REVIEW: ‘Absolute Batman’ Issue 15

Absolute Batman Issue 15 is written by Scott Snyder, art by Jock, colors by Frank Martin, and letters by Clayton Cowles.

Pennyworth brings a name to Batman’s attention: The Joker.

This issue comes up with a brand new mythology. Snyder had taken his time with the Joker because a character with such a stature deserves the perfect introduction. This is it. There’s a fantastic structure to Absolute Batman Issue 15. Pennyworth begins to tell a mysterious and intriguing story about a family through the ages. It starts in the 1880s, then moves down the line, talking about the family of Jack Grimm. 

At the same time, a man touches down on a deserted tropical island, beginning a rugged and violent adventure. Then the plot returns to that family tree again. Because it contains hidden legends and myths, truths considered too ridiculous to say. The pace is odd because of the slightly cyclical nature, returning to the same starting point. But instead of a rapid pace, a mysterious atmosphere turns the comic into a slow-burning horror story. Everything is new, and it becomes clear that this version of the Joker is very far removed from the one we know in the main universe.

The method by which Joker is explored, and how the other characters are utilized in Absolute Batman Issue 15 is fascinating. It’s the conversation between Pennyworth and Bruce that drives the story, and that narration dictates the Joker’s story. It’s beautifully in-depth, with a remarkable transition. At first, it lacks emotion, like a general merely explaining an operation to his troops. But Bruce starts getting frustrated, and a more sinister, frightening tone settles in. This is accompanied by what’s on the page, and the terror that’s unfolding.

You get an understanding of the character before he’s even spoken, crafting an aura. He’s still even more monstrous than the other incarnations of the Joker, beyond human. He seems to have traits of different characters infused in him that just increase the level of terror he can create.

The art is magnificent, working in tandem with the writing to instill a sense of trickery and storytelling. The design of The Joker has to be precise and powerful, and it absolutely is. We see so many faces in Absolute Batman Issue 15. A little clown, a businessman, a director. The familial connection is apparent due to similar hairstyles and changes in age. There’s also a fantastic use of repetition, seeing the same child and character positions, but the page has other features added to make it darker and creepier.

The man in the jungle, presented as the last member of this Grimm lineage, looks remarkably like Bruce Wayne. Not this Bruce Wayne, but the classic presentation. A handsome, slim but muscular man. The point is to confuse this character with Bruce Wayne, and Absolute Batman Issue 15 succeeds. It’s a mesmerizing feature, especially by the end of the book.

There is also a vicious, violent side to the Joker, one that Jock presents as phenomenally monstrous and horrifying. It creates a creature that very much fits this hardcore, body-twisting Absolute Universe.

The colors are fantastic because they reveal so much. The flashbacks have that standard sepia tone. But that little clown kid has pale white skin and green hair. The next time that page comes around, people have red eyes and mouths, and there’s more purple involved. With those colors, it becomes impossible not to make a connection to the Joker. The lettering is brilliantly easy to read.

Absolute Batman Issue 15 reinvents Batman’s ultimate nemesis. Joker had been transformed into something truly terrifying and more than just a clown obsessed with chaos. There’s much more to him, extreme sci-fi recreating every part of his origin. It’s always dangerous working on the origin story for The Joker, because it can sometimes spoil the mystique. But Snyder has implemented an idea that separates the character from anything else we’ve ever seen, which changes that dynamic entirely. This isn’t just a man in face paint, it’s a creature.

Absolute Batman Issue 15 is available where comics are sold.