Absolute Batman #3 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 #3 is available now, in print and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your digital copy from Amazon Comixology UK right here.
Synopsis
Batman and Alfred have formed a tentative alliance, but the Black Mask has some new friends too…and they’re coming to Gotham to wreak absolute havoc. Plus, discover the dark secret that will rock Bruce to his core and make him question everything…
Review
After revealing a behemoth of a Batmobile, pairing up an unfamiliar Bruce and Alfred and setting up Black Mask as the big bad, just where could Absolute Batman go next? That’s the question I’ve been asking myself during the wait for Absolute Batman #3 to arrive in comic book stores. Now I understand the answer is simple… rapid expansion…
Scott Snyder has done a great job of showing us a riotous new Batman with a punk attitude and a hulking aesthetic. Across the first two issues Snyder has setup a dense storyline which is complicated further by the political landscape in Gotham and Bruce’s own relationship to it. With those foundations well set Absolute Batman #3 feels more like a book which is operating at top speed. There’s a marked step from setup to business as usual and that means the gloves are coming off.
Picking up where issue #2 left off, Batman and Alfred are making their escape in Bruce’s ginormous Bat-tank. Whilst they’ve shared the page before this feels like our first major glimpse at the two of them challenging each other’s viewpoints. Snyder and Dragotta are tasked with balancing the weight of a fairly large scale car chase against a meeting of philosophical viewpoints between these two. Without the decades of history from the prime universe there’s a level of conflict and aggression which Snyder is able to instil in his writing which continues to be a huge selling point for this book. Bruce’s hotheadedness has, so far, gone unchallenged but Alfred is still able to give him serious pause which has ramifications across the entire second half of this issue.
The balancing act between the high stakes action and the core character building is sublime. Snyder has hit three home runs in a row with Absolute Batman and that’s never been more evident than during this opening sequence. As the Batmobile bulldozes its way through the city the level – and more importantly depth – of dialogue is incredible. There are so many familiar elements and characters that it still surprises me how the book doesn’t feel like a generic Black Label/Elseworlds tale. Perhaps under any other writer it might. But there’s no doubting the incredible path this story is carving after only three issues.
The character beats, particularly in the second half as Bruce considers his next move, are underpinned by further flashback sequences. These moments continue to flesh out the relationship between a young Bruce, still grieving the loss of his father, and Selina Kyle. Her presence in these moments, weighted against her lack of presence in the present day, feels like a crucial plot point as the narrative drives forwards. Her troubled background as well as her encouragement of Bruce to nurture his gifts feel like crucial plot devices in him eventually become Batman. I also have to heap appreciation on Nick Dragotta for the incredibly simple changes in the artwork when we reach in to the past. The visual cues are subtle and work so perfectly.
The second half of issue #3 is busy. There’s a lot going on across different storylines. Snyder has to reckon with ramping up the presence of Black Mask to counterbalance what’s happening with Bruce. We need to see both hero and villain rise and that requires a fair amount of exposure for Roman Sionis. It’s perhaps a little too much too fast but there’s no arguing with how exciting it is to read. Sionis has been something of a menacing spectre and this issue sees him firmly stepping in to the spotlight. His movements lead in to a seismic shift in the politics of Gotham which should stir up further conflict moving forwards.
There’s so much more I want to dive in to but I think we’d be veering too far in to spoiler territory…
Verdict
After three months and three incredible issues it’s clear that Absolute Batman has proven itself an incredibly worthy and powerful Batman story for the ages. Scott Snyder is taking no prisoners as he upends the legend of the Dark Knight.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
