Absolute Batman #19 – Scott Snyder, Writer; Nick Dragotta, Artist; Frank Martin, Colorist
Ray – 10/10
Ray: Nick Dragotta returns to DC’s top-selling title at the moment, and it’s no surprise that Absolute Batman takes another level up with him. Jack Grimm is lurking in the wings, but this issue features the debut of Absolute Scarecrow. Now, Jonathan Crane is already one of the most evil Bat-villains and one of the scariest, but this issue takes him up to the next level. This version seems to be a ghoulish, disfigured sadist who in his first appearance, preys on a pair of farmers, manipulates them against each other, and leads them to a horrible end. He seems to just be doing this for fun on his way to Gotham – where Batman is up against the GCPD with only Alfred and Harley Quinn as his allies. There’s a great segment featuring Waylon, where we see what the former boxer is turning into with Bruce’s help, and how far Bruce has alienated himself from his friends following Bane’s actions.
Of course, Batman has another ally – but he doesn’t have the power he used to. Mayor Gordon is one of the few people who knows Batman’s secret identity, and he’s been following him since the start – and has known him since childhood. But with Martha Wayne now missing and linked to the Court of Owls, Gordon realizes that it’s well past time he came clean to Bruce. There is a lot of ambiguity in this segment, and a lot of mysteries yet to be revealed, but one thing is clear – this issue is a divergence point for the entire franchise, the kind that helps to make alternate universes like this so compelling. We’ve already been given a glimpse of what comes next, with the Robins emerging on the scene as an armored counter-balance to Batman’s influence, but this issue reveals who’s pulling their strings – and it’s a key villain from the DCU who is somehow even darker here than he is in his usual appearances. Every time I think I know where this book is going, it surprises me again.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
