Absolute Batman #3 begins with a nostalgic, subdued tone, exploring Bruce’s childhood with Selina. It’s a welcome change to see a preteen version of Bruce with friends the same age. Instead of a butler and a mansion, Absolute Blues gets a close-knit community of brownstone friends and a loving mother. This origin swap not only solidifies this alternate world, but also helps set the stakes. Bruce has a lot to lose and no disposable funds to protect himself.
Credit: DC Comics
The comic goes back and forth from his post-tragedy childhood to what can only be described as the best Batmobile chase on paper. Inside the dump truck, Batman and Alfred argue like reluctant roommates. It’s like two people from different generations ultimately wanting the same thing but going in opposite directions. Through their conversation and Alfred’s captions, Scott Snyder explains how he convinces Bruce to accept Black Mask’s offer, the only way to leave a meaningful mark on Black Mask’s criminal empire. That’s how he feels. Alfred is the more diplomatic of the two, as his silver stash shows his age, but Batman is anything but.
While that’s happening, Nick Dragotta’s combination of small and tall panels creates a great ensemble of pure action. On one page, he broke the momentum of a wrecking ball into panel-sized chunks and immortalized the impact of a car crash on card stock. Alongside Dragotta’s line drawings, Frank Martin’s colors make the Batmobile’s blue exhaust nearly burn off the page. The art depicting young Bruce compared to his adult self when he flashes back is amazing, especially how he holds the same cold, terrifying gaze that transcends his age, a gaze he holds with conviction. It’s amazing how it holds up. But behind the scenes, whenever his friends or mother are around, he gets a little warmer and smiles a smile that he can’t hide.
This vulnerability, successfully evoked by both the writer and the artist, suggests that Batman can’t afford to be stubborn here, that he has people he could lose, and that he literally doesn’t have the money to buy it. Remind the reader. Bruce is seduced into compromising with Black Mask in order to become the Batman of the main DC Universe with unlimited resources and global influence. He is called to be a changer, not just a destroyer. All he has to do is give up for a while.
Speaking of Black Mask, he is a terrifying figure who is the economic opposite of Bruce in this issue. While Bruce only has a small network of Rogues Gallery friends to support him in his mission, Black Mask has an army and (possibly) multiple yachts. Usually, Black Mask never takes off his mask, but this time his mask doesn’t even have eyes for the reader to detect emotions. While it’s definitely interesting that Batman is at a complete disadvantage in terms of class against villains, there’s still nothing about Black Mask aside from his mystery, which makes him a great antagonist to play against, though. He has become an uninteresting character so far.
Absolute Batman #3 puts the pedal to the metal. In flashbacks, Nick Dragotta and Frank Martin offer bittersweet glimpses into Bruce’s life, filled with friends and love. And now they bring you a heavy metal Batmobile chase like no other. All the while, Scott Snyder infuses every lull and action with tension, with Batman having to make tough decisions he’s never had to deal with before. As Alfred says in this issue, “Maybe I actually love Batman.”
Absolute Batman #3 takes you on a journey
Absolute Batman #3
Absolute Batman #3 puts the pedal to the metal. In flashbacks, Nick Dragotta and Frank Martin offer bittersweet glimpses into Bruce’s life, filled with friends and love. And now they bring the heavy metal Batmobile tracking to life like no other. All the while, Scott Snyder infuses every lull and action with tension, with Batman having to make tough decisions he’s never had to deal with before. As Alfred says in this issue, “Maybe I actually love Batman.”
Scott Snyder creates a new inner conflict in Batman, forcing him to replace his wealth with a childhood support system, while also taking on terrifying responsibilities.
Exhilarating Batmobile action sequences brilliantly drawn by Nick Dragotta and Frank Martin
It’s a neat twist that Batman has a purely business relationship with Alfred while also having an emotional connection to his friend and mother.
Black Mask is a great foil, but has yet to be proven to stand the test of time.
