Do you want to be a superhero? You probably thought you couldn’t be one. However, October 9, 2024 marked the start of the publishing of DC comic’s recent “Absolute Batman,” a series of comics that recontextualize the core of what makes up the character of Batman. This fresh idea presents him in a much more grounded perspective, something more obtainable to the everyday citizen. Much more obtainable to you. So, do you want to be a superhero? Maybe a look into “Absolute Batman” will give you the blueprint you need to start your journey.
Writer Scott Snyder described in an interview posted on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpDDZwadIZk that the thought process for the Absolute universe DC introduced last year came from trying “something more nuanced” with a universe of “brand new takes on the superheroes like the New 52 was supposed to be.”
He also indicated he wanted to do something more like DC’s Rebirth universe, “[giving] traditional fans that have been reading a long time the biggest and most epic stories they could ask for.” Snyder and his fellow writers corroborated ideas that would birth the Absolute DC universe. This combination of DC’s older and widely celebrated comic runs turned out to be successful, especially with “Absolute Batman.” The first issue of the comic had a print run of around 250,000 copies that would lead “Absolute Batman” to become the best-selling comic of 2024. This reinvention of these characters has been widely praised, proving them to hold up not just as amazing Batman stories, but as standalone stories as well.
“Absolute Batman” follows the story of 24-year-old Bruce Wayne working as a blue-collar civil engineer. When night falls, he takes on the identity of the titular Batman, delivering justice from the shadows and serving vengeance on a silver platter for those who come most unassuming. This is exemplary of the core foundations of the character of Batman/Bruce Wayne that any reader–new to comics or a not–can generally understand about the character.
What writer Snyder brings fresh to the character is a grounded storyline that makes those ideal core values exemplified by the character. You may be familiar with the story of Wayne being that of an incredibly rich boy whose familial death charges his ambition to restore order to the city of Gotham. In the Absolute universe, Wayne is presented as a young man, without his mansion, without his fortune of wealth from his family, without support of his butler, without support of the police, stripped down to his foundation. His character is made even more relatable to the general audience, someone who needs to act completely on the resources he can scrounge up to protect the city he loves.
This inventive depiction of Batman is what makes “Absolute Batman” such a good introduction to Batman comics, with the incredibly intriguing and action-packed story in the series. DC superheroes are often supposed to be admirable beacons of hope, love, peace. They reflect the most positive ideals for reality that everyone can find themselves relating to. What makes “Absolute Batman” unique is that it changes the context of Wayne’s story so intensely without taking away from his roots. Any reader can easily digest the narrative of Batman being a person of love, who acts out of love for his city–and within the case of the Absolute universe: his love for his mother. Snyder makes it so that Batman’s story is obtainable to the viewer and as if it’s just within our reach to protect the things we love so much. It’s just as inspirational as Batman stories depicted in his former runs as depicted in the New 52 and Rebirth universes from the past.
A lot of the beauty of this exhilarating new comic run comes from how much love Snyder has for the media he consumes. He has described the inspiration for the infamous Batman supervillain Joker coming from watching the movie “Nosferatu” (2024). He described how he admires “the dread [felt] in the beginning of [the] film” and how it inspired his writing of the notorious supervillain he has depicted in the comic. This is incredibly important because it’s indicative of Snyder creating art from passion from media consumption. Many writers for DC often struggle with understanding the character of Wayne, often allowing rather lack-luster depictions of the character. Snyder has gone out of his way to discuss Batman’s thought process of “[how he] would affect change, [having] to be a collective, and [having] to be able to inspire people].” With these things in mind, it’s safe to say that the future of Batman is safe in Snyder’s hands.
Snyder has made it so that we can all relate to the story of Batman. His passion for media has created an amazing new run of the series. It’s proven to be an insanely appealing story for long-time fans and anyone looking to start comic books. “Absolute Batman” begs the question to its audience: Do you want to be a superhero? It also goes ahead and answers that question. With the heart, with the resolve, with the ambition – yes, you can be a superhero. We can all be Absolute.
