Absolute Batman No. 3: Catwoman changes Bruce Wayne's life

When people talk about Absolute Batman, they’ll mention things like Bruce Wayne’s size and creativity and how violent Gotham City is even in comparison to Earth Prime’s version. What people aren’t discussing enough is how much Bruce Wayne’s life has changed. Sure, Martha Wayne is still alive and not having his billions are all important to Bruce’s growth. What this writer isn’t hearing is how his friends helped mold him into the man (and Batman) he is today. Thankfully, Absolute Batman No. 3 does this while furthering the The Zoo arc. 

Scott Snyder ended Absolute Batman No. 2 with the first appearance of Selina Kyle. She shows up right on time to help Bruce get past the death of his father. Instead of pitying him, she takes him on an adventure with a built-in lesson about life that involves walking on a wire and, of course, cats.

Selina tells Bruce to follow her across the rooftops and a wire if he wants his medal back (he won it shortly before his father's death). When Bruce says he’s scared, Selina tells him how cats see. She says, “Cats see great but only for a short distance. So don’t see the drop. Don’t see anything at all past this ledge right here.”

This seemed to teach Bruce to see the problem directly in front of him instead of looking too far ahead or behind. His father was gone and he couldn’t see a future for himself. So, for just one night, he could only look at what was in front of him.

“Well, this is your chance to mean something, Bruce." -Selina Kyle

Right after that, they sneak into a movie theater to see Zorro. Bruce is confused and wants to leave. She grabs his arm and tells him something he may not have wanted to hear, but needed to. “You’ve got talents other kids don’t have. And yes, it’s scary and dangerous and new, but you need to block that out and go right at it. Cat eyes…”

Bruce was too distraught to take in the message, but Selina had a plan for that too. As Bruce is about to leave, Eddie, Harvey, Oswald, and Waylon bombard him with happiness and popcorn. Bruce couldn’t help but smile and stay with his friends. That moment is made even better when we see Selina in the present watching Zorro in a movie theater with joy on her face.

This was a beautiful moment that led to everything that Bruce became. Having “cat eyes” motivated Bruce to do things differently and helped him move past the tragedy of his dad’s death. Without this, Bruce could have become a villain or a vigilante without any morality. We will look back at this issue of Absolute Batman as one of the significant parts of his life.

Lastly seeing Zorro was a nice touch. Instead of the movie being tied to something horrific like his parents dying, it’s now related to something happy and life-changing. It was the night he realized his friends had his back. They weren’t going to sit around and let their buddy stay cooped up without someone to cheer him up. He has his mother, but she’s grieving too. And sometimes you need your friends even if your mother loves you more than anything in the world.

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