SYNOPSIS: Batman was born out of violence — a horrible tragedy that shaped the trajectory of his future. But when a vigilant MI6 agent starts tracking the lonely life of Bruce Wayne, he discovers the interconnectivity between a hero’s shell life and the many layers of the Black Mask Gang. It’s Batman versus Alfred Pennyworth!
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the inaugural issue of ABSOLUTE BATMAN and after reading issue #2, I’m still liking it and I’m still on board. (I am NOT on board BATMAN: GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT: THE KRYPTONIAN AGE any longer. Couldn’t read another issue of what is essentially a DCU/Justice League story. So no more monthly reviews from me!) Anyway…
In this issue, we get to know this version of both Bruce Wayne and Batman better. Batman is still taking on the Party Animals and continues kicking their ass. Alfred Pennyworth’s mission in Gotham is still underway and he’s helping Batman the best he can without alerting the people he’s working for — they have no use for Batman.
On the Bruce Wayne front, there’s a flashback scene at the beginning and end in which we discover a bit more about the murder of his father during the former, and in the latter, we discover he was childhood friends with Selina Kyle. More to come on both, I’m sure. Additionally, it appears that Bruce’s parents were good friends with Jim Gordon’s family back in the day. Martha visits Gordon in the hospital and it’s obvious she knows Barbara Gordon quite well too. Looks as if the families remained close after the death of Thomas. More to come on that as well.
After putting off his friend Waylon Jones’ invitation to attend their group of friends’ weekly poker games, Bruce unexpectedly shows up…or should I say Batman shows up in the guise of Bruce Wayne. Why now? Because he has a skull mask of one of the Party Animals and sees that it’s more than just a mask — it’s full of some sort of high-end technology. Bruce’s friends — Ozzie, Eddie, and Harvey — appear to be a bit shady. Thus, he’s feeling them out to see what they know about the mask — specifically Eddie who is some sort of tech expert — as well as what’s happening on the streets with the Party Animals.
The issue ends with a confrontation between Batman — who finds himself in a very tight spot which reminded me a bit of a scene in BATMAN: YEAR ONE where Batman is trapped — and Alfred who makes Bruce an offer. Oh yeah, we finally get a look at this Batman’s Batmobile — which is a cross between The Tumbler from THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY and the Bat-Tank from THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS.
My only quibble is that writer Scott Snyder went a bit overboard with some not-so-subtle winks/nods regarding Bruce’s friends during the poker game. Yeah, we know who Eddie, Ozzie, and Harvey are — and what they could end up being down the line — but Harvey saying things like, “I’ll raise you TWO HUNDRED” and “Here’s my TWO CENTS” was annoying. And it’s not just the Harvey character, all of them have overt references to their Batman villain counterparts.
Overall, another enjoyable issue with enough action and intrigue which makes me look forward to what happens next. – Bill “Jett” Ramey
