REVIEW: ‘Absolute Batman’ Issue 9

Absolute Batman Issue 9 is published by DC Comics. Written by Scott Snyder, with art by Nick Dragotta, colors by Frank Martin and letters by Clayton Cowles.

As Batman hunts for his friend Waylon, Bane makes his way into Gotham. Some time has passed since the last chapter, but Absolute Batman Issue 9 instantly deals with what happens. Waylon is missing, taken in the final pages of the previous issue, and there’s now a furious Caped Crusader searching for him. In a cold open, Snyder shows the reader the villain of the issue, which creates a sense of excitement for what will inevitably arrive. A frightening dread is settling in as a race against time builds. We can only think of what’s happening to Waylon, and the ideas are not great.

Batman’s search is ferocious but fruitless, leading to the creation of a war room. The words Ark M keep being mentioned for several issues, and there is a rewarding answer to the questions. The pacing and atmosphere are perfect, constantly moving with a heavy metal attitude. Occasionally, the main story will cut away to the past or the political figures of Gotham, in this case, Jim Gordon and Martha Wayne.

It makes the world busy and active, with multiple moving pieces, showing that Batman is barely able to keep hold of a city filled with machinations. The last part is a battle that is terrifying and horrifyingly one-sided. Given the start of Absolute Batman Issue 9, it’s not a surprising reveal, but its execution is eye-raising.

Absolute Batman Issue 9 features fascinating characters. Batman is simultaneously a solitary creature and a team player. He has a cabinet of friends and allies who help him in his vigilantism. Pennyworth, Oswald Cobblepot, Edward Nygma, and Harvey Dent all provide different options and information for Bruce, making the planning of operations lively and noisy.

This Batman is not one for thinking things through, especially now. He’s prone to snapping and lashing out, and that’s just to his friends. He is incredibly protective of the little alliance he has, as shown in the flashbacks to really cement their history. Especially Waylon, who has often been the first one Batman goes to talk to.

The captions stop coming from Bruce’s mind and revert back to Pennyworth, who narrates Batman’s actions in the past tense. That makes him more of a legendary, mythical figure and also silences the main character. He is, therefore, unpredictable, stewing in his rage. But even with all his friends, it’s always Batman who ventures into the dangerous unknown completely alone. It’s isolating and generates tension.

The start of the mission is quiet until Bruce finds himself in trouble. This Batman is not the calm and connected personality that his mainstream universe counterpart is. He is nasty, trash-talking through the pain and seething with fury.

The art reaches incredible extremes. Absolute Batman Issue 9 can be quiet and even domestic when the characters converse. But then there are sudden reminders of this world’s penchant for violence. In Absolute Batman Issue 9, that reminder comes from Bane. It’s a reasonably faithful rendition of the behemoth, just heightened even further. He is enormous, like he’s often seen in cartoons and games.

Bane’s muscles are even more inhuman, with the luchador mask and pipes pumping into his veins. When he strikes, there is a gentle quality to it, even when he’s committing an act of grotesque and revolting violence. This Batman is bulky and big, so Bane has to reach a whole new level of size. And the terrifying part? That’s his normal form. There’s something else that becomes a skin-crawling body horror.

The colors are phenomenal. Absolute Batman Issue 9 has a base set of tones that is easy to settle into, a mixture of grays that shows a sinister city that is still a comfortable home for the characters. But occasionally, something else enters the panel. There can be neon purple or, often, a curtain of red as the danger mounts.

One noticeable difference with this Earth’s Bane can be found in the tubes on his back. The green, fluorescent fluid, typically seen as venom in the other world, now has a sickly and disturbing strand of red within it. It’s a small detail that adds so much. The lettering is brilliant and much easier to read in the captions, but the narration voice has changed.

Absolute Batman Issue 9 brings out the big guns. This latest test for Batman may be his most physically taxing yet. But even before that happens, there’s an incredible issue that shows the Dark Knight in a panic. With his friend in danger, Bruce has become a fearsome force of nature. And in this world of extremes, there is chaos and devastating repercussions. Having this supporting cast has been fascinating, but now they’re vulnerable. These characters have the names of villains, and this could be the start of that descent, considering what happens inside Ark M.

Absolute Batman Issue 9 is available where comics are sold.