Absolute Batman #11: Who Has Your Back?

Overlayed with Alfred’s narration, the first page of Absolute Batman #11 makes a familiar statement that readers may come to expect. Alfred narrates, “It’s the story of Bane and how he breaks your back.” However, by the end of the issue, it is clear that this statement was far from familiar. Absolute Batman #11 – written by Scott Snyder with art by Clay Mann, coloring by Ivan Plascencia, and lettering by Clayton Cowles – rewrites the origin of Bane, and the role he plays in Gotham City. 

The narrative structure of Absolute Batman #11 weaves Absolute Bane’s origin with his confrontation with Batman after the events of the previous issues, but there’s a catch. Alfred acts as an unreliable narrator in the sense that some things are hypothetical. One interesting aspect to note is that readers will not see Alfred in this issue, and it is unknown if he is speaking directly to Batman in this issue. As far as the origin goes, key elements remain the same: Bane is the son of a revolutionary on the island of Santa Prisca and is eventually imprisoned in Peña Duro. Where things diverge is that Bane and his father are imprisoned together, along with the rest of the soldiers. Artist Clay Mann is an excellent choice for this issue, and along with colorist Ivan Plascencia, makes stylistic choices that show readers that this is a flashback cloaked in myth. However, as the art gets more detailed and gritty, myth becomes fact, as Alfred notes just when an official record of Bane was first started. 

Absolute Batman hasn’t shied away from elements of horror, especially in this arc. Snyder pulls no punches in this issue, violently throwing the reader back and forth much like Bane does to Batman. Mann and Piascencia deliver some of the most intense and unsettling visuals of the series. Paired with Alfred’s narration, the reader has no choice but to go along with things. The events depicted in this issue will leave readers reeling and trying to make sense of things. Just when a clear picture is forming, Snyder masterfully subverts expectations. There aren’t rugs being pulled from under readers’ feet, for Alfred didn’t lie when he said, “It’s the story of Bane and how he breaks your back.” Snyder established early on in the series that Bruce has a support system that gives him the back he needs to operate as Batman: trusted friends.