Absolute Batman #1 is written by Scott Snyder and published by DC. Artwork is by Nick Dragotta, colours by Frank Martin and letters by Clayton Cowles. Main cover art (left) is by Dragotta and Martin.
Absolute Batman #1 is available from today, in print and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your digital copy from Amazon Comixology UK right here.
Synopsis
Without the mansion…without the money…without the butler…what’s left is the Absolute Dark Knight!
Review
Strap yourselves in Super Friends. After a near five-year absence Scott Snyder returns to The Dark Knight today with the launch of Absolute Batman. Following the DC All In Special its time or readers to get our first proper glimpse at this new universe and one of its biggest cities, Gotham. This first issue arrives in comic book stores with the full weight of DC’s All In initiative on its astonishingly broad shoulders.
Absolute Batman has an uphill battle to prove its existence to a skeptical audience. Readers are increasingly wary of reboots, restarts and new universes. For every Marvel Ultimate Universe there’s also a Heroes Reborn. DC hasn’t launched an initiative on this scale since 2016’s Rebirth so all eyes are on Snyder this month, particularly following the initial shock at seeing Nick Dragotta’s huge design for the character out of context.
We’ve seen Snyder introduce alternate versions of Batman before. This is after all the writer who created The Batman Who Laughs and who crafted Dark Nights: Metal. It’s open to interpretation whether his history with the character adds more pressure or simply makes him the most qualified to take on the job. But Absolute Batman #1 needed not to retread any of those previous interpretations and instead strike out as something new.
So with an incredible sigh of relief that Absolute Batman was an enthralling and exhilarating read. Of course there are plenty of familiar aspects to the story. The first arc, called “The Zoo”, has a focus on Bruce’s journey to becoming Batman. His childhood, his relationship with his parents and the shooting which puts him on the path to becoming the Dark Knight are all present and accounted for. But they’re updated for a contemporary audience and modern sensibilities. Bruce now comes from a working class background. His father now a teacher in the public school he also attends. The privilege he received in the main DCU is entirely stripped away meaning this is a Batman without a mansion, a cave and endless gadgets. He’s a street-level Batman with a history which better reflects the majority of readers.
It isn’t just the characterisation where Snyder looks to pitch Absolute Batman at a contemporary audience. The murder of the Waynes in the classic sense was an isolated, back alley killing. Joe Chill was a criminal who struck with intent and often portrayed as a symptom of the corruption of Gotham. Here the shooting takes place outside during a school trip to the zoo. Whilst there may be later context, this issue certainly paints the incident as a random and senseless attack on members of the public. Something which feels like an almost everyday occurrence in 2024. Snyder chillingly captures the confusion in the moment as Thomas Wayne bundles the children in to the bat house. It’s a brave move. It isn’t politically heavy-handed though some will no doubt interpret it that way. But it does deftly connect this world to our own in a profound and impactful way.
The wider story of issue #1 comes with plenty of surprises. The narrator will come as a surprise as it’s not as straightforward as entering this world through Bruce’s inner monologue. The updates to various, well-established Bat-characters is also a great insight in to DC’s approach to the Absolute-Earth. With Alfred now a mercenary seemingly with no connection to the Wayne family. Jim Gordon the city’s mayor and his daughter Barbara working as a beat cop. Familiar faces are dotted throughout the book but all in unexpected and intriguing new ways.
There’s still plenty of corruption in this version of Gotham. Snyder’s approach to it feels more considered and more developed than other interpretations. Absolute Batman isn’t necessarily more violent than any of its counterparts. It’s just presented in a way which feels more impactful and which has a great emphasis on its consequences. There’s space in the book for Frank Miller-esque media reactions, something which adds to the overall atmosphere by keying the reader in to how Gotham is feeling and reacting. It adds up to an overall sense that Snyder really wants the reader to feel part of this world rather than simply experiencing it.
As for this version of Batman, he feels incredibly imposing on the page. His hulking size is easily covered with the context that Bruce is a total nobody in this world. So with his size – and seeing him in the gym – negating any issue around he’s size we’re left to see him going head-to-head with members of the Party Animal gang. He’s a fast mover for one of this size. His relative lack of gadgetry also means his more lethal with his fists and his feet. This is Batman with more aggression and less care for human life. Whilst he isn’t yet a killer he’s certainly a maimer so if he is to come up against his main DCU counterpart there’s going to be an interesting clash of morals. It feels like Snyder has dropped us in at the right time as this Batman is only just emerging to the people of Gotham but we’re not forced to go through an entire origin arc step by step.
Moving over to the books visuals, Nick Dragotta lands in a sweet spot which appreciates what Snyder is trying to achieve and complements it perfectly. I had anticipated this world being something more extreme. But what we’re met with is a city very much like one you might see outside your window. It doesn’t look particularly downbeat. At first glance it could easily be a New York or a London. Somewhere that many leave in relative peace and calm. It reinforces the message that Absolute-Earth is not unlike our own until you dig beneath the surface. Dragotta has the right approach in keep character designs recognisable. Whilst his Batman might be this mammoth figure, his Alfred still has flourishes of the man we once knew. Likewise Barbara and Jim Gordon are also recognisable in a broad sense despite their new positions.
The real sweeping changes are in the designs of Batman, Black Mask and a certain other character who makes an entrance at the end of this issue. Here Dragotta has plenty of room for originality and is grasping at the opportunity with both hands.
Verdict
Absolute Batman #1 is brave and it’s bold. From the outset Scott Snyder has a clear vision for the Absolute Universe which somehow already feels established even on page 1. His intentions are clear, the world is accessible and coherent giving readers the chance to just enjoy the story. Nick Dragotta draws the hell out of this gargantuan new Batman. Consider me hooked.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
