DC’s Absolute Universe got off to a terrific start with Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta, Frank Martin, and Clayton Cowles’ Absolute Batman #1, which kicked in the door and showed what’s possible in Darkseid’s new universe. While some of the core tenets of the character are accounted for, there are a variety of big and small changes that shake up the character, his mythology, and what fans can expect from him moving forward. There’s a lot of ground to cover, so we’re breaking down all of the ways that Absolute Batman changes the core DC lore in one place, starting with one of the most iconic origin stories in all of comics.
The Zoo
The title of Absolute Batman #1 is The Zoo for a very clear reason, as the events that play out there during Bruce’s childhood will have a major effect on the man he ultimately becomes. The issue shows us flashbacks of a school trip to the Gotham Zoo, where it is revealed that Bruce’s father Thomas Wayne is actually Bruce’s teacher and is leading the class on the field trip, but the joyous adventure is tragically cut short.
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A gunshot rings out and more shots follow as the unknown shooter moves through the zoo. Thomas gets the kids and others to run into the Bat House as more shots are fired, and Thomas gets everyone inside and closes the door. Before he leaves though he tells Bruce that no matter what he hears, not to open the door. Those are the last words Bruce ever hears from his father, as he is killed moments after, but Bruce and the other children make it out of the horrific scenario alive.
Surviving Parent
That’s a huge change from the original origin for several reasons, but one of the biggest changes is that Bruce’s mother Martha is not at the Zoo when the shooting occurs. While Thomas is killed, Martha is revealed to be alive towards the end of the issue and has raised Bruce as a single parent for much of his life.
Villain Best Friends
It wasn’t just Bruce’s family that changed either, as Bruce’s childhood friends will surprise fans as well. Early on in the issue, we see Bruce head to the gym to throw some punches, and after breaking one of the bags he sees his old friend Waylon. That would be Waylon Jones, who is previously been known as Killer Croc, but while he does love crocodiles, he isn’t the villain we’ve known in the past.
Waylon reveals he’s going to start a place called Waylon’s Scales of Gotham, and Ozzie is the one who hooked him up with the exotic pet license. That would be Oswald Cobblepot, aka The Penguin, and while he isn’t the villain we’ve all come to expect, he is still rather skilled at maneuvering around the underworld.
Waylon says Bruce hasn’t come to play poker with the crew for months, mentioning Harvey (Dent), Eddie (Nygma), Oz, and Selina (Kyle) possibly coming over as well. Waylon then talks about the Party Animal gang that is trying to take over the city and how someone’s got to do something to defend their home as we see a picture of all of them together as kids. It’s a brief but effective look at how differently this Bruce Wayne grew up and will almost certainly have big effects on how he operates in Gotham from here on out as well.
Secret Agent Alfred
This brings us to the other seismic change in Absolute Batman from the main continuity, and that would be Alfred Pennyworth. Even in the more shaken-up iterations of the character, he’s almost always aiding Bruce Wayne in some form or fashion. That’s not the case at all here, as this Alfred is actually an agent for a mysterious government agency, and he’s been reassigned from Singapore back to Gotham.
The reason for the reassignment is the dangerous Party Animals gang running roughshod in Gotham, but he’s also told of a new player in the city, which is a mysterious new vigilante that we know is Batman. After witnessing a bit of what Batman can do, Alfred does the legwork and figures out Batman is Bruce Wayne, even finding where his mother lives. That leads to a confrontation that showcases Bruce’s ability to think ahead of his opponents and sets the course for a very different dynamic between the two DC favorites.
Same Training, No Trust Fund
As the issue plays out, we see more of the key changes in how Bruce learned all of the techniques he now employs as Batman. Bruce had a scholarship for football, but he faked an injury so he could save his body for his current job as The Dark Knight. In school, he studied applied mechanics, chemistry, criminal psychology, military theory, and sociocultural history, but then he shifted to learning the city itself.
Bruce started working in all of the various areas that make Gotham run from day to day, including the water department, sanitation, city hall, and city engineering, actually helping to build the city. Perhaps most impressive is that Wayne does all this without any of the Wayne money of his main universe counterpart. There’s no Wayne fortune or Wayne Manor to call home, and Wayne’s parents weren’t instrumental or integral to the city’s foundation either. He does all of this on his own by sheer will and understanding the end goal, which is quite the feat, to say the least.
The Sky Cave
Speaking of no Wayne Manor, that also means there’s no built-in Batcave either, at least not yet. The question is then where does Batman do all his, you know, Bat-man stuff, and the answer is up high in the sky. Alfred is able to find Bruce’s hideout, which exists on the top floors of several in-progress skyscrapers.
As Alfred points out, the top floors of these buildings are all owned by companies and oligarchs who never use them, and Bruce knows this because he helped build them. Unfortunately, Alfred soon learns that Batman is not so easily taken down, and odds are we’ll see a new HQ for Batman now that the location has been discovered.
Non-Lethal, But Still Brutal
Batman has really never been about using firearms, and even when he is using a weapon, it’s always in a defensive manner. This Batman shares those views partially, as he always utilizes non-lethal means first, but if the situation calls for it, this Batman is not at all hesitant to employ some more brutal tactics.
A case in point is his symbol, which is actually the top part of an axe. Batman uses this against a larger foe later in the issue, and to disarm his opponent, he complexly cleaves his hand off. Now, he does tell him that there’s a chance to re-attach the arm if he gets to a hospital fast enough, though he does also leave out stellar directions to said hospital.
This shows up again in his confrontation with Alfred. During their first tussle, Batman takes Alfred’s automatic shotgun and leaves. When they meet later in the issue again, Batman is wielding the shotgun and proceeds to shoot Alfred in the upper chest and face with it before taking off with his stolen motorcycle. Alfred is alive thanks to the fact that Batman altered the shotgun to be non-lethal, though as he turns around with a bleeding face full of small batarangs, it’s clear that while he isn’t a killer, he will absolutely cause pain.
The Silent Joker
The final big change of the issue is in the epilogue, which reveals that the person Alfred was previously pursuing is a familiar face. This person is revealed to have trained with people like Henri Ducard and the League of Assassins much like Bruce Wayne did in the main universe, but in this case, the person killed them all after studying with them. This person is also one of the thirty richest men on the planet and has earned the name The Joker, but not because he laughs. Instead, it’s because he never laughs, ensuring that whenever Batman and Joker do meet, it’s going to be unlike any sort of encounter between the two than we’ve seen before.
What did you think of all the changes in Absolute Batman and what did you like or dislike the most? You can talk all things comics and DC with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!