Everything about Absolute Batman grows to the way Bane breaks Batman. That’s the case with the absolute Batman #11, but it turns out it wasn’t really realistic, and instead, Bane does something even worse. Targeting Blues’ friends. In Absolute Batman #12, Bruce discovers what happened when he was knocked out for 48 hours, but it’s not pretty. Also, when it comes to origin stories, it’s one of the boldest options.
Absolute Batman #12 opens where we left off, and Clock rescues him from Bane, then waits for Batman to get his bearings. He wants to die as Bane and his scientists turn him into a monster with a jaw that stretches to his belly. Batman refuses. It was only the beginning that Batman realized he had disappointed his friend.
The rest of the matter is a mix of flashbacks to Catwoman, taking us from one friend to another. Given the way this issue closes, it’s safe to say that writer Scott Snyder sets expectations by layering incredible work in detail. As Bruce walks through Nightmare Lane, there’s no fat as each page feels packed with content and character work.
Much of the density of the problem comes from artist Nick Dragotta, filling every page with plenty of panels, slowing down reading, and taking everything in. Throw the fact that there are great splash pages to confuse things. It’s a nearly perfect story, visually said. Can the story use a little more action? Perhaps so, this is all about fighting Bane and giving Batman a new fear and determination to hopefully win.
He’s very angry.
Credit: DC Comics
As mentioned before, much of this issue revolves around Blues, who visit each of his three friends. Much of the reader’s expectations are based on what we know about Bruce’s friends, including Oswald, Harvey, Edward, and the villains they’re in the main universe. It makes each visit a kind of story in the story, as we witness how they transformed into broken people and how their transformations are similar, but different from what we know from the main universe.
Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta sharpen the emotional edge of Batman’s Rogue Gallery by showing how Bane’s campaign of suffering twists Bruce’s enemies into his own guilt remorse. The Penguin, Riddler, and Two-Face all appear as tortured figures who can put suffering directly at Batman’s feet. However, unlike the counterparts of the main DC universe, these three are written as closer to the blues.
At this stage, the Penguin is still in formation, a more broken man than he becomes the criminal master, and Riddler feels more advanced and directs his obsession with riddles towards a more keen, tech-driven fixation. As always, the two wounded faces embody the moral fractures that most directly bothers Bruce. Snyder and Dragotta did enough to weave each villain into the layers of guilt that complicates his sense of responsibility as a point of regret and pain. It is a new dynamic that suggests that he has less fights about defeating his enemies than he faces the consequences of a relationship that never meant to be complicated and destroyed.
Absolute Batman #12 is one of Batman’s Mythos’ most audacious twists, transforming his bond with Penguin, Riddler and Two-Face into something more tragic and personal than ever. With Snyder and Dragotta firing on every cylinder, this chapter is plagued by the Rogues gallery where Bruce and his readers feel guilty, regret, and a friend as old as their enemies.
“Absolute Batman” #12 redefines the three major villains forever
Absolute Batman #12
Absolute Batman #12 is one of Batman’s Mythos’ most audacious twists, transforming his bond with Penguin, Riddler and Two-Face into something more tragic and personal than ever. With Snyder and Dragotta firing on every cylinder, this chapter is plagued by the Rogues gallery where Bruce and his readers feel guilty, regret, and a friend as old as their enemies.
A bold reinvention of the origins of Batman’s rogue with deeper emotional resonances.
Snyder’s writing adds guilt and regret over Bruce’s relationship, giving the story a real weight.
Dragotta’s dense panel work and impressive splash pages make this issue visually stunning.
Action requires a rear seat, and some readers may want more athletic moments.
It is surprising to see Harvey and Oswald’s current form very similar to their main cosmic transformation when Mr. Freeze is very different.
