In the eighty-five years since his creation,Batmanhas maintained a status quo that’s become synonymous with his character. He fights crime as a masked vigilante by night, and by day he charms socialites as Bruce Wayne. Now, with the imminent birth of the Absolute Universe, Bruce Wayne’s status quo is getting a huge overhaul, and I’m convinced that this refreshing new take is just what Batman needs to shake up his classic lore.
Screen Rant recently had the pleasure of chatting withScott Snyder and Nick DragottaaboutAbsolute Batman, their upcoming series that will kick off DC’s Absolute Universe. After writing numerous iconic Batman stories over the years,Snyder has teamed up with Dragotta to revamp the Dark Knight for a new generation of readers,complete with an updated origin and an eye-catching - yet somewhat controversial -symbol for this Absolute Batman.
ABSOLUTE BATMAN #1 (2024)
October 9th, 2024
Variant Covers:
Wes Craig, Jim Lee, Mitch Gerads, Ian Bertram
BATMAN LEGEND SCOTT SNYDER AND ICONIC ARTIST NICK DRAGOTTA TRANSFORM THE DARK KNIGHT’S TALE FOR THE MODERN AGE! Without the mansion… without the money… without the butler… what’s left is the Absolute Dark Knight!
In his and Snyder’s interview with Screen Rant, Dragotta teases that the Absolute Universe’s version of Batman subverts the original in a major way that changes a fundamental aspect of his lore:
He doesn’t have to have a secret identity, really, because he’s a nobody in our book. No one’s going to be looking for this guy. But the way he carries himself, I think it’s so believable when you see our Bruce. He’s not the flamboyant playboy at all, and he looks like he would just fit right in and live among us.
With these insights in mind, I firmly believe thatthis more grounded take on Bruce Wayne isa perfect reinvention of his civilian identity, setting the stage for a Batman unlike any other.
Bruce Wayne Is Losing His Playboy Persona
Absolute Batman Abandons a Staple of the Character
The Absolute Universe’sBatman lacking a secret identityis a fascinating change from the original. Rather than the usual story beat of Bruce turning on the rich playboy act to ward people off his trail,this version doesn’t need to create such a firm divide between Bruce Wayne and Batman in the public eye- because he isn’t in the public eye as Bruce at all.He can therefore stay in “Batman mode” full-time without putting on a facade. This new status quo will likely stave offBatman’s usual identity crises, though it may introduce new dilemmas as well.
Absolute Batman: Bruce Wayne’s Official Size, Secret Identity, and Family Revealed
The shocking design for DC’s new Absolute Batman gets even more detail, revealing this Bruce Wayne’s official height, weight… and French Bulldog.
Without a secret identity,Absolute Batman is merely an ordinary man who can embody the Caped Crusader day and night, and I’m intrigued by the unique challenges this direction offers. For example, inBatman / Superman: World’s Finest#20 by Mark Waid and Dan Mora, Bruce reveals that he leveraged his influential status in order totake in Dick Grayson as his ward. However, this advantage doesn’t exist for a working-class nobody. If Batman wants to adopt aRobin in the Absolute Universe, he will face hurdles that an affluent Bruce Wayne didn’t, as he will in everything he does.
Absolute Batman Being a Nobody Is His Greatest Asset
This Isn’t the Bruce Wayne Readers Recognize
Batman being a regular worker in his civilian life, despite its difficulties, also grants him a street-level perspective that Bruce Wayne doesn’t usually have.Every dynamic will be recontextualized now that Bruce can’t pose as a playboy who’s above it all, from his interactions with Gotham’s villains to hisrelationship with Catwoman. Since he doesn’t have billions of dollars to fall back on, this version of Bruce can relate to their struggles to get by, which could lead to him empathizing with them in ways he can’t within DC’s main continuity.
Instead of hiding his true self beneath layers of contingency plans, Batman can integrate his lived experiences and values into his vigilante side.
I couldn’t be more excited about this subversive reimagining of Batman, as a longtime fan who’s been craving something new. Instead of hiding his true self beneath layers of contingency plans, Batman can integrate his lived experiences and values into his vigilante side. Absolute Batman has the opportunity to bea champion for the working class by making his identity a synthesis of the man and the mask. This massive change to his lore promises a Bruce Wayne who’s a far cry from the one we know, and I can’t wait to see how AbsoluteBatman’s background shapes him.
Absolute Batman#1is available October 9th, 2024 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.
