Absolute Batman #22 is written by Scott Snyder and published by DC Comics. Artwork is by Werther Dell’Edera, colours by Frank Martin and letters by Tom Napolitano. Main cover art (left) is by Nick Dragotta and Frank Martin.
Absolute Batman #22 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
As the Robins nest in Gotham’s backyard, and Batman faces ultimate defeat, Harley Quinn’s origin is revealed. How does Harley connect with Ark M, and how did the Robins fledge from hatchlings to birds of prey? The call of more than one predator will be answered in this issue.
Review
If you thought that last month’s cliffhanger was a jaw dropper of a moment for Absolute Batman then think again. With guest artist Werther Dell’Edera on board the series is pivoting once more in order to dig into Harley Quinn’s backstory for an astonishing and tragic issue.
The issue itself is neatly constructed to make the pivot in subject matter feel comfortable. As Batman and Harley attempt to escape the Robins, she recounts the story of how she came to be. There’s more than enough connection to keep her story relevant. Whilst at the same time it dynamically separates this version of the character from her prime universe version.
As a child Harley was scared of monsters, in the closet, under the bed, wherever monsters may lie. The flashbacks, brilliantly brought to life with Dell’Edera’s guest art, puts an early emphasis on Harley’s closet, so often a focal point for a child’s fear of the dark. The rest of the focus is on her mother whose maternal instinct to protect her daughter is made clear right from the beginning.
Missing in Harley’s life is her father, a plot point which sits at the crux of her story from when she was a child, into her teenage years and who she is now, on the street fighting alongside Batman. The problem is that he doesn’t really care. Bruce barely listens to the story Harley is telling him, making Absolute Batman #22 more of a story for us than it is for him. His cold treatment of Harley will be his undoing at this point because he completely misses the relevance of her story.
Time to start choosing my words carefully… as Snyder pulls back the curtain he completely shifts Harley’s place within the wider Absolute Batman storyline. He defiantly wraps pieces of the larger Absolute Universe puzzle in the devastating story of this child who was just desperately seeking connection and safety. It makes Batman’s actions at the end of the issue even more frustrating. But more fool Batman, now we know the truth and he’s missing vital pieces of the puzzle.
Dell’Edera clearly came on board for this issue to bring a childlike wonder to Harley’s backstory. But make no mistake, his artwork is more can capable of handling Batman’s battle with the Robins. Dell’Edera is no stranger to action with his work on Something is Killing the Children. The balance between the nightmare fairytale and the series usual action is well managed in a way that even the shift in gears is barely distinct.
Snyder is setting up so many dominoes now. Zooming out to look at the last few months the series is rapidly expanding. Martha. Jim. Joker. The Robins. The Court of Owls. There are so many plates spinning right now but the series is managing them all and making it look like child’s play.
Verdict
Absolute Batman dives into the history of Harley Quinn for an issue which is thought provoking as much as it is devastating. Yet again Scott Snyder is ripping the rug out from underneath the reader with a bold, unpredictable twist.
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