REVIEW: ‘Absolute Batman’ Issue #2 (2024)

Absolute Batman #2 (2024) is published by DC Comics. It was written by Scott Snyder, with art by Nick Dragotta, colors by Frank Martin, and letters by Clayton Cowles. This issue is part of the Absolute Universe. Batman continues to wage a war of vengeance against the Party Animals, but other parties also hunt him down.

Absolute Batman #2 (2024) gets more comfortable within the world it’s building. It isn’t just Batman that has to be explored, but the entirety of Gotham. The gang war that encases this first arc is given many more details and angles. Through interrogations and jumping across the city, there are many avenues for both the heroes and villains to approach. The pacing is slow, allowing for more intricate plans to be made. There are reactions to each move on each side, leading to ambushes and surprises.

This comic may have extreme periods but is calmer than the opening chapter. It allows the political intrigue and mysteries to grow. There are snippets of the backstory remaining, with one major difference to the mainstream universe. In Absolute Batman, Bruce Wayne’s mother is still alive. It has yet to bear fruits, but it entirely alters that history. The fight scenes are just as heavy metal, featuring brutal and destructive snapshots. The book can suddenly accelerate to 100mph without warning, making the story enthralling.

One of the best parts of Absolute Batman #2 (2024) is a poker game, which shows the start of many character journeys. Bruce Wayne joins a table featuring Two-Face, Walyon Jones, and Edward Nygma. However, all of these figures are at the beginning of their journeys, and this issue gives them a chance to display their personalities. There are clear relationships between Bruce Wayne and these other characters, but the specifics have not yet been explored.

Bruce Wayne knows who these people are, and the subtlety of the conversations is fantastic. He is both interrogating them and simply playing the game. Every sentence seems to have a different meaning. Snyder is spinning so many plates during this scene. Seeing those threads can take multiple readthroughs, but it is a fascinating scene.

Batman and Bruce Wayne are largely viewed through the third person. As the plot follows the Dark Knight, the captions are from Alfred Pennyworth’s perspective. In this universe, Pennyworth is a secret agent, much younger and involved in the action of the comic. The captions are analytical, like a scouting report. This method presents Batman as a mythical figure, someone to be followed instead of inhabiting the character that way. But in doing so, it can be harder to find an anchor within the book.

The art is brilliantly cartoony. The poker game sparks memories of a Batman: The Animated Series episode. Dragotta has a focus on caricatures instead of anatomical accuracy. It isn’t as drastic as those cartoons, but it can be seen. They have not become villains yet, but they are distinctive and exciting to the eye. Bruce Wayne is huge and bulky, and the Batman suit is fascinating. He is a mixture of immense strength and surprising speed, moving in a blur and delivering horrific injuries to his enemies.

Batman’s cape is mesmerising. It moves strangely, turning into a solid object or even limbs when needed. Like Venom’s symbiote, it can move independently, bracing itself against walls. The fights are grunge and messy, with wounds on either side. The brilliant chaos continues, with the reveal of Batman’s batmobile a perfect example of the ridiculousness inside this series. And yet, the flashbacks and the poker game show that the calmer moments can be just as exciting.

The colors are fascinating. They sink into darkness when needed, with thick shadows falling on Gotham. But it is also a bright issue, with light revealing some gruesome details. By the end of Absolute Batman #2 (2024),  the pages are filled with red, intensifying the action. The lettering is dynamic while still being easy to read.

Absolute Batman #2 (2024) provides more than just chaos. The series has become more of a chess game, with the characters starting to take up their positions. It isn’t always easy to understand what is happening, but that is also what the craziness is for. Snyder is blowing minds within this new world, giving everything a coating of madness or extreme. But there is an intriguing political story unfolding.

Absolute Batman #2 (2024) is enthralling in its unpredictability. Every character or concept translated has a fresh story to tell or a brand-new design. The poker game has countless levels of detail and can move in any direction the creators choose.

Absolute Batman #2 (2024) is available where comics are sold.