Absolute Batman #2: Commit to the Bit/Bat

A difficulty with reboots and reimaginings is the level of borrowing and beholding to the original thing. Straying too far from the source results in a product that could be good but is typically seen as an unrelated story hiding in the costume of the thing. On the flip side, the familiar beats of the original can be like quicksand quickly consuming anything and everything until only the expected remains. Finding the right balance is key, and for the most part, the new iteration of the caped crusader operates in that middle ground. 

Absolute Batman #2 – written by Scott Synder with art by Nick Dragotta, coloring by Frank Martin, and lettering by Clayton Cowles – continues the total unit Batman’s war against Black Mask and his Party Animal gang. A bulk of the issue centers on the scorched earth tactics that Bruce is utilizing to attack the criminal element, which in turn retaliates at every chance. It’s a vicious cycle that blossoms in Gotham, allowing Alfred the opportunity to gather recon while offering some assistance to the vigilante. 

In the rest of the issue, more of Gotham is established or reinforced, like a connection between Jim Gordon and Martha Wayne. She visits the current mayor in the hospital after last issue’s attack, and they reflect on the driven, elusive nature of Bruce. Their worries are intercut with continued flashbacks to the vigilante’s childhood, in the wake of his father’s murder. Meanwhile, Bruce makes time for a card game with his childhood friends; Edward Nygma, Oswald Cobblepot, Harvey Dent, and Waylon Jones. Only Selina Kyle is missing, apparently galavanting across Italy. Bruce gets some info about Black Mask’s reputation from Oswald while Nygma looks into the GPS tech in one of the criminal’s masks. 

Snyder keeps the breakneck pace for this issue, offering exposition and characterization like Batman’s hit-and-run tactics. Never lingering in one scene for too long, the script bounces from beat to beat in order to maximize their effectiveness. The end result is a disorienting pace that heightens the shocks and continues the shaky foundations established in this version of Gotham. Thanks to that rocky footing, it isn’t too surprising to see the card game while still allowing for an interesting interplay between the typical hero and villain figures.

That narrative choice is reinforced and elevated by Dragotta’s paneling for the issue, which continues the rhythm from issue one, utilizing a heavy system of tiny, rapid-fire boxes. Mirroring the quick cuts of a movie like Taken or any Bourne, Dragotta can ensure the book moves and flows unlike a traditional Batman story, which is much more methodical and procedural-driven. Here, that sense is present but overshadowed by the massive figure of the form-moving future. It could be easy to get lost in the sheer number of panels offered at any time on the page, but Dragotta varies and assembles them in such a way that they feel organic in their flow. 

As a result, when Dragotta shifts in the top gears and moves into the wider panels and splashes, the book moves into an entirely new field. The variation and strategic deployment of the tight, tiny panels give way to three barnburner moments as Dragotta takes the biggest swings. One is a skyscraper illuminated into a Batman face using fire, the next is the first appearance of the Absolute Batmobile, and finally is the debut of an integral character. Each moment is breathtaking thanks to Dragotta working against the established visual style of the book, ringing out meaning from the panel compositions.  

Martin’s coloring works as a seamless companion to the two artistic veins, heightening the acting while suffocating the little moments. Martin flits between rich, vibrant tones and stark, primary color backgrounds to hammer the emotional aspects of the story. In the flashback with Bruce and the bats, there’s blood-curdling red that screams agony alongside the boy. Other times, like the flaming skyscraper moment, the mix of soft glowing orange contrasted against the stark black/blue night sky evokes awe and a sense of grandiosity. In a similar turn, Martin can return to the arresting reds, grays, and greens during the action sequences, building tone from Batman’s suit and his toys, like the acid capsules. 

When it comes time for the action scenes of the issue, that keen sense of writing and composition pays off, resulting in a series of expertly depicted fights. The almost montage structure of these battles gives way to the rapid tone while allowing for a deepening of Batman as a character and hero in this world. Less of a hide in the shadows and plan, this Batman relies on lots of brute force and gadget work to take down his foes. Using that in conjunction with Alfred’s analysis results in a handy blend of characterization and exposition that feels organic to the story while seeding future dynamics (and possible conflict) between the two. 

The issue stumbles in its portrayal and commitment to Black Mask, a villain that feels one dimension in the larger context of the two issues. While Dragotta offers a slick design and there are some subtle hints to whatever is going on with Mask’s motivations, these do little to flesh out the foe. In what could be an unfair comparison, Snyder’s work with Greg Capullo on the New 52 Batman debut built real menace and intrigue with the Court of Owls that is lacking here. It’s the catch-22 of establishing a new universe/Gotham, in that the Party Animals and Black Mask are not original or familiar enough in either direction. Falling somewhere in the middle, the villains are disposable goons and cool bodies there to be dispatched by Batman and his toys. That flatness is a shame as the rest of the issue offers so much in terms of visuals and narrative potential.