REVIEW: ‘Absolute Batman’ Issue 18

Absolute Batman Issue 18 is published by DC Comics and written by Scott Snyder, art by Eric Canete, colors by Frank Martin, and letters by Clayton Cowles.

Batman continues to battle Poison Ivy, as her spores threaten to invade his lungs.

Absolute Batman Issue 18 really accentuates the horror introduced in the previous chapter. It’s an intense, smothering issue as Poison Ivy’s true powers are revealed. She has incredible regenerative abilities, with her consciousness spreading across the entire area. This means there are multiple bodies and an entire landscape under her control. Batman is smack bang in the middle of it, a claustrophobic swarm of fauna. The structure is fascinating because Scott Snyder routinely jumps out of the action to other parts of Gotham, offering snapshots of the past and the present.

The time slips can be unnerving and jarring, but they are crucial for one of the major themes within Absolute Batman Issue 18. It’s about Bruce’s connections to the outside world – to his friends. It allows many other plot threads to expand, whilst the fight scene also intensifies. It shows that this world is now so much bigger than we thought.

There are so many figures in the background, working their way into the fabric of Gotham. For such a loud series, the ending of Absolute Batman Issue 18 suddenly becomes very quiet and somber, signaling a major change.

Those snippets away from Batman highlight his connections to people outside. Ivy shows him his family and friends, who have been so important to his life. They’re more than just his support network; they’re his anchors. Pennyworth is in his ear at the start of the issue, offering help. His mother calls him before heading into an incredibly dangerous situation. The Court of Owls has come calling for her. Bruce is still trying to connect with his friends, who were brutalized by Bane and had their lives forever tarnished by their association with Batman. But by the end of the issue, that desperation to stay connected may have evolved into something new.

The writing of Poison Ivy is sensational. Snyder gives her just as much reason to despise men and humanity, but in a very different origin from the main universe. Her narration is poetically sinister. It talks about rotting, decay, and death in beautifully haunting detail. You saw a really promising, positive young girl desperate to save her mother reach a most painful conclusion. And yet when fighting Bruce, Ivy is so desperate for connection, genuinely wanting to be loving, but making it terrifying in the dialogue.

The Gordons also have a huge impact on Absolute Batman Issue 18. Both Jim and Barbara have been on the periphery for much of the series so far, but are now actively getting involved. Jim not only sees Bruce’s mother but also reveals that he is more aware of Bruce’s secret identity than initial impressions suggest. And Barbara, being a cop herself, gives her a drive and defiance right from the start. She’s happy to work with Batman, but furious when he tries to shut her out.

The art is grizzly and yet enchanting. There’s such an intriguing approach to how Ivy looks that explores both the gorgeous and gross strangeness of nature. The main Ivy form is a maelstrom of body parts and flowers. It’s freaky and disturbing. Her face splits, with one eye bigger than the other. Flowers burst from her neck, but look like entrails or a rash. She has wings that sometimes look like hair and, at other times, like several grasping hands. In the flashback, you see just how little of her was left after the fire, with just her heart remaining.

Then there are the other bodies Ivy generates, each unique. Some are pretty, like a forest faerie, whilst others are shrieking gremlins. Batman is mobbed, with hands grabbing and clutching at him. He’s brutal in his reaction, crushing and slicing his way through the bodies. Canete has made monsters, but there’s still some humanity there, and you feel sorry for them. But the beauty has been left far behind.

The colors are fantastic. Ivy brings so many shades to Gotham, all natural and vibrant. Batman really stands out, a black-and-grey block in the centre of the panel. But in this chapter, the green starts to get washed away by red. The lettering for Ivy’s text is terrific, accentuating the fact that she’s no longer human.

Absolute Batman Issue 18 blends fauna into body horror. Every single revamp of a villain into the Absolute Universe turns them into something new. Ivy is tragic and traumatized and has been totally wronged, which has transformed her into such a messy, broken creature. So many of them have been crafted through no fault of their own. It’s violent and yet thought-provoking. The striking, savage art belies an incredibly touching tale.

Absolute Batman Issue 18 is available where comics are sold.