Absolute Batman #1 Recap & Review
Absolute Batman #1 Author(s): Scott Snyder Artist(s): Nick Dragotta Colorist(s): Frank Martin
Letterer: Clayton Cowles Publisher: DC Entertainment
It’s finally here! Absolute Batman, the first release under DC’s Absolute Universe imprint, has officially hit shelves worldwide today, marking the start of a tonal shift for DC Comics. Brought to life by the creative team of writer Scott Snyder and artist Nick Dragotta, Absolute Batman #1 aims to shake up the familiar status quo surrounding a certain Caped Crusader. I'm no stranger to Scott Snyder’s work on Batman—his New 52 run was the first full series I ever completed for a single character. The question now is, and always has been: Will I be interested in this new take on Batman?
SPOILERs FOR ABSOLUTE BATMAN #1!
The story opens with Batman-style narration from a shadowy figure riding a motorcycle. Turns out, it's not Bruce Wayne but a cynical, bearded Alfred Pennyworth. This Alfred, armed to the teeth, lives next to an old tea shop. We learn he has a military background and an estranged daughter named Julia.
We learn that The Party Animal Gang has been terrorizing Gotham, raising the murder rate by 700%. We also see that Alfred is working for a mysterious entity that communicates through his PC, sending him to gather intel on the gang. The entity warns of another player in town, teasing the arrival of Batman. Interestingly, Alfred sees himself as a servant in every "war" he fights, and his latest battleground is Gotham.
We first see Bruce Wayne sparring in a gym. He’s a towering figure with broad shoulders, huge biceps, and a barely controlled rage, stemming from a traumatic childhood event—no surprise there.
Next, we meet Waylon Jones, typically known as Killer Croc, but here portrayed as a normal man with a fascination for reptiles. He tells Bruce he’s been working with "Ozzie" (likely Oswald Cobblepot, a.k.a. the Penguin), but Bruce warns that Oz is about to be arrested. Waylon invites Bruce to a poker game, dropping names like Selina, Eddie, Harvey, and Oz. Bruce declines and storms off, and we glimpse a photo of children, hinting that his future enemies may have grown up alongside him. This twist makes Batman’s rogues gallery former childhood friends, instead of unknown criminals.
Elsewhere, Roman Sionis (Black Mask) meets with the Falcone and Maroni crime families. The meeting seems casual until the mobsters insult him. Roman's wife suggests showing them his collection of death masks—made from their own family members, whom he has killed. Roman’s cheerful family then casually murders the mobsters, creating a chilling scene.
Our Batman lurks in the shadows, watching a town hall meeting led by Mayor James Gordon. The residents are terrified of the Party Animal Gang, and rightly so, as gang members are seen approaching, armed. Alfred is ordered to observe, not engage. As tensions escalate, a grenade is thrown, and the gang infiltrates the meeting, shooting Gordon. His daughter, Barbara, works for the GCPD. All seems lost until Batman arrives, dealing with the gang in brutal, bone-crunching fashion. Alfred watches in awe at Batman’s ferocity. This version of Batman is a one-man army, with every part of his suit designed as a weapon. When confronted by the largest gang member, he uses his emblem as an axe to cut off his hand, then detonates a bomb to trap those who try to flee.
Alfred is ordered to engage, and he approaches Batman, only to be swiftly disarmed and knocked down. Batman takes his shotgun and vanishes.
The issue ends with some backstory for this new Bruce Wayne. We see him in a hoodie, blending into Gotham. Alfred reveals Bruce is 23, born in Crime Alley to a teacher father and a social worker mother. As an honor student, Bruce created a collapsible bridge to aid in crises. For his invention, he was given tickets to the city zoo, where he went with his father. A masked gunman began killing people, and Bruce’s father saved the children by locking them in the Bat Sanctuary but was killed for his efforts.
After his father’s death, Bruce spirals but eventually pulls his life together. With his mother still alive, he takes various jobs around the city, learning its logistics and infrastructure while studying martial arts, chemistry, mechanics, criminology, and other disciplines to become the perfect war machine. Alfred sees Bruce meet up with his mother and considers shooting him, then and there, but decides against it. Later, using his intel he tries to confront The Batman but is shot with his own shotgun, which has been modified to be non-lethal, and has his motorcycle stolen. An epilogue teases that this universe’s version of the Joker has followed the footsteps of the OG Bruce Wayne. He is a rich man who has trained with Henri Ducard, The League of Assassins and no one knows his real name. What’s even crazier is this Joker HATES laughing, which is good because this comic proves to be no laughing matter.
Verdict: Absolute Batman #1 feels like a fresh take on a character who has existed for over 80 years. It’s amazing how compelling the Batman / Bruce Wayne story can be with such minor alterations to it. I am highly anticipating the eventual team-up regarding this version of Alfred and Bruce, and can’t wait to see what other ABSOLUTE madness is out there. Also, while he is teased in the Epilogue, I am glad we are starting with Black Mask as a villain and not the Joker as it allows us to escalate the threats around this Batman as we go. I also love that this story is told from Alfred’s perspective as it allows Batman to be a force of nature in the background, with motives we can only grasp at. I will be following this ABSOLUTE series closely, lest I get a shotgun to the face.
Rating: 4.5/5