SYNOPSIS: Bruce Wayne is on a desperate hunt to help his friend Waylon, now transformed into a monstrous crocodile roaming the sewers, consumed with a deadly hunger. Batman’s last option for a cure is to turn to a god for help… but will he have to descend into the depths of hell to get it?
ABSOLUTE BATMAN #16 by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta — is a masterclass in pushing the Absolute Universe forward while keeping things for Bruce very personal. (Remember, all his friends are monsters and all!)
For the most part, ABSOLUTE BATMAN has been, well, relatively grounded. Sure, Bruce Wayne’s best friends have all been turned into literal monsters, but it worked in context to the story and the world of ABSOLUTE BATMAN. However, this issue is part 2 of the ABSOLUTE BATMAN/ABSOLUTE WONDER WOMAN crossover, and it admittedly takes me out of my Batman comfort zone (Batman teaming up with superpowered beings). I have not been reading the latter, so I had to go back and read it, and then re-read AB #16 again to get caught up with what’s going on. Which is…
Batman is on a desperate hunt to save his friend Waylon Jones, who’s gone full-on monstrous crocodile (he’s literally become his boxing nickname) in the Gotham sewers. The stakes are high, and Bruce is forced to turn to a “god” (Diana) for help. While I probably could’ve done without Bruce going to literal hell with Wonder Woman, it works because it shows just how desperate Batman has become.
Snyder introduces the Absolute Lucius Fox. And (LIGHT SPOILER!) he’s actually Bruce’s boss — a flip on the status quo. Plus, there’s a great scene where Bruce visits his (monster) friends at the hospital.
Nick Dragotta continues to nail it with the art absolutely. Yes, there are some cool action scenes, but he is also able to convey a lot with calm and essentially no dialogue from writer Scott Snyder. I’ve been trying to come up with a way to describe it; it’s kinda like a combo of BATMAN: YEAR ONE and BATMAN: YEAR 100…ish.
ABSOLUTE BATMAN #16 is another strong chapter in a run that knows exactly what it wants to be. It’s well‑written and drawn by people who clearly love Batman. I have said it before and I’ll say it again when it comes to this title: Yes, it’s different…but at the core it’s as “Batman” as you can get. – Bill “Jett” Ramey
