Birds of Prey are the perfect spy team to emerge in the Absolute Universe, where supervillains rule over all of society. Instead of shining beacons of hope, the first official alliance of DC heroes is made up of covert, morally ambiguous figures who fight evil from the shadows. If the trio’s alliance continues, the former Calicos will likely evolve into the Birds of Prey.
Absolute Catwoman may prefer to work alone, but with Holly in danger and the threat of the Yarn falling into the wrong hands, she’s going to need Helena and Victoria to save the day. While it’s unknown now if Helena and Victoria will take on their more identifiable superhero mantles, what is clear is that, although unintentional, these three women may have become the first recognizable DC superhero team from the main canon to debut in the Absolute Universe.
What do you think? Leave a Comment below and join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!
