Absolute Batman #1 – Scott Snyder, Writer; Nick Dragotta, Artist; Frank Martin, Colorist
Ray – 10/10
Ray: Scott Snyder is one of the biggest names in Bat-stuff at DC, having an epic 52-issue run on the main title and a lot of acclaimed minis and shorter runs before and after. So any time someone like this returns to the character – and to DC as a whole – there’s a lot on the line. Making this book even more of a swing, it’s the launch of a new universe, created by Darkseid as a test to see if the heroes of the DCU can become what they were meant to be even without any of the advantages of their origins. In Batman’s case, that means a Batman without his wealth, without his power in Gotham, trying to save his city from the ground up with the perspective of a Crime Alley resident.
And it’s brilliant. This is one of the most explosive first issues of a book I’ve read in a long time, feeling like a completely original Elseworlds that puts unique new spins on everyone and everything. Bruce doesn’t actually appear for much of the oversized first issue, which is instead told from the perspective of Alfred Pennyworth – here a haggard, ruthless old spy who has been sent to Gotham by his handlers to track the mysterious Party Animals, a sadistic gang of thrill-killers who have been terrorizing Gotham. They seem to be working – at least potentially – for Roman Sionis, here a terrifying crimelord with a great theatrical flair for murder and intimidation who is set up as the first main villain of the series.
And speaking of intimidation, we all know this Batman is a big’un. Bruce Wayne here is a blue-collar city engineer who is built like a tank and spends most of his time working out at Waylon Jones’ gym. They’ve reinvented most of the Gotham rogues as Bruce’s old friends who have drifted apart over the years. Are they destined for bad ends? We’ll see, but Waylon – the only one we’ve seen in the present day – seems like a nice, no-nonsense guy with a love for gators. Bruce is a likable guy – but when he becomes Batman, he’s terrifying. Nick Dragotta is obviously having a ton of fun designing this character, who feels like a ’90s antihero plunged into a straightforward noir epic, with some cool and brutal gear. His origin story plays out very differently – and that allows Snyder to deliver a huge twist near the end of the issue that genuinely should not be spoiled.
There are a lot of other twists here – Jim Gordon is a beleaguered Mayor. Bullock is a distinctly more corrupt police chief. Barbara Gordon is a rookie officer. This Gotham is a whole new world, and Snyder and Dragotta take almost forty pages to immerse us in this terrifying place and make us ask the question – can one man make a difference here? If not that, how about two who start the story at odds? This first issue already makes this one of the most exciting new comics to come out of DC in a long time.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
