The Absolute Universe is DC’s biggest, most wild success in years. It completely reimagines classic heroes and villains, breathing new life into old ideas by exemplifying everything that makes these characters great. Absolute Batman is the premier example. It kick-started the universe by throwing fans right into a new version of one of comic books’ most legendary characters. The normal Batman is a rich philanthropist who spends his nights defeating the criminal element to restore order to his corrupt city. The Absoltue version, meanwhile, is a working-class man rebelling against a corrupt system, trying to inspire hope and rebellion against the powers that be.
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Absolute Batman has made it its mission to give us new versions of all of Batman’s greatest hits. From the Joker to every Robin who isn’t Damian Wayne, these characters have debuted and staked their claim. Now, thanks to the revealed cover and solicit for the upcoming Absolute Batman #24, we know we’re getting another beloved piece of the Dark Knight’s mythos. Barbara Gordon is becoming the Absolute Batgirl, calling herself the Bat, and she’s on a quest to avenge her father by any means necessary. However, adding Batgirl so quickly exemplifies the series’s biggest problem. We might all be ready for the Bat, but I don’t think the comic is ready for the Bat.
An Absolute Debut that Could Prioritize Hype Over Story
The design for the Bat is downright incredible, just like every Absolute character that Nick Dragotta touches. Barbara’s new look incorporates elements from her classic look and ties to her Absolute life in a perfect mix. The light purple and yellow colors from her classic costume are very present, but reimagined as body armor, making the massive yellow chest pop even more. She’s wearing the cowl Batman dropped after she hit him with her squad car in issue #5. Best of all, she’s wearing a modified version of Gordon’s iconic coat, altered so that it trails into the same type of hooks on Batman’s cape. She’s even holding Alfred’s modified shotgun from issue #1.
Barbara’s new look is incredible, with clear ties to every major event that shaped her character. I’m beyond hyped to see her in action, but that’s also what worries me. She’s set to debut in just three issues, still in the middle of the ongoing “Straw Man” arc, and this arc is already jam-packed. It’s already given us Scarecrow, Deathstroke’s involvement, five Robins, the truth behind Batman’s origin, and the Joker’s first meeting with Batman. This doesn’t even include how Batman’s friends stand on the line between hero and villain, issue #22’s promise of Harley Quinn’s origin, or Clayface’s introduction. This arc alone is blitzing through Batman’s mythos without giving any of it time to breathe, and that’s becoming a pretty big problem.
I love Absolute Batman, and every issue is a blast that keeps me on the edge of my seat. However, its dedication to making every issue as heart-pounding and entertaining as possible means that it’s quickly backing itself into a corner. It keeps introducing more characters and bigger revelations, which keeps individual issues entertaining, but is also choking every other plot thread introduced before. Any of these ideas or introductions merits at least half an arc to reflect on, but all of them happening at once is just too much too fast. It hasn’t impacted the story yet, but it desperately needs to slow down for a couple of issues or risk losing itself to its own whirlwind plot.
What do you think of the Absolute Bat? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!
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