REVIEW: ‘Absolute Batman’ Issue 8

Absolute Batman Issue 8 is published by DC Comics. Written by Scott Snyder, art by Marcos Martín, with colors by Muntsa Vicente and letters by Clayton Cowles.

In this issue, Batman faces Mr Freeze, who is ready to torture him using cryogenics. Absolute Batman Issue 8 is the second half of the battle against Mr Freeze. The structure is the same, swapping between two locations. There is a dark alleyway featuring Bruce and all of his friends. It’s tense and filled with friendship and pain.

Absolute Batman Issue 8 contains a mixture of emotions, and Snyder slowly reveals why. So much of Bruce’s origin is still shrouded in secrecy, but each glimpse unlocks acres of storytelling. The other half of the comic is the fight against Freeze. It’s a superb confrontation that is terrifically creepy.

There is a clash of pace between the two characters. Freeze keeps trying to show the books down, trying to freeze Batman. Meanwhile, Bruce is desperate to warm up his body, and that energizes the pages. Each phase of the fight introduces something completely different, making it impossible to predict what will happen. It’s a real horror story, always selling to smother Batman.

This version of Mr Freeze is absolutely terrifying. The other incarnation, in the main universe and elsewhere, was villainous, but his intentions were based on love and tragedy. This version is just completely broken and depraved. There is an obsession with putting people on ice and torturing them with it. The second villain of this series, Freeze, is a big change. He’s scheming, but he’s a mad scientist with horrifying possibilities and abilities.

There are two versions of Bruce Wayne seen inside Absolute Batman Issue 8. There is Batman. Bruce Wayne is really stepping into those shoes and becoming a Batman that is recognizable. As Batman, he still doesn’t speak much. Instead, his narration has returned. It is superbly succinct, only saying what it needs to and nothing more. It details his pain and his injuries, and that’s it.

The other side of Bruce Wayne tries to be just as elusive and avoidant, but he can’t do that because he has his friends. They don’t let him shrink or run away. This conversation that has lasted two issues finally becomes clear, and the reason why it’s heartbreaking. It’s due to grief and guilt. It’s so fascinating and immersive to see Batman’s supporting cast refuse to let him isolate.

The art is magnificent. This iteration of Mr Freeze is something out of a horror story. He is freakishly tall, with long and spindly arms. Every part of his body looks wrong and uncomfortable. He looks completely inhuman, closer to a cryptid. Bruce also looks odd, with his massive physique. In just his underwear, we get more of an understanding of how that translates to his body.

Martín has a fantastic ability to make human characters look alien and disturbing. The fight escalates from a static affair to something filmed with energy and many more bodies, becoming more like the chaotic, mind-melting battle that this run has become famous for.

The colors are remarkable. Inside Freeze’s lab, things are bleak. The rooms look cold and sterile. It’s frozen outside too. The scene in the alleyway is almost entirely in the shadows. The most vibrant color in this part of Absolute Batman Issue 8 is the red of Freeze’s eyes.

But in the last pages of the issue, the neon lights of Gotham and other warm shades return. This gives the book a release and a reward because it happened in reverse order in the previous chapter. The lettering for the dialogue is absolutely fine, but the text in the narration has moments where it is difficult to read due to emulating handwriting.

Absolute Batman Issue 8 recreates a classic confrontation. The battles between Batman and Mr Freeze have been unfolding for decades, immortalized in live-action movies or award-winning animated episodes. Snyder reinvents the ice-based villain, turning this issue into a twisted science-horror story. It’s a harrowing and haunting tale that makes this version of the cryogenic scientist so much creepier and nefarious. And there’s also a touching story about mourning and grief that adds a heart and soul to such a ferocious series.

Absolute Batman Issue 8 is available where comics are sold.