ComicsDc ComicsDC’s Absolute Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman titles are perfect examples of the comic book reboot done rightWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
ComicsDc ComicsDC’s Absolute Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman titles are perfect examples of the comic book reboot done rightWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: DC)
When we got our first look at theAbsolute Batman, his hulking image couldn’t have seemed farther from what we typically associate with more famous versions of the Dark Knight. His muscular frame made him look like he needed to watch out for doorways more than bad guys, the logo on his chest was a geometry lesson (and an ax?!), and instead of a cape, he bore bat-paraphernalia on his hands like scimitars. However, as the new Absolute line ofDC Comicshas proven one after another with Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman, this look was deceiving. For all the fresh spins that these new books have provided, they are also deeply connected to the characters' long histories.
The Absolute line isn’t alone in offering modern superhero reboots – Marvel is currently working on its own new wave ofUltimate comics, while the DC Universe film efforts are set to offer distinct incarnations of Superman and the Batman family over the next few years. But reboots can be a mixed bag of the timeless and the time-worn. Though the creators of many of these aforementioned series are doing a great job differentiating them from the past (Ultimate X-Men is a treat!), there is always the risk of falling into the familiar. Hit too many of the same beats and you defeat the purpose of having a reboot in the first place.
(Image credit: DC)
For example, inAbsolute Batman, the titular hero hasn’t felt this dedicated or dangerous since Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. In a way, every version of the character since has been wrangling with the hulking, obsessive antihero that Miller gave us, but Absolute Batman is one of the only ones to retain his unpredictable potency. When it’s revealed that Batman altered Alfred’s gun to be non-lethal, it reminds one of Batman’s “Rubber bullets. Honest,” comment from TDKR.
Absolute Batman shows glimmers of the character’s early stories, especially when it comes to his nightmarish fighting style. The whipping appendages build on the idea that, when he first started out, many Gotham residents viewed the Caped Crusader as a borderline supernatural figure. But it doesn’t extricate him from being personally involved in the city or with other people – this Bruce Wayne has a Mom and a group of pals that care about him! Adorable!
(Image credit: DC)
And though Absolute Batman uses his work in Gotham to get to know the city better, it’s also to help repair it. Like more empathetic versions of the character, such as the one inBatman: The Animated Series, he rides the fine line between brutishness and benevolence. Devoid of his traditional familial wealth, this allows the comic to confidently tackle the common “If Bruce Wayne wants to help so much, shouldn’t he do something other than punch people?” question. And while Alfred Pennyworth is a deadly spy here, previous Batman comics have been littered with hints and references to the butler’s…capablepast, so this is also pretty fitting.
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(Image credit: DC)
Absolute Wonder Womanis a grab-bag of influences from more modern incarnations. She has a rough edge that stays in line with her character after Crisis on Infinite Earths, and her muscular vigor has shades of the beautifully dominant figure from comics like DC: The New Frontier. Absolute Wonder Woman has also set the foundation of a complicated relationship, not just between worlds of Hell and the “above,” but between gods and demi-gods as well. This, too, seems more recent, and though she rides a skeletal Pegasus into battle from the depths of the underworld, she feels like a compelling culmination of story-telling trends.
Though the Absolute line might be a series of reboots (or “Elseworld” tales) with prominent twists on themes and throughlines, they retain many elements that give them a classic spark. And in the end, that’s what you want out of a comic book reboot: Enough connections to remind readers of why they’ve loved these characters for decades, but without a slavish devotion to recreating what we already know about them. In this way, Absolute Batman is absolutely Batman.
Absolute Batman #1 and #2 are out now from DC, as is Absolute Wonder Woman #1, and Absolute Superman #1.
Justhow much of an absolute unit is the Absolute Batman?
PRODUCTSBatmanSupermanWonder Woman
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”