In his first meeting with Wonder Woman in Absolute Wonder Woman #15, Bruce was exposed to the magical side of the Absolute universe. Though it’s yet another in a long list of world-shattering revelations for Bruce, he sees potential in it. After the traumatic events of the last arc and the impact it had on his close friends, Bruce seeks to utilize this new world to try and make things right for the first of his friends to be attacked: Waylon Jones. In Absolute Batman #16, Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta reunite Bruce and Diana in an otherworldly quest to find a magical way to make his friend whole once more.
The Mission: A Cure for Waylon Jones
The issue starts off with a return to normalcy for Bruce—or as close as he can get to it. He’s back working his construction gig, visiting friends, and fighting the good fight. Even though his brutalized friends ridicule Bruce and resent him for the pain he brought into their lives, Bruce is unrelenting in his attempts to make things right.
He uses the talisman he got in Absolute Wonder Woman #15 to summon Diana and ask for her assistance in finding a way to cure the most drastic of his friend’s conditions: Waylon Jones’s crocodile form. She offers him passage to a realm where they can find an artifact that can reverse the transformation and, despite the promise of trials and tribulations, Bruce accepts without hesitation. What follows is an emotional journey through a mostly barren wasteland where Bruce has to confront challenges of both mind and body.
Themes of Sacrifice and Emotional Resilience
Absolute Batman has garnered a reputation for being, for lack of a better term, torture for Bruce. Issue after issue presents more ways for his life to be broken down, variations of his classic foes that are more monstrous and deadly than ever, and an array of emotional blow after emotional blow. What I think Snyder and Dragotta do so spectacularly in issue #16, however, is show the determination of Bruce in the face of constant suffering.
He does what he can for his friends every step of the way; his venture into another realm to fight a centaur is one of the finest examples of this and the clear value Bruce has for his friends even in the face of their rejection. His conversation with his dad in this issue was also especially striking. Thomas noting that he never thought of his death as a sacrifice for Bruce, but rather a continuation of trying to raise the best kid he could, is a heartwarming recontextualization of trauma. It makes for an even more compelling finale when Bruce is pulled out of the realm without getting to say goodbye.
Pay at least $16 for these 10 items
Batman vs. Wonder Woman: A Shift in Dynamic
The weakest aspect of the writing in this issue was primarily the utilization of Diana. Especially compared to Absolute Wonder Woman #15, this issue feels a lot less focused on Batman and Wonder Woman as a duo. This is first and foremost a Batman comic, and it doesn’t stray away from that in the slightest. It’s debatable whether or not that’s really a problem with the writing, but with the prior team-up so fresh on the mind, I can’t help but miss a bit more of the shared spotlight they had previously.
Dragotta and Martin: Visualizing Aeaea
Nick Dragotta’s art continues to delight in all of its stylized beauty. Pages are filled to the brim with as many panels as he can muster, landscapes are moody and dramatic, and action scenes pop with plenty of movement and dynamic posing. Diana translates decently well into Dragotta’s style, though she lacks some of the grace that she’s drawn with in Absolute Wonder Woman which gives her more of a bruiser vibe than she has normally. Frank Martin on colors continues to be the perfect accompaniment to Dragotta’s art, especially in the way Gotham contrasts with Aeaea (the realm the two travel to). Clayton Cowles continues to do a great job on letters as well, with Killer Croc’s dialogue bubbles being a particular highlight as always.
Final Verdict: A Vital Chapter in the Absolute Universe
Snyder and Dragotta continue to show why their series is the biggest driving force behind this universe. Is Absolute Batman #16 the perfect follow-up to the team-up in last month’s Absolute Wonder Woman? No, definitely not. It’s not a story really concerned with Diana and Bruce’s dynamic, but what the issue does for Bruce and how it slots into the overarching narrative is a strength that cannot be ignored.
Read More from KPB Comics:
‘Absolute Batman’ #16 | The Supernatural Quest for Redemption
Snyder and Dragotta continue to show why their series is the biggest driving force behind this universe. Is Absolute Batman #16 the perfect follow-up to the team-up in last month’s Absolute Wonder Woman? No, definitely not. It’s not a story really concerned with Diana and Bruce’s dynamic, but what the issue does for Bruce and how it slots into the overarching narrative is a strength that cannot be ignored.
