Absolute Batman #1

[cyberghostface]

"I wanted to do a story where it really is for my kids. Maybe not just yet, it's a little too violent and dark, but it's written for my kids. Batman always made me brave. Growing up in New York, I love the idea that he went up against nuclear war, like in The Dark Knight Returns. My anxieties were reflected in these books in the ’80s. And for him here, I want him to go up against things that feel unmovable, like giant civilians and systems that feel like you can't change them, so you just have to compromise, which is Alfred's point of view as a kind of mercenary coming to town. For Batman, though, he's this kid that does not believe that. He believes you go up and you bang your head against it over and over and over until you get it to change. So, it's a totally different take." -- Scott Snyder

Comments

[huntleyhaverstock]

OK, this is a MUCH more interesting take than the initial scans suggested. I still don't love the "everything is mean and awful and Alfred is a ruthless bastard" angle, and the superhero stuff itself feels silly. But everything around it? Fascinating and well-thought-out.

Kinda reminds me of the rumored Darren Aaronofsky YEAR ONE movie where Bruce was a blue-collar mechanic working for his mentor Big Al.

Also, on the last page, the guy bowing to the Joker? That is 100% Gaggy Gagsworthy.

[blues32]

Ooo, that IS Gaggy!

[donnblake]

Huh, lot going on here. I wonder if I should draw any conclusions from the fact that of Bruce's little gang of childhood friends, all of whom were presumably at the zoo, three seem to have developed some sort of animal affinity (Bruce's Bat, Ozzy's Penguin, no one's calling Waylon Croc yet but he sure is walking around cradling a big ol' crocodilian buddy) and another corresponds to Catwoman.

Edit: Like, I don't make much of it in the comics, because "Dude + Animal," is a pretty solid way to come up with a comic book hero or villain, but if they all share the same traumatic zoo experience...

[nyadnar17]

"Like, I don't make much of it in the comics, because "Dude + Animal," is a pretty solid way to come up with a comic book hero or villain, but if they all share the same traumatic zoo experience..."


that's actually kinda of hilarious.

[icon_uk]

"Tell me about what happened...."

"I'll never forget... the squeaking... OH GOD the squeaking!"

"Honestly, in all my years as a zoo related trauma therapist, I've never come across one quite so traumatic relating to a petting zoo. But that's Gotham for you"

[cainofdreaming]

What animals would Eddie and Harvey be? A snake coiled into a question mark and a tortoise with a mutation that makes it have two heads?

[icon_uk]

If we go by Art Baltazar's Super Pets Encyclopedia, Eddie would be an owl



and Harvey a crab

[icon_uk]

The team name is even right there in the scans, "The Party Animals"

[scorntx]

Wait... has no-one in eighty years of comic books ever actually used the name Party Animals for anything?

[thanekos]

Looking forward to the scene where the Joker says " Heh. Funny. "

[cyberghostface]

I’m open to the idea of a serious Joker but “he’s called the Joker because he never jokes” is one of those things where it doesn’t make a lot of sense outside of the real-world context of “He needs to be called the Joker”.

[shakalooloo]

It's a sarcastic nick-name, like Little John. Or like if someone says "we're doomed!" the response "look at Mr Optimism here" is perfectly valid.

[donnblake]

Sure, but it is a little odd to go "Don't do that. Never joke. The boss hates jokes, and you can't make jokes around him. Which is why we call him the Joker. As a little joke."

[shakalooloo]

Well, it's more polite than calling them a miserable bastard.

[zachbeacon]

I came here to make fun of the chest symbol ("Yes, Father. I shall become a brick!") but this is really interesting.

I always appreciated that the Prowler was essentially "Batman on a budget" (weaponized cleaning supplies, public self-defense classes, ect) but that aspect of Hobie never really got explored and he's since largely been replaced by Miles' terrible uncle.

They've tried it at various ties with the actual Batman but I think No Man's Land is the only time he was believably low on resources...and he was still better supplied than anyone else.

[lbd_nytetrayn]

I came here to make fun of the chest symbol ("Yes, Father. I shall become a brick!") but this is really interesting.

Oh, wow... and he repairs the collateral damage he causes to the city!

Maybe it is a Bat-brick!

Why does that make me love this even more now?!

[shakalooloo]

Is that a typo in the Snyder quote? "giant civilians and systems"? Should that not be something like "giant corporations" instead?

[lbd_nytetrayn]

Okay, first impressions of this?

Not good.

But after reading this?

I never imagined I would be on board with this like I am now.

[superfangirl1]

The art and is really great. I hope Bruce keeps using those vibrant blue smoke bombs. That along with the bright red of the muzzle flashes gives the actions scenes a lot of lively color.