Sorry DC, It’s Not the Robins That Are the Problem With Batman (It’s The Dark Knight Himself)

Batman is perhaps the most talked-about and debated hero in the DC Universe, and for good reason. A comic book or movie with Batman’s name on it is like printing money. There are a lot of contributing factors that make Batman appealing — there’s the cool costume, iconic villains, uncanny ability to always find a way to win and outsmart his opponent, and of course, his stable of Robin sidekicks. Everyone has their favorite Robin in the Batman mythos, which opens up a whole new can of worms when it comes to criticism. As popular as Batman is, that doesn’t mean he’s not without his flaws, but Robins shouldn’t factor into that criticism.

There’s always been an oversaturation problem when it comes to Batman. You could even say the Shadow of the Bat is all-encompassing. It’s all a bit much, and the Batman content is constant. We get it, Batman’s brooding, Batman is the smartest person in the room, his mere presence has created a revolving door of psychological villains, and he doesn’t work well in teams, yet is always a member of the Justice League or leading the Bat-Family into battle. When you stop and think about the worst aspects of Batman comics, the man in the mask has to be the #1 reason, right?

There Are Way Too Many Batman Books

It may be hard to believe, but an astounding 11 comic books are releasing in August that feature Batman front and center. This doesn’t even include books like Justice League Unlimited, where Batman is a prime member of its cast. To count them all out, we have Batman #163, the conclusion to Part One of its H2SH story; Absolute Batman #11; Immortal Legend Batman #1; Detective Comics #1100; Batman and Robin #24; Batman/Superman World’s Finest #42; Batman & Robin: Jason Todd #3; Batman & Robin: Year One #10; Batman: Dark Patterns #9; Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween #9; and Batman: Gotham By Gaslight – A League for Justice #2.

DC’s philosophy must be that there’s a Batman comic of every flavor, kind of like picking your favorite flavor of ice cream. If Detective Comics doesn’t scratch your itch for the Dark Knight, there’s always Batman/Superman World’s Finest or Absolute Batman. This is a case of too much of something actually turning out to be a bad thing. Batman has proven that he can carry the load and burden that comes with anchoring his own franchise, but there’s an argument that other underrepresented characters are then deprived of a chance in the spotlight.

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There’s also the worry that Batman will remain consistent across each title he appears in. If he’s on bad terms with someone like Red Hood, it’s then inconvenient and odd to see him fighting alongside Red Hood in another comic. The whole editorial team has to work together to make sure they’re not using the same villains or telling the same type of stories. At what point does it become too much?

Absolute Batman Is the New Hotness

There may be one too many Batman comics on bookshelves, but if we were removing any of them, it would not be Absolute Batman. What Absolute Batman has going for it is a clean slate, since it takes place in DC’s Absolute Universe. The Absolute line began with titles for the DC Trinity of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, giving readers a fresh jumping-on point to see updated takes on these heroes’ origin stories. Longtime Batman writer Scott Snyder collaborates with artist Nick Dragotta on Absolute Batman.

The entire line of Absolute Comics is nominated for Eisner Awards in categories such as Best New Series, Best Writer, and Best Cover Artist, proving the strength of the imprint. Absolute Batman takes the best aspects of the Dark Knight and presents them through a fresh lens, which can get lost in the weeds in the main DC Universe when you factor in all of the villains, sidekicks, and teams Batman is a part of.

In fact, Batman being a screw up is what’s appealing about Absolute Batman. He’s not afraid to punt a kid if they get in his way, or resort to other violent methods to achieve his goals. Aside from H2SH, readers are rushing to Absolute Batman for their Dark Knight fix. He’s the new kid on the block, and the Absolute Universe is easier to jump into at this point in time. The Caped Crusader is a troubled kid, and the biggest evidence of this is in Absolute Batman.

Things will really get put to the test when Batman crosses over with Marvel’s Deadpool later in the year. It’s no coincidence that the first crossover between DC and Marvel happens to feature Batman at the forefront. Will the story contain something fans haven’t already seen or read before, but with a different coat of paint on it? I’m eager to find out.