REVIEW: ‘Absolute Batman’ Issue 14

Absolute Batman Issue 14 is published by DC Comics and written by Scott Snyder, with art by Nick Dragotta, colors by Frank Martin, and letters by Clayton Cowles.

Batman faces Bane one last time, in front of the whole of Gotham and the entire world.

This issue is a showdown of epic proportions. A  stadium, under the spotlights, with the two behemoths at the centre of it all. Bane and Batman, ready for one final throwdown after weeks of humiliation, brutality, and pain. The opening of Absolute Batman Issue 14 is slow, allowing Bane and Batman’s allies to get into position. But then the plan kicks off with an explosion, and the carnage erupts. A collapsing skyscraper is the first move and somehow the least incredible thing that happens in this battle.

Batman throws everything he has at Bane, and Bane keeps pumping in the Venom. The intensity is incredible, delivering brutal blows to both fighters and ramping up the pressure continuously. It’s got that glorious chaos that this series has become renowned for, pushing it to breaking point. And as the hits get heavier, the arms race over Venom and size becomes a more integral part of Absolute Batman Issue 14, until it reaches a screaming ferocity by the end of the issue.

Both characters have an air of finality. For Bane, this is his last bout, and he is willing to push his body and use every last drop of Venom to do so. Batman is also willing to do whatever it takes to win. We get an example of Batman’s analytical, strategic brain, with traps set throughout the stadium to slow his opponent down. That’s something that connected him to every other version of Batman, his intellect. But he has a savagery and a dogged determination that actually make him more similar to Bane.

What this iteration of Bruce Wayne also has are friends on both sides. And many of them make an appearance in this bout, from the scaly to Selina Kyle. It makes the battle multifaceted, with so many different voices getting involved.

The art is phenomenal. Bane begins Absolute Batman Issue 14 by towering over his nemesis. His proportions are already ridiculous, but he only gets bigger from there. His muscles get larger and larger, rippling with veins bulging. The violence merges with body horror once again as Bane undergoes extreme size changes, and during this, Batman and the others take their shots. The blood sprays and body parts are mangled and ripped apart. The panel layout can feature small, frantic moments, showing the many faces and just how many contingencies Batman has considered.

The colors depict the bloodbath. The standard shade is gray and black, but other colors become more dominant. Namely red and green, representing blood and Venom. The lettering is very easy to read, which is essential given all that’s happening, and the panel layout.

Absolute Batman Issue 14 shows that there’s more than one way to battle Bane. For so many issues, Bruce had been trying to make himself bigger, matching Bane’s size with that same green Venom. But that’s an impossible feat, so a different tactic is necessary. The spectacle is immense, and the pace is electrifying, with an art style that showcases the disgusting consequences of violence. It’s gloriously grotesque.

Absolute Batman Issue 14 is available where comics are sold.