Don’t be turned away by the “Absolute Power Tie-In” text at the top.
Two-thirds of BATMAN #150 is a contained Batman story that exemplifies why we love The Dark Knight…and Bruce Wayne.
In short, we follow a down-on-his-luck former henchman as he’s looking for one last payout before ditching the lifestyle. Connecting to THE GOTHAM WAR from last year, he knows Batman’s identity and is ready to sell it to the highest bidder. What follows him is interactions with famous rogues, fights, explosions, reunions, and a face-to-face with The Batman himself.
Writer Chip Zdarsky leaves all of the Zur, Failsafe, and excess stuff from the past two years on the shelf, and really zones in on Gotham’s citizens here to deliver a personal, focused story. I very much dug how this tale shifted perspectives, added character development, and told a nice little story while never keeping Batman from being a major presence. It was a welcome breath of fresh air for the title and had me wanting to revisit it as soon as it was finished.
Denys Cowan and Jorge Jimenez teamed up for this issue, and I was very impressed with the outcome. There were moments where panels felt extra grungy, taking me back to the vibes of 80s and 90s Batman comics. Gotham’s aura was felt throughout each page, and it helped sell the character bits. Batman was also positioned perfectly on every panel he appeared in, generating this mystique that works so well when he’s spoken as a myth. Loved it.
As for the tie-in, Zdarsky also provided written duties with Mike Hawthorne on the art. Having not read ABSOLUTE POWER #1, I’m not the right person to provide a fair review on this (short) story. Zdarsky provides a little anecdote about Joe Chill and the company providing the gun he used, but it also felt a little too “not Bruce”, if you know what I mean. Hawthorne’s art looked good, but maybe lessened its impact following the previous pages of Cowan and Jimenez.
Overall, this was a great issue that I recommend Batman fans check out. You don’t need to know anything that’s happened before in this title and will get what you want out of it (or at least two-thirds of it).
DC! More of this for Batman, and BATMAN. – Ryan Lower
