We’ve reached the penultimate issue of ABSOLUTE BATMAN‘s first story arc — “The Zoo” — with issue #5. And while this title is still very new, it’s already arguably the best Batman monthly title DC has going.
After the previous issue, which was essentially “Absolute Batman: Year One,” we return to the present timeline, where Batman has accepted Black Mask’s offer to make him a multimillionaire; otherwise known as buying Batman off.
Here’s where writer Scott Snyder has the opportunity to “fix” the Absolute version of Batman by making Bruce Wayne rich. I’m sure many people reading this title (it was the best-selling comic book of 2024, so a lot of folks are reading it) would like it if Snyder had taken the easy way out and had Batman take the money. But that would be too damn easy…and lazy. See, being rich doesn’t define Batman. Being Batman doing Batman things for the good of Gotham is more important than Bruce Wayne’s bank account, and that is one of the best things about ABSOLUTE BATMAN.
So yeah, Batman doesn’t go through with the deal…but he does take the money. And what he does with it not only honors his late father but foreshadows the debut of a major part of the Batman mythos. “It’s not about money, it’s about sending a message.”
After being double-crossed, Black Mask sics his Party Animals on Batman leading to a fight for the ages. And while Batman believes that he got one over on Black Mask, he quickly learns just how out of his depth he is…for now.
ABSOLUTE BATMAN #5 is another big-time win for Scott Snyder and company who have given us a Batman title that was much needed in the current Bat-Comic landscape where mediocre to bad exceedingly outweighs the good to great. As we head into the finale of this inaugural story arc, we have a Batman who is battered and seemingly beaten…physically and mentally. But one thing we’ve learned is that you can never count this Batman out. – Bill “Jett” Ramey
