By Harry Deefholts
Growing up, I relied on animated superhero shows and the cultural impact of the now flawed Marvel Cinematic Universe to feed my childhood niches and introduce me to new characters.
That being said, over the last year, I wanted to adopt a new depth and cultural perspective on superheroes and other fictional characters—by going out and buying old-school paperbacks and $10 comics.
Since then, I’ve been introduced to Hellboy, several modern comic runs, and I’ve even been able to get my hands on a wide range of “golden age” comic reprints, including first appearances of Spider-Man, Daredevil, and Wolverine. However, what has captured my (and the entire internet and comic fandom’s) interest is a complete reimagining of DC’s iconic Dark Knight.
Created and written by Scott Snyder, Absolute Batman is a modern-day comic series that has been going strong for over a year and currently has 16 issues available—with more on the way. Snyder reimagines the Gotham vigilante in several ways. Batman/Bruce Wayne himself is drastically different both narratively and physically.
For starters, the Wayne name means nothing. Having grown up in the slums with his mother and late father, there is no status or power behind his identity. His close group of friends that he grew up with are later revealed to be iconic Batman villains, including Waylon Jones (Killer Croc) and Oswald Cobblepot (The Penguin) to name a few.
This change in social status affects Gotham as well, fundamentally transforming what the city represents for both Bruce and the reader. Gotham is usually portrayed as a victim, plagued by the rise of villains, thugs, and mobs that Batman must weed out.
However, in this rendition, Gotham is less a character and more like a battleground for wealthy elites to profit from its destabilization, displaying themes corruption from a lower-class perspective—mirroring the real-life disparity between the rich and poor. Even the first arc of this series emphasises this, by having Black Mask (a wealthy mob boss from Batman’s rogues gallery) and his army of “Party Animals” let loose to cause chaos and engage in exploitation.
Due to how dangerous this Gotham feels, Snyder depicts Batman less like a gothic boogieman that upholds justice and law, and moreso a souped-up cross between the Punisher and the Hulk, one whom relies on dirty but reliable tactics and brutal weaponry, which a traditional Batman would deem “harsh” or “barbaric”.
This Batman sits at a staggering 6’9” and dons a suit stuffed with weaponry, including concealed knives in his ears, retractable spiked shoulders, and his chunky chest logo being the detachable blade of an axe… no, I’m not joking. He is not a strong and quick vigilante-detective who uses the shadows to his advantage; he is a violent, unstoppable force of rage.
This change also suits him (get it?) thematically—this Batman isn’t a high-tech billionaire, but a blue-collar engineer who fights tooth-and-nail to survive in the harsh slums he grew up in. And wait until you see the villains; Mr. Freeze looks ripped straight out of John Carpenter’s The Thing, Bane makes our nearly seven foot tall protagonist look like a toddler, and Joker… GOOD GOD.
This review barely scratches the surface of how innovative and creative Snyder is with this adaptation, and I highly recommend it to film fans, comic nerds, or aspiring story and script writers. For those already deep into the series, hope you’re loving it! I know I am!
