The Best Thing About Absolute Batman Is The One Thing No One Talks About

When it comes some of the best newer comics out there, DC’s Absolute Batman sits pretty near the top of the list. From the creative team of Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta, the ongoing series takes readers into a very different version of the DC Universe, specifically the Absolute Universe, a world shaped by Darkseid’s essence that sees wildly different versions of beloved heroes. Absolute Batman in particular comes from a more corrupt, darker Gotham and, while still maintaining core elements of what makes Bruce Wayne Batman, this version comes from a blue-collar background — and his friends and allies look very different as well.

But while Absolute Batman has done some fascinating things and revitalized the idea of Batman in major ways, there’s one element of the Absolute Batman story that is particularly interesting. While Absolute Batman maintains that tragedy is at the core of Bruce Wayne’s journey to hero, he’s given one huge gift. Martha Wayne is alive and well in the Absolute Universe — and it might be the best thing about the story that no one is talking about.

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Martha Wayne Lives, Finally Making Her More Than a Victim

One of the hallmarks of Batman lore is that it’s the murders of his parents when Bruce is just a child that puts him on the path to becoming a costumed vigilante hero. Another important element of the story as fans know it is that while his father, Thomas Wayne, is an important figure, it’s his mother that is often shown to be a major influence. Martha is generally portrayed as being focused on her charity and philanthropic work that focused on the poorest of Gotham’s citizens and it’s her community-minded nature that is frequently presented as having significant influence on Batman, though her role is deeply tied to her death rather than what she accomplished in life.

In the Absolute Universe, however, Martha Wayne is alive. There is still death in young Bruce Wayne’s story — his father, Thomas, is killed when Bruce a child during a school field trip to the zoo — but now Bruce grows up with his mother an active and guiding force in his life. It doesn’t necessarily change the impact of Bruce’s trauma, but it does give another layer to the story. For Bruce, the stakes are now higher. He is no longer alone in Gotham and has his mother to think about as he continues his crusade. That’s a big shift.

But perhaps the best part of this is that Martha being alive allows for a real exploration of her character that we’ve never gotten before — and we’ve already seen a bit of that. In the Absolute Universe, Martha continues to be a community-minded person. She’s a social worker who also work closely with Mayor Jim Gordon. This shift puts Martha in a much more central position and sets the stage for her to eventually become Batman’s greatest ally, filling a role that usually belongs to Alfred in the main continuity. The idea of Martha finally having a major role in the story rather than her character largely being defined by the crime committed against her is a massive shift and truly allows for bigger stories and, potentially, even more nuance to Absolute Batman’s journey as things continue. After all, this is a hero who has a guiding force who shares his grief and tragedy. We all love Alfred and the role he plays in the main universe, but there’s just something to be said about the parent-child bond — and the experience they share with the loss of Thomas Wayne.

Martha Wayne’s Presence Significantly Ups the Stakes

The best thing about Martha being alive in the Absolute Universe, however, is that it significantly ups the stakes. Given that Martha is involved in various aspects of political reform and social issues in Gotham City and has a role in the mayor’s office (at least until Gordon is defeated in the election), she’s a much higher-profile figure than Bruce’s close allies typically are in the main universe. This position puts a target on her back — something we’ve already seen in the very first story arc, “The Zoo”, where she is generally caught up in the Party Animals’ efforts to assassinate the mayor. As Absolute Batman continues, we’re very likely to see Martha put in more dangerous situations which will make things even more personal for Batman.

This makes Batman’s crusade in the Absolute Universe have the potential to be much more personal and could lead to some truly great stories that dig into sides of both Batman and Bruce Wayne comics have never really gotten to explore before because Martha has always been a figure of the past, not the present. It’s fresh and it’s different and it will be exciting to see unfold.

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