Absolute Batman #14 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 #14 is available from today, in comic book stores and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your physical copy from Forbidden Planet or digitally from Amazon Comixology UK.
Synopsis
Batman and Catwoman face down Bane in a final battle! But once the dustsettles, what will it all mean for the future of Batman?
Review
After a brief pause in the main narrative in order to release last month’s incredible first Annual Edition, it’s time to wrap up the “Abomination” arc in the pages of today’s Absolute Batman #14. Scott Snyder is – once again – defying convention, side-stepping clichés and dropping another rollercoaster of a finale on us.
It took me a brief moment to remind myself where we were in the story. Bruce, pumped full of Venom from his experience at Ark-M, is preparing to face-off against Bane. The Ark-M experiments have also been improving the Venom ins Bane’s system, making him an even more lethal adversary. After briefly reuniting with Selina it’s down to Alfred to prepare Bruce for the fight of his life as Gotham watches on.
Everything about Absolute Batman #14 typifies everything which has made this series one of Snyder’s finest. Nick Dragotta’s out-of-the-box panel design, the push-and-pull between moments from Bruce’s past, the sheer ferocity of the fight itself. Everything here is Absolute Batman dialled up beyond full blast. So it should come as absolutely no surprise when I say everything about this finale lands perfectly. Right down to a devastating teaser for what comes next.
There are twists to the story of how Batman bests Bane which I didn’t see coming. Snyder is clever in his story choices, ensuring most aren’t heavily signposted or obvious. Over the past year we’ve seen Absolute Batman illustrating a brutal version of Bruce for whom collateral damage is a hobby. All of that anarchic bombast is on full display only now we’re seeing how underneath that brutality beats the same bleeding hear of the prime-universe Bruce. Snyder – through Alfred’s narration and brief glimpses of Bruce’s loved ones – show us just how much Batman is dedicated to the city.
I have to commend Snyder for introducing such incredible stakes to the story. It’s difficult to craft a narrative in which the headlining hero doesn’t feel safe. But whilst reading this issue every notion that there’s more story to come melted away. In the moment I was so swept up by the runaway train which is Absolute Batman’s exuberant pacing that I forgot everything else happing in the DCU right now. That takes real guts.
It feels like Dragotta is drawing for his life with this book. It’s a literal smorgasbord of visual delights. Of course there are huge moments in the fight between Batman and Bane. Everything cut and every punch is as visceral as we’ve come to expect from this book. But Dragotta doesn’t present any of it without huge consideration. Every panel is meticulously prepared to give these moments maximum impact. It really is Absolute Batman injected with the very Venom which powers Bane.
But more than this. Dragotta finds exactly the right spots to splice in wider context to Snyder’s story. Whether it’s cutting away from the fight to see Gordon and Martha. Or jumping between Bruce’s friends in the past, including a brilliant twist for Waylon, whilst also seeing their twisted bodies in the present day. Dragotta uses the visuals to remind us even more what Bruce is fighting for, exemplifying the synergy between writer and artist.
Verdict
Ever wondered what an issue of Absolute Batman would be like if Scott Snyder took a whiff of Bane’s Venom? Well this is it. The culmination of the “Abomination” arc is brutal both physically and emotionally. Closing off this chapter in the Absolute story is a page turner for the ages.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This affiliate advertising program also provides a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. We are also members of the Forbidden Planet Affiliate Program.
