Review: Absolute Batman #1

Back in the day I used to run with a pretty eccentric and somewhat pretentious group of friends. They would often talk about highbrow comics, or TV shows a mere superhero fan wouldn’t get. They would even go as far as say that the Stat Trek tie-in novels weren’t proper books as if authors like Howard Weinstein, Peter David or D.C Fontana were somehow less talented because they were able to craft stories within a set frame work. I am not sure why this has come to mind, right now.

Coming out of Absolute Power and the All-In one-shot there is a new hero in a new Gotham. It may come as a surprise as to who it is. Oh, there is also Bruce Wayne by name, if not Bruce Wayne in breeding. Throw in a murderous killing spree, a handful of name dropping with the hints of differences and you have a comic, that, very much like the Bruce Wayne of the book, is Batman in name only.

Scott Snyder, truly one of the nicest men in comics, is back at again. During Dark Metal, he wrought on the world a number of Batmen that were dark inversions of our Batman. Some people loved this idea, and some couldn’t wait to scrap the batmanium goo of their reading palate. So here we are again; another Batman that isn’t our Batman with Snyder trolling the Dark Knight Returns, Year One and even the most recent The Batman movie. Why? To tell different types of stories of a different type of Batman. Why not just create whole new character and go with that? Why usurp Batman, with Superman and Wonder Woman to follow? The writing is well paced, Snyder does a good job of creating his new Gotham and his new cast of characters, its just that I don’t really care. I like main universe Batman. I like Year One over Zero Year.

The is supplied by Nick Dragotta who delivers a heavy line to compliment the new over the top Batman, and you thought John Romita JR.’s art was heavy! The art, with flashes of Frank Miller inspiration; Alfred looks like Oliver Queen at some point; begs the question if Batman is this big, what the hell does Bane look like? The art matches the extreme violence in the book. Indeed, it s more brawn and the bold over the brave and the bold. The colors from Frank Martin, are fantastic; the darker then dark present gives way to a pastel shaded past, the happy days of sunny memories it seems, are few that Bruce seldom enjoys. Clayton Cowles is on hand for his usual excellent work on the font and placing of balloons. There are a number of variant covers to choose from, its buyers choice.

This book is without question well put together, with a script that twists and turns and looks to subvert the original premise into something new and different, which leads me to ask why bother with using Batman? If you want something new, create something new! The problem with that is that there would be no playing on existing tropes, no chance to to be oh so clever and pretentious, so much cleverer than the the main Batman who is stuck in his own continuity. However, no matter how well crafted, I really just don’t care. Absolute Batman, more like Absolute bonkers!

Writing – 2.5 Stars
Art – 2.5 Stars
Colors – 4 Stars

Overall – 3 Stars

Written by; Scott Snyder
Art by; Nick Dragotta
Colors by; Frank Martin
Letters by; Clayton Cowles
Published by; DC Comics

Author Profile

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes

I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow

Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network