Warning: Contains potential spoilers for Absolute Batman #1!
DC’s newly launched Absolute Universe – a world created and powered by Darkseid’s energy after his death and rebirth – officially debuts its underdog Batman. This version of ​​The Dark Knight refines the fan-favorite character like never before, with absolute Bruce Wayne addressing a major superhero criticism. But does that make him corrupt or the best version of Batman yet?
Another blink-and-you’ll-miss-it glimpse of absolute Batman in the Scott Snyder and Wes Craig half of the DC all in special #1, the new Dark Knight makes his full debut in Snyder and Nick Dragotta Absolute Batman #1. This issue introduces a Batman who is both an underdog and a fighter, with significant changes from his DCU counterpart, including a completely different origin story, socioeconomic status, and more.
One of the most notable differences is that Batman is a professionally trained engineer, a change that not only alters various aspects of Bruce’s character, but also helps him address a major superhero criticism—that heroes don’t fix what they break during their heroic escapades.
Absolute Batman fixes the property damage he causes, slashing a major superhero crit
“You even fix what you break…”: Bruce Wayne rebuilds what he destroys
Superheroes are often portrayed as leaving a trail of destruction behind them, with the property damage sometimes outweighing the help they provide. The collateral damage disrupts communities and often causes more problems, with the heroes responsible rarely taking accountability. Therefore, this has long been a major criticism of superheroes. While Batman’s role as an engineer doesn’t automatically mean he repairs his own damage, Snyder confirms in Absolute Batman That Bruce Wayne’s version does just that. As hitman Alfred Pennyworth tellsBruce not only fights crime but is “Creating. Building. You even fix what you break…repairing the stairs you blew up last night.”
In this way, Bruce Wayne takes responsibility for the destruction caused during his crime-fighting by using his civilian persona as a civil engineer to rebuild what he breaks. While Bruce doesn’t pay for all the repairs or do them himself, it’s a significant improvement in accountability compared to most heroes. Hence, his dual roles in protecting and rebuilding Gotham show that Absolute Batman is helping the city on two different levelsArguably, his contributions make him more impressive than his DCU counterpart – especially since he doesn’t have the resources of a billionaire.
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Absolute Batman knows Gotham City even better than his DCU counterpart
Along with revealing that Bruce repairs the damage he causes, Alfred’s narration also emphasizes how deeply embedded Bruce is in Gotham’s infrastructure. He has worked in sanitation, the power grid, the water department, city hall, and now as a civil engineer. This gave Bruce valuable knowledge and influence in critical sectors of the city’s operations. While some may see this as potentially corrupt — given his dual identity and how he leverages that knowledge for his Batman activities — it’s clear that Bruce uses his expertise to improve Gotham rather than for personal gain. This makes him one of the best iterations of BatmanAs absolute Bruce Wayne knows Gotham on a level that even his DCU counterpart can’t match.
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Absolute Batman #1 is now available from DC Comics!
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Absolute Batman #1 (2024) |
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