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Absolute Batman – A Bruce Wayne Who Grew Up In Crime Alley (Spoilers)

Scott Snyder has been talking about what's going on behind Absolute Batman and we a few new facts about who this new Bruce Wayne is.

Published Fri, 30 Aug 2024 12:57:10 -0500

by Rich Johnston

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Article Summary

Scott Snyder reimagines Bruce Wayne growing up in Crime Alley for the new Absolute Batman series.
No mansion or money; Absolute Batman fights the system and wealth as a guerrilla fighter in Gotham.
Alfred Pennyworth, an MI6 agent, plays a central role, believing in Bruce's idealistic mission against all odds.
Equipped with self-made gadgets, this Batman is a resourceful engineer without the high-tech, fighting villains with more resources.

Scott Snyder has been talking about what's going on behind Absolute Batman on the Comic Book Club Podcast at the recent Terrificon. And we got a few new facts about who this new Big Bruce Wayne is.

In The Absolute Universe, Bruce Wayne's parents have a different story. His family never had any money, his mother works in the mayor's office, his father wanted to be a doctor but ended up as a teacher. Bruce Watne grows up in Crime Alley, making friends with people who would, in the standard DC Universe, be his enemies, as they all grew up in the same neighbourhood. He's such a big dude, partially because he doesn't have to pretend to be suave or wear a tuxedo. Something traumatising happens with his parents when he is young, that makes him want to affect change, he believes he can do this, even though he has nothing and comes from nothing.

He is the agent of chaos, a monkey wrench in the system, and the very thing some of his villains claim to be in the main DC universe. Instead of being law and order, this Absolute Batman fights against the system and against money. The villains have resources, not him. It's a little more like real life, I guess, which is probably the point.

Alfred is seen as the main character of the first arc; he's been around the world, is jaded, and, as part of an MI6 mission, comes to Gotham, where he crashes into Bruce, this crazy idealistic primal force that Alfred believes is going to get murdered in two minutes. But this Bruce keeps inspiring Alfred to believe that maybe there is a way to act in the world and not be morally compromised.

But Absolute Batman still won't kill. He's an idealist who wants to be a symbol that things can be different and can change. The only difference is that he doesn't have the resources; villains have much more than he does, and he's not in a place of privilege. So he's got to be more of a guerrilla fighter, with stash houses all over the city.

Bruce Wayne is a super smart engineer, who has built a Batman cape with bars in it, he can walk on the wings, and hook you with them, is bulletproof, and full of gadgets he's built. He just doesn't have the high-tech electronic stuff…

ABSOLUTE BATMAN #1 CVR A NICK DRAGOTTA
(W) Scott Snyder (A/CA) Nick Dragotta
BATMAN LEGEND SCOTT SNYDER AND ICONIC ARTIST NICK DRAGOTTA TRANSFORM THE DARK KNIGHT'S TALE FOR THE MODERN AGE! Without the mansion…without the money…without the butler…what's left is the Absolute Dark Knight! Retail: $4.99
In-Store Date: 10/9/2024

ABSOLUTE BATMAN #2 CVR A NICK DRAGOTTA
(W) Scott Snyder (A/CA) Nick Dragotta
SNYDER AND DRAGOTTA'S BRAND-NEW TAKE ON THE DARK KNIGHT RAMPAGES ON! Batman was born out of violence – a horrible tragedy that shaped the trajectory of his future. But when a vigilant MI6 agent starts tracking the lonely life of Bruce Wayne, he discovers the interconnectivity between a hero's shell life and the many layers of the Black Mask Gang. It's Batman versus Alfred Pennyworth! Retail: $4.99 In-Store Date: 11/13/2024

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