The mystery challenger teased in Absolute Superman #20 gets an answer this Wednesday. Jason Aaron and Rafa Sandoval close out the Reign of the Superman arc — the most ambitious storyline in the Absolute Superman run to date.
The arc so far
The Reign of the Superman arc brought together Superman, King Shazam, and Hawkman against a challenger whose identity has driven speculation for weeks. Aaron and Sandoval have used the arc to expand the mythology of the Absolute Universe's most powerful hero while forcing genuine questions about what heroism means in this continuity.
The collector angle
Arc-closing issues in the Absolute Universe carry two distinct collector signals. First: completion buying. Readers who held off on individual issues consistently pick up arc finales in multiples. Second: the mystery challenger. If the challenger is a character with an established collector following and a history of significant key appearances, this issue becomes a confirmed key at the moment of publication. We don't know the identity yet. If speculation is correct, this is the issue you want multiples of.
Source: Key Collector Comics individual issue page.
The My Adventures with Superman connection
My Adventures with Superman Season 3 is currently airing the Reign of the Supermen storyline on Adult Swim — the animated adaptation of the exact arc this issue resolves. Readers watching the show are actively searching for the comics. This finale is the issue they will want. Source: Adult Swim official.
Creative team
Written by Jason Aaron. Art by Rafa Sandoval. Source: League of Comic Geeks, Absolute Superman issue page.
In store Wednesday June 24
Absolute Superman — Reign of the Superman finale is in store Wednesday June 24 and available online at superheroempire.com.
Sources: League of Comic Geeks · Key Collector Comics · Adult Swim official · DC Comics press release