Absolute Batman #15 is the Chilling Joker Story You’ve Been Waiting For (Review)

We’ve spent months wondering, and now the truth about Batman’s nemesis in the Absolute Universe is finally out. It seems only like yesterday that DC Comics gave us our first look at the Absolute Joker, and everyone was positively floored at his design. Sure, we’d all seen peeks at the suave, yet shadowy billionaire Joker is in this world. But it’s been obvious for some time that a dark secret is lurking underneath. Now he’s taking the spotlight, and fans are getting a better idea of who this twisted, new Joker really is.

In the Absolute Universe, the Joker is one of the 30 richest people in the world. MI6 agent Alfred Pennyworth was tasked with tracking him before getting waylaid by the Party Animals’ attack on Gotham and Absolute Batman’s response. However, the Joker has been around since the beginning, secretly behind every major antagonist so far. But who is this man, and what’s his endgame? Thankfully, Absolute Batman isn’t stalling any longer and giving fans all the answers they can handle in a thrilling new chapter that’s taking the series in an exciting, dangerous direction.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

The Joker Shines in Terrifying Standalone Chapter

Absolute Batman #15 reunites Scott Snyder with his old collaborator Jock, and the result is about as amazing as you’d expect. The setup of this story is pretty simple: Absolute Batman and Alfred Pennyworth are finally sitting down to discuss the powerful man behind villains like Black Mask and Bane. Meanwhile, Jack Grimm V (the supposed true name of Absolute Joker), has headed out to one of his many private islands for a getaway to clear his head after Bane’s recent loss against Batman.

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Alfred gives Bruce the lowdown on the Grimms and how they made their fortune in various forms of entertainment, from theater to films and video games. But as is usually the case with the Joker, nothing is as it seems. The Grimms’ story is retold, revealing that their real money came from exploitation, profiteering, and cons. But the biggest bomb is saved for last, when Alfred reveals that a trail of bodies and suspicious circumstances has led him to conclude that there is no Grimm family. Just one Joker who’s been laughing at the world for over a century.

But Alfred doesn’t know the half of it. While Alfred tells all of this to Bruce, Joker hunts down one of his victims on a private island, revealing that underneath the slick, handsome billionaire visage is a demonic, 15-foot-tall monster. The beast sates his hunger by killing and eating a victim before returning to his home in Gotham (a manor, of course). The Joker is already hard at work on his next plan to take down Batman and retires to the most secret part of his home: A cave hidden underneath his manor.

Absolute Batman #15 Hits All the Major Points to Tell a Damn Good Joker Story

I can’t say I’m surprised by how great this chapter was. Snyder has a huge affinity for the Joker, and this issue makes it clear Snyder has been putting a lot of thought into the history, mythology, and symbolism of the Absolute Joker. And as much as I wished the series’ main artist, Nick Dragotta, was here for this terrifying debut, Jock seriously knocks this out of the park. From the flashback collages of the murky Grimm history to the Joker’s unsettling transformation, there’s little about this book that doesn’t work.

This story does a great job of giving us more information about the Absolute Joker, yet leaving much of him a complete mystery. Is he a demon playing a cruel joke on the world by playing all sides in the name of profit? Is he a man with a monster inside, working hard to transform the rest of the world into something like him? This book gave us a lot, but only enough to keep us guessing, which is exactly what you should do when telling a Joker story.

Absolute Batman #15 is an amazing character study of the Joker. Not just the Absolute Joker, but the Joker himself. Everything fans love about the Joker is here, from his murky background to his demented sense of humor, all pointing to one universal truth about the character: Everything he does is for a laugh. Whether he’s a costumed criminal parading around in the mainline DC Universe or amassing untold wealth while the world goes to hell, it doesn’t matter as long as the Joker gets his sick kicks.

I don’t know what’s up next for Absolute Batman, but this book feels like an amazing turning point for both the series and the Absolute Universe as a whole. How deep does the Joker’s rot go in this world? What else in this iteration of the DCU is a part of his demented joke? This issue did an amazing job of answering many of my questions while sparking many more. Needless to say, this book is absolutely a must-read if you’re an Absolute Batman fan who is heavily invested in the entire Absolute Universe line.

What are your thoughts on Absolute Batman #15? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!