Absolute Batman Has Anime Fans Thinking Akira With Its Grotesque New Issue

Absolute Batman has been thought of recently as one of the biggest comic books printed by DC Comics in recent memory, in more ways than one. In the latest issue, issue fourteen, the larger-than-life take on Bruce Wayne finds himself fighting against an even more massive Bane. Based on various factors, many anime fans noticed that what might be the final confrontation between the Joker’s underling and the Dark Knight has more than a little in common with an anime classic. While perhaps not on purpose, writer Scott Snyder and artist Nick Dragotta created a fight ripped straight from Akira.

Warning. If you haven’t read Absolute Batman Issue Fourteen, be forewarned that we’ll be touching on spoiler territory. To start, the obvious connection between the anime movie Akira and the hard-hitting DC comic is that sheer mass of Bane. The villain’s body grows to the size of a literal giant, but much like in the anime classic, his growth grows out of control, akin to Tetsuo Shima’s expansion. One of the aces up the Dark Knight’s sleeve was to use the muscle-strengthening drug known as “Venom,” which many believed he would use on himself. Instead, Batman decides to turn the tables by injecting his foe with even more Venom.

Throughout the latest issue, the Dark Knight and Alfred debate about whether Bane has an upper limit when it comes to the amount of strength the villain can gain from Venom. During the battle, Bane becomes so large that he looks more like a giant than the typical DC villain that we’ve come to know. However, once Bruce injects even more Venom into the titan’s back, Bane finds himself unable to control his growth, and his body pays the price. In a scene that is wildly reminiscent of the anime classic Akira, Bane is defeated as his body is unable to handle the levels of Venom that are running through his veins. The luchador-looking antagonist might be defeated, but the Joker still waits on the sidelines.

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The cherry on top for the Akira comparison is that Absolute Batman’s grand Bane finale takes place in a sports arena, which was the same locale for the anime film’s climax. Luckily, unlike Akira, the fight against Bane does not take a large portion of Gotham City with it. In a shocking twist, despite his entire body being nearly blown to bits, Bane survives the encounter, though what remains is scooped up by the Joker’s men. In a horrifying twist, to help “liberate” Bane, Joker drops bombs on the Venom-infused villain’s island and destroys the rebel group, Cielos Libres, who held a special place in Bane’s heart. With Bane currently little more than a set of eyes and a brain, it might be some time before we see the Absolute villain make a comeback.

What do you think of this wild Bane/Akira fusion? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!