Warning: Spoilers for Absolute Batman #1Batmanhas always had a complicated relationship with his villains. Some of them, like the Joker, are his complete antithesis, while others are just damaged people who lash out and need understanding. But the Absolute Universe has reinvented his relationships by turning his traditional villains into his core friends, which completely changes the dynamic that Batman will have with his iconic villains in this new universe.
ThestunningAbsolute Batman#1by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta introducesthe new history between Batmanand his rogues.This version of Bruce Wayne is very different from the one fans know and love. This version of Bruce Wayne doesn’t have the amazing wealth of Wayne Enterprises; instead, Bruce grew up the child of a teacher, which completely changes his relationship with Gotham.
But it’s not just his relationship with Gotham that has changed. Thanks to Bruce’s new working class background, he spent his youth growing up on the streets of Gotham proper instead of the affluent suburbs. In his childhood, hebecame close with several characters who may just prove to be his biggest enemies- which would be a heartbreaking turn, considering the new personal history betweenBatman and these iconic characters.
Batman Only Knew His Villains as Criminals in the DC Universe
Absolute Batman#1 by Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta, Frank Martin, and Clayton Cowles
In the central DC Universe, Bruce Wayne was born into one of the most influential and affluent familiesin the city, if not the DC Universe. He grew up in a mansion with a butler who waited on him, and he never wanted for anything. It was an extremely privileged life, and so Bruce really didn’t have to interact with anyone who wasn’t of the same social class as him. Characters like Waylon Jones, Selina Kyle, Edward Nygma, and even Oswald Cobblepot were in completely different social circles due to their place in society.
But for most of Batman’s core villains, he didn’t meet them until well after they’d become criminals.
While Prime Earth Bruce did meet some people who would later become villains during his childhood, such as Roman Sionis and Harvey Dent, these were just one-off meetings. He never became friends with Roman, and while he was once friends with Harvey, it was under special circumstances and their friendship didn’t last. Bruce didn’t meet most of his core villains until well after they became criminals, meaning thatBruce has no real personal attachment to them.But the same isn’t true for the Absolute Universe version ofBatman, who grew up on the exact same streets as some of these fan-favorite rogues.
These Iconic Gotham Villains Are Some of Absolute Batman’s Best Friends
Where Bruce Grew Up Changed Everything
In the Absolute Universe, since Batman grew up on the streets,he is well acquainted with characters like Waylon Jones, Oswald Cobblepot, Selina Kyle, and Edward Nygma. Bruce even regularly trains with Waylon at his gym and seems to be good friends with him. Waylon also mentions that they used to hang out more regularly with the others. At this point in the story, it seems that these characters haven’t become the villains that readers know them as. For example, Waylon is nothing more than a big gym owner with a fondness for crocodiles, far from the scaled beast in the DC Universe.
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It’s unknown if the friends Bruce has made will eventually transform into villains, but it’s certainly possible.Bruce seems to be aware that “Ozzie” is dealing drugsand is likely going to run afoul of the police eventually. While Waylon certainly seems to be on the straight and narrow, his willingness to overlook Ozzie’s illegal money-making ventures doesn’t bode well for either of them remaining civilians and not falling into crime like their DCU counterparts.
Batman’s Villains Are His Main Support Network in the Absolute Universe
They’re The Only Friends He Has
It’s very possible that Bruce’s long-time friends may not stay friends with him. With Gotham and the Absolute Universe itself more corrupt than ever, it’s extremelylikely that Bruce’s old gang of friends will become supervillains eventually, likely sooner rather than later. While this would be a heartbreaking turn for Batman, it’s nothing he hasn’t dealt with. After all, Bruce was already good friends with Harvey in the DC Universe before he became Two-Face, and that relationship is onlydeeper in the Absolute Universeversion.
Looking for more Two-Face? You’re in luck; Harvey Dent is starring in his first solo series in the main DC Universe as part of DC All In. Check outTwo-Face#1 by Christian Ward and Fabio Veras, available December 4th, 2024 from DC Comics.
In this world, Batman has very little experience and training compared to his DCU counterpart. This version of Bruce Wayne never got to travel the world and learn from the best of the best to be Batman. All he has are the skills that he’s managed to learn at home. While this might make the idea of being Batman impossible, it’s alsopossible that he might have learned some valuable talents from his friends. For example, Selina Kyle is often portrayed as a thief, and while she may not be the world-renowned cat burglar that she is in the DCU, she’s still likely capable of teaching Bruce how to pick a lock.
How Will Absolute Batman’s Morals Bend with His New Friends?
His Core Villain Group Were His Childhood Friends
The comic strongly implies that Oswald has been getting into the drug trade as well, a fact that Bruce seems very aware of. In a world without his Matches Malone personality,Oswald could provide Bruce with information on up-and-coming criminalsand other dealers that Bruce wants to take care of. This kind of dealing wouldn’t be the first time thatBatman and Penguin have worked together as partners.Oswald’s drug dealing might not be a major problem either, as Batman has been far more lenient on his criminal friends in the past, such as Ghost-Maker and Catwoman.
Absolute Batmanis only the beginning of DC’s brand-new Absolute Universe. For more radically-different takes on beloved DC superheroes, check outAbsolute Wonder Womanby Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman andAbsolute Supermanby Jason Aaron and Rafa Sandoval.
Batman has always had a complicated relationship with his villains. These characters have pushed Batman to his limits over the years and forced him to evolve as a crime-fighter. But in the Absolute Universe, his connection to them runs much deeper. While Batman has always wanted to save his villains, he hasn’t really known the majority of them on a personal level. That’s not the case in this universe, where Batman’s potential villains are people he’s known his entire life. Taking down the Riddler or the Penguin is going to be a lot harder when they’re not just random villains trying to destroy the city: they’reBatman’sfriends.
Absolute Batman#1is available now from DC Comics!
Batman
One of DC’s most iconic heroes, Batman is the vigilante superhero persona of billionaire Bruce Wayne. Forged by tragedy with the death of his parents, Bruce dedicated his life to becoming the world’s leading martial artist, detective, and tactician. Recruiting an entire family of allies and sidekicks, Bruce wages war on evil as the dark knight of his hometown, Gotham City.
