Absolute Batman #6 Review- Hope for the New Legacy of DC Comics
From DC Comics
Written by Scott Snyder
Art by Nick Dragotta
Absolute Batman was the first title released as a part of the new “Absolute Universe” by DC Comics this past year that now hosts several alternate universe titles with fan favorite characters in entirely new circumstances, essentially acting as a competitor to the Ultimates universe at Marvel Comics. Before initial release, it was made evident through scattered interviews and posts by creator Scott Snyder, that Absolute Batman functioned as the “heart” of this bold new direction for DC Comics, and this finale issue now in issue #6 thoroughly demonstrates why that is the case.
In their humble beginnings, the “big three” Absolute titles of Absolute Batman, Absolute Wonder Woman, and Absolute Superman appeared to function as innovative, but relatively standard “elseworlds” content from DC Comics placing familiar characters in new context with majority of the core elements to their backstory remaining intact. However, as each series has developed, they have adopted a distinct, wholly organic quality of their own that makes these titles feel not so typical, but rather climactic and influential, and Absolute Batman is the shining example of such a metaphysical feat.
Absolute Batman is evidence (perhaps not for the first time, but it bears repeating) of a legacy comic book series trusting its readers first and foremost and believing in their dedicated, inherent faith in the heroes they love. As opposed to other “elseworlds” series from DC Comics that often frontload overt exposition and contextual details to ensure their conceit is understood, each of the “Absolute” titles, in particular Absolute Batman, has instead been content to drop readers directly into their world in progress and slowly reveal relevant details, leaving some larger aspects of the mythos of this Alternate DC Comics Universe unexplained, or more aptly, filled in by the tempered imagination of the modern reader.
Moreover, this series is deliberately written and illustrated in a more emotionally elevated and grounded context than traditional comic book fiction that relies on the reader’s very real sense of empathy and sociological consciousness to engage with and be invested in the story. The inherent conceit of the “Absolute Universe” is that it is NOT the mainline DC Comics Universe, it is separate, these characters different, this world unfamiliar and alien, and yet I, and many readers of Absolute Batman are continually assaulted with thematic and contextual reflections of society that feel disturbingly familiar. That is the key element of what makes these “Absolute” titles so unique, the poignant thematic beating heart that makes them feel relevant, essential, and boundary pushing. Which is perhaps what Scott Snyder meant by Absolute Batman being the “heart” of the “Absolute Universe,” with its blatant, brutal depiction of a modern society willfully falling into a social class war as it is influenced by a corrupt oligarchy of wealthy few, weaponizing their money and influence, which is put on bold display in issue #6.
If you were hesitant to pick up Absolute Batman or any of the tertiary “Absolute” books because you feared they were just “more of the same,” then I am happy to report with the finale issues of the first arc of all three mainline titles, that not only do they deserve all of the praise they have already received, but are in fact monumental pieces of superhero fiction from DC Comics that will remain in the public consciousness for quite some time.
But let us talk more specifically about Absolute Batman #6, which means-
WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!
Absolute Batman #6 opens on Waylon “Croc” Jones as he watches the disturbing news of the “Party Animal” liberation of Gotham City, orchestrated and funded by Black Mask in a gambit to turn ordinary citizens into criminals and killers. As Waylon watches from the safety of his gym, he is startled by an intruder, his wounded childhood friend Bruce Wayne, who reveals that he is Batman and that he needs Waylon’s help. With a flip of the page, the reader is then greeted by a startlingly antithetical image, a two page splash picture of Bruce and all of his childhood friends in this universe, Waylan, Selina, Eddie, Ozzie, and Harvey.
When I first learned of the concept within Absolute Batman that the majority of the Batman’s typical rogues were actually his best friends in this universe, I began to worry that this title would fall into the typical pitfalls of “elseworlds” titles, trying to invert ideas and characters for inversions sake, without a real rhyme or reason. However, Snyder and Dragotta have proven throughout this series to date that this decision is a deliberate and effective one, with a myriad of flashbacks to the climactic, tragic murder of Bruce’s father in front of all of these children at the Zoo (hence the subtitle of the series), uniting them as friends bonded by shared tragedy. Moreover, these characters have seen surprisingly little inclusion in the modern context of the Absolute Batman’s story, with Bruce keeping his vigilantism a secret and only utilizing his friends for their knowledge and talents, such as Eddy’s developing AI intelligence program, and Harvey’s legal knowledge. A lesser series might have set these characters up to become the villains we know from the mainline universe, but Snyder has allowed these iconic individuals to remain valuable role models and peers to Bruce, using their humanity rather than their “infamy” as their primary characterization.
We then cut to another of Bruce’s friends, Ozzie, as he escorts Bruce in his full Batman regalia via prop plane (Penguins really can fly I guess) over the open water of Gotham Harbor as Bruce plans to disable the local servers of Black Masks “Party Animal” software most likely located on his private yacht. After telling Ozzie that he isn’t asking any of his friends to understand or to save him, he leaps from the plane with an absolutely iconic splash page homage to The Dark Knight Returns, with our hulking “Absolute Batman” and his tattered bat wings falling through the sky.
This image is yet another example of the growing impact and iconography of Absolute Batman that Snyder and Dragotta have planned so well in the series. While the visual flow of the series has pushed the boundaries of what can be achieved through conventional comic book means, with most pages averaging over seven panels in complex and layered structures that feel more reminiscent of cinematic storyboards, Dragotta has also managed to allocate space for numerous striking, full page images such as this one that effortlessly evoke the emotional core of this innovative, action packed series.
As soon as Batman lands on Black Mask’s boat he begins systematically beating and removing Sionis’ bizarre acolytes from the boat, tossing them life preservers in the process as to not risk their demise. If I was asked to point to the character differences between the mainline Bruce Wayne and this “Absolute” incarnation, I would have to direct the curious minded to what is probably the funniest comic book sequence I have ever seen, where Absolute Batman wraps a life preserver around Black Mask’s child soldier and punts him like a goddamn football into the open ocean. Immediately following this insane display of both physical strength and simply “not giving a fuck,” Absolute Batman turns and devilishly smiles at Sionis’ mask clad lover, who promptly leaps from the boat of her own accord without a single word of protest.
Moments such as these artfully, and entertainingly, illustrate the primary difference between this fledgling iteration of Batman versus his wizened, stoic counterpart in the main canon. “Absolute Batman” stands as a truly frightening, otherworldly figure in a world of equally bizarre and chaotic figures, however he remains the capable, calculating, moral, and ungovernable figure that we expect him to be. In an even more overt sense than the original model, this Batman is forced to become a kind of monster in order to stop other monsters.
Meanwhile, as our monstrous Batman infiltrates the yacht, we find Bruce’s mother, Martha, Mayor James Gordon, caught in between a group of newly recruited Party Animals, as they debate who to kill first. Martha pleads with the group of civilians, insisting that the only way to win the game that Black Mask has devised is to not play at all. However, the group stands their ground, swayed by our society’s biggest equalizer- the promise of money. It’s a truly bizarre scene played to poignant effect by Snyder and Dragotta that feels all too revealing of what the average person is willing to do under desperate circumstances.
Back on the yacht, Black Mask leaps towards Absolute Batman, laughing that Bruce thinks that he can do anything to stop the wave of violence he has incurred. However, before he can finish his villainous monologue, he is tackled through a wall and beaten over the head by dumbbells as Absolute Batman urges the villain to, “Keep Talking!” After this sensational show of bravado from the Absolute Batman however, he is similarly caught off guard as Black Mask wraps a steel cord around his neck and begins to pull. As blood begins to trickle from his neck, Bruce recalls laying on the couch with his mother as a young boy, as she comforted him from a nightmare with the words, “When things are rough, believing you can make a difference? Being hopeful? It’s not easy.” Back in reality, Black Mask sadistically monologues about the pigs he slaughtered as a youth, revealing that his favorite part of killing them was allowing them to struggle before watching them die, giving them hope that they could fight back and live. The dichotomy of voices builds like a dizzying crescendo before the ears of Absolute Batman’s suit cock forward and Bruce drives his head downward, impaling Black Masks frighteningly mutated skull in a sickening full page splash. Next we see Absolute Batman dragging the miraculously still alive Black Mask to the boat’s edge before tossing him over with a merciful life preserver while the situation in Gotham tenses, with the Party Animal recruits aiming their guns at Mayor Gordon. Martha intervenes however, urging them to kill her first if they are planning on killing anyone.
It speaks volumes of Scott Snyder’s writing that every single moment of this climactic finale feels genuinely shocking and emotionally fraught, with the possibility of any character’s demise, even for our titular hero, at any moment. What’s more, the inevitable resolution of this build, with the Absolute Batman blowing himself up with the Black mask’s yacht and the disillusioned Party Animals complaining about the lack of reward for their crimes, is a sobering reminder of the unseen, often harrowing efforts of the few that ultimately save the lives of the many. In our final pages, we see Alfred, the shadowy assassin who initially hunted the Absolute Batman, rescue Bruce from the waters of Gotham Harbor, promising to patch up his wounds. We then cut to an absolutely(nice) disturbing, out of context epilogue page where we see The Joker, blanketed in the living corpses of children as he seemingly consumes their essence to regain a human appearance, asking his assistant to enlist a new agent in the war for Gotham City- Bane.
Given the sheer magnitude of this finale, I cannot wait for future installments of Absolute Batman and the further recharacterization and new designs of iconic villains and characters from the Batman universe. Absolute Batman contains abundant spectacle and graphic violence that is certainly different from the historic representation of the character, but is tempered by a thematic intelligence and an impactful artistic rendering that only two seasoned comic book industry veterans like Nick Dragotta and Scott Snyder can offer.
Please support your local comic book stores and don’t miss the iconic conclusion of Absolute Batman #6, on shelves now!
-Nicholas Aaron Hodge
