DC’s Absolute Lineup is Great, But Batman is Way Overhyped

Absolute DC has given DC Comics the most consistent success it had in ages. Marvel was solidly in control of the top ten sales charts, with Batman usually being the main hold out. Sometimes, DC event books would reach the top sales charts, but for the most part DC was a distant second to the House of Ideas. Absolute DC has drawn in fans, giving readers six of the best superhero titles being published today — Absolute Batman, Absolute Superman, Absolute Wonder Woman, Absolute Martian Manhunter, Absolute Flash, and Absolute Green Lantern — with Absolute Green Arrow on the way. Each of the Absolute books have gotten a lot of praise from fans and critics alike, and they’ve lived up to the hype. Well, almost all of them have lived up to the hype.

DC’s Absolute titles are in a class all their own, but one of them gets more attention than it deserves — Absolute Batman. DC overhyping Batman is nothing new, but it feels especially egregious with Absolute Batman. The heroes are Absolute DC are unique takes on the greatest superheroes in comics, taking core elements of the characters but changing a lot of the particulars. However, Absolute Batman honestly doesn’t feel all that different, despite being one of the best Batman titles in a bit. It’s a great title, but it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be.

Absolute Batman Can’t Compare to the Other Absolute Titles

Now, there’s definitely some good reasons for Absolute Batman to have a lot of hype behind it. First off, it’s written by Scott Snyder, the architect of Batman (Vol. 2), which is generally considered to be the best of the New 52 titles. Snyder is a Batman master, and he’s honestly doing some of his best Batman work of all time. Artist Nick Dragotta is another feather in the book’s cap. Known for his work on Jonathan Hickman’s East of West, Dragotta’s art is gorgeous, capturing the book’s hard-hitting action and bringing the extreme new versions of Batman’s supporting cast to life. The book’s versions of characters like Black Mask, Killer Croc, Mister Freeze, Bane, and the Joker are similar yet chillingly different (especially in Mister Freeze’s case). The Batman of the Absolute Earth is also one of the most brutal versions of the character, willing to bring astounding levels of violence into play to save Gotham. His life is quite different from the mainline Batman —Martha Wayne is still alive, the Waynes aren’t wealthy, and Batman grew up with Two-Face, Penguin, Catwoman, and Killer Croc. Alfred is around, but instead of being the Waynes’ butler, he’s a black ops operative working with Batman, which is basically what mainline Alfred would have been doing if the Waynes hadn’t needed him to replace his father.

However, if I’m being honest, those are all surface changes. In the end, Absolute Batman is still basically a Batman title. A well-written, beautifully drawn Batman book (even the fill-in issues have amazing artists like Gabriel Hernandez Walta and Marcos Martin), but a Batman book nonetheless. Compare that to Absolute Wonder Woman, a perfect blend of superhero action and mythological madness that rivals the best Wonder Woman story of the 21st century, Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons, for sheer craft. Absolute Superman feels nothing like any Superman book since Morrison’s Action Comics, with Superman fighting against the one enemy he can’t punch out — capitalism. Absolute Green Lantern is building a cosmic horror narrative that is entrancing, Absolute Flash is the teen book that keeps revealing more and more interesting elements, and Absolute Martian Manhunter is the best comic on the stands, telling a Martian Manhunter story that is completely unlike anything that has come before. Each of these books have a major difference between themselves and the mainline books, whereas Absolute Batman is just a Batman comic. It’s like any other alternate universe/Elseworlds Batman tale. There’s nothing wrong with any of that, but comparing it to the other Absolute books puts it at a huge disadvantage.

Absolute Batman Benefits From the Batman Rub

Let’s be real for a second — Absolute Batman gets so much attention because it’s a Batman title. While DC isn’t going as hard with Batman as they have earlier in the 2020s —Batman titles made up the majority of titles during 2021’s Infinite Frontier publishing initiative — Batman is still DC’s most popular character. DC loves to put Batman front and center because Batman sells comics. If Batman’s in a book, comic stores order more of it than other books. That’s just how it goes.

Absolute Batman is a great book, but it’s not on another level like Absolute Martian Manhunter or Absolute Wonder Woman. It’s not a bold reimagining of a character and their mythos like Absolute Superman or Absolute Green Lantern. It’s not a new take on a character fans love like Wally West in Absolute Flash. It’s just a Batman comic. That’s it.

What do you think of Absolute Batman? Sound off in the comments below.

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