DC Kills an Iconic Batman Hero (& Makes Absolute Batman the Villain)

As if things already weren’t bad enough for Batman, one of his closest allies is dead, and Bruce Wayne is taking the heat! Absolute Batman has chronicled the Dark Knight’s reimagining for well over a year and a half now. And in that time, he’s faced some pretty difficult obstacles. From dealing with the destructive force of Black Mask and his Party Animals to Ark M and its twisted experiments, the hits just keep on coming. Thankfully, Bruce has stayed alive through it all, though he’s starting to realize his crusade does come at a high price.

Ever since Batman defeated Bane, Bruce has done some serious reflection. He’s come to realize that being Batman is starting to hurt those closest to him (especially his friends, all of whom were changed after being attacked by Bane). While stopping Poison Ivy from mutating Gotham, Bruce made the decision to cut out his loved ones and go all in as Batman as a way of protecting himself and the people he cared about. Unfortunately, an unexpected death proves that it’s not always that simple.

Absolute Batman Kills Off Jim Gordon (And Batman is Taking the Blame)

In Absolute Batman #19 by Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta, Frank Martin, and Tom Napolitano, it’s been weeks since Bruce’s fight with Bane. The public still loves Batman and his defiance of Gotham’s power structure. The city, however, is determined to bring Bruce in no matter what. But with Alfred and Harley Quinn’s assistance (as well as the assistance of the Red Hood gang), they’ve streamlined their operation and are doing a great job at staying one step ahead. However, unbeknownst to them, the Absolute Joker is also making plans.

Batman meets with Jim Gordon to discuss a sensitive case of files about Bruce. However, Gordon is acting incredibly erratically and paranoid. He even tries burning the files before Bruce can read them, though Batman is able to salvage some of their contents. But Gordon continues to act strangely, running from crows that he sees, eventually falling off the building where Gordon and Bruce were meeting. Batman attempts to save him, but fails. Worse, Batman is spotted on top of the building, and everyone begins to assume that Batman killed Gordon.

It isn’t long before Mayor Hamilton Hill uses this rumor to vilify Batman, condemning him in an official address to the city. But Hill’s address isn’t just to accuse Batman of murder; it’s to introduce Jack Grimm IV’s (the Absolute Joker) ally Slade Wilson, who is heading up a new initiative known as the Robin Program. The Robin Program is a new peacekeeping team funded by the Joker, staffed by young men and women from shelters that Grimm sponsored. Per Wilson, the Robin Program is designed ot supply Gotham with trustworthy heroes and remove problematic elements (namely Batman).

Gordon’s Death is a Major Turning Point for Absolute Batman

With Scarecrow making his debut in this issue, I was hoping that Gordon’s death was simply Bruce being dosed with Fear Toxin. But between Barbara reacting to the news and Gordon’s death being used to introduce the Robin Program, it’s safe to say that this is no vision. Scarecrow was definitely behind Gordon’s strange behavior, as Crane was shown witnessing the event from a distance. But that was less about Gordon and more about Scarecrow doing what he needed to destroy Batman’s credibility in front of the people of Gotham.

Scarecrow is one of the many sinister beings in the Absolute Joker’s employ, and Joker has made it clear in his last few appearances that he wants Batman out of the picture. But obviously, getting rid of Batman requires a more unique approach. Joker dropped a nuke on Batman in the form of Bane, yet Bruce was able to defeat him in front of the entire city. So instead of killing Batman, Joker is killing Batman’s credibility, allowing Joker to replace Batman with a team of heroes he controls.

I don’t know if that gambit will pay off, but let’s be real, Joker just hit Batman with a real one-two punch. Bruce is already in a fragile state, believing that being Batman is causing people in his orbit to suffer. Losing Gordon like this only reinforces that mentality. And on top of it, the entire city now thinks Batman is a murderer. As much as Batman claims he doesn’t need the public’s support, it’s going to be a lot harder trying to fight Gotham’s greatest threat when Bruce is public enemy number one.

What do you think about Gordon’s death and its impact on Absolute Batman? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!

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