The Absolute Universe was the most talked about comic book series of the year before the first issue was released. People saw the size of Batman, Wonder Woman’s giant sword, and Superman’s yellow arms and lost their minds. Some people hated it and others loved it. Either way, you knew about it. It didn’t hurt that comic book artists like Nick Dragotta, Daniel Sampere, and Hayden Sherman are doing some of the art. It was great marketing by DC Comics.
Out of the DC Comics Trinity, Absolute Batman is the one people talked about the most because he was eye-catching. The bat symbol on his chest and his frame are huge. This writer has called him the Batman Who Lifts because he’s so massive. Plus, Scott Snyder was back writing a character he loves (check out his run of New 52 Batman).
“Hello again, Gotham. It’s been a long time. So who are you these days? Who have you become while I was gone?” -Alfred Pennyworth
Now, the time has come. Absolute Batman No. 1 was released. Does the comic book live up to the hype? Does his size make sense? Are there similarities between this universe's Bruce Wayne and his Earth 1 counterpart? In a word, yes. This was a great start to an interesting new world.
First, Alfred isn’t a butler. He’s a world-class assassin and mercenary. He’s called back to Gotham City to track and survey a band of disgusting killers called the Party Animals run by Roman Sionis (DC's Black mask). Their actions are so bad they resemble the Joker's crimes.
These two examples perfectly show how characters will differ from their counterparts. In the main continuity, Alfred was once in the military but wasn’t willing to kill innocent people. Roman is a criminal and a killer. However, he seems to be more sadistic in the Absolute Universe. He even has his young child kill the heads of the Maroni and Falcone families.
“Instead of being raised in paradise, they are raised in Hell.” -Darkseid
Later, during a town hall meeting (run by Gotham City Mayor James Gordon), the Party Animals plan on killing Mayor Gordon and anyone else who gets in their way. Before they can escalate, Batman steps in and saves the day. This is where we see the difference between the Batman we know and the Absolute version. Absolute Dark Knight is more brutal than Prime Earth's.
As Alfred observes him, he sees Bruce using blades and hitting body parts that are near fatal. That shows that he's precise and calculated. He says The Bat is breaking bones loud enough for people to hear. He's instilling fear in surrounding enemies. Earth 1's Batman uses sharp objects and fights brutally, but this is on another level. He’s been hardened by Darkseid's world.
You’d assume that being this ruthless would come from not having either parent and not being raised by Alfred. However, only part of that is true. Martha Wayne wasn’t there for the tragedy that killed Thomas. Bruce had his mother the entire time. Hopefully, Scott Snyder will get into the backstory. It’s crucial to Bruce Wayne’s backstory. Stay tuned to Caped Crusades for more on Absolute Batman as the series continues.
Did you read Absolute Batman? What did you think of the first issue? We want to hear from you. You can email us at entertainment@fansided.com.