I have sung endless admiration for Snyder, Dragotta, Martin and Cowles’ monumental achievements in Absolute Batman. As you can hear it repeatedly, I would like to focus on one aspect of this issue that is obvious: humor.
Absolute Batman #10 explores Bruce being trapped and tested in an underground facility in Ark M. This issue follows his repeated attempts to escape, and fails every time he hits a terrible, big, intense wall.
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Every good joke will ultimately have a bit of extra energy and can take people off guard. Just when you think you’ve found a punch line, there’s something else right next to you. This works especially well for characters like Batman, who are known to have endless gadgets in their gadgets that serve as rewards for all scenarios, gags and comedy. Snyder twists this for his benefit.
This blues doesn’t have the resources of a butt shark repellent, but he can do more with less. Absolute Bruce fights the Captor using his teeth as a makeshift brass knuckle, giving him a finishing blow with a feeding tube tied to his body. That’s ridiculously fun. Needless to say, the off-cuff statement that seems to be the blues getting very heavy.
This sprinkled visual comedy creates a higher contrast with dark and miserable circumstances with our honorable heroes. In fact, readers laugh at Batman’s Sisyfean attempt to escape, as does Bane. We are unconsciously placed in the position of Batman abusers. But deep down, Batman is the bully we were entrenched in. He is a rocky balboa and will run 100 times more steps as long as he breathes.
That’s the absolute Batman. The casualties of mass shootings are greater than they can defeat a system that produces bullies on a large scale, a system that places them in power. Here, Bane is the biggest bully above all, and asks Batman to stand up whenever he is defeated.
Nick Dragotta works on a completely different level, perfectly grasping humor and fear. You can already see multiple panels in this comic being used as memes and reaction images. But similarly existent are the scary panels straight from the scary show. It is a testament to Dragotta’s range and aesthetic abilities.
Again, Snyder cleverly packs an emotional story on 23 pages, balancing Batman’s internal storyline and enhancing the underground plot. Normally, a single problem is just a part of the whole thing, but Snyder can set up all the problems on its own. There are also plenty of Easter eggs. Batman was called Patient 27 and nodded to Detective Comics #27, and Killer Croc was also numbered by his first appearance.
Absolute Batman #10 accepts the ridiculousness of comic books and favors the absurdity of the medium. It offers an emotional story of humorous and terrifying equal parts. Snyder and Dragotta maintain the absolute Batman quality with endless creativity.
“Absolute Batman” #10 accepts the absurdity of comics
Absolute Batman #10
“Absolute Batman” #10 accepts the ridiculousness of comic books and uses the absurdity of the medium to its advantage. It offers an emotional story of humorous and terrifying equal parts. Snyder and Dragotta maintain the absolute Batman quality with endless creativity.
The barrel of laughter
Balance your humor with your mind
A scary villain with unique creature designs
