With the horrors of Ark M revealed, Batman launches a crusade to put a stop to it and save his missing friend. The bulk of the issue is centered on Bruce’s search for Waylon, though “investigation” would be a strong word. Given the danger that Waylon is in, Bruce takes a far more physical approach to figuring out what happened to him. It would tempting to call his rampage “unstoppable” if it weren’t for the immovable object bookending the comic: Bane.
Before anything else, the first thing you notice about Absolute Bane is his immense size. Plenty of people have commented on how big Batman is in this series, but he’s positively dwarfed by the mountain of muscle we see here. The people, or rather victims, that he is sent to deal with look like play-things in comparison. This even plays into the series’ self-aware sense of humor, with his cartoonishly enormous frame literally breaking down a doorway simply by walking through it.
It’s this physicality where artist Nick Dragotta leaves the most striking impression. Through a mixture of closeups and harsh angles, the reader is put right there with the people around Bane in almost not being able to fully grasp his stature. He dominates every panel he’s in, daring anyone to challenge him. As we later learn, this isn’t even “juiced up” Bane, and when he does finally transform, the result is grotesquely monstrous. As the double title page reminiscent of something from Akira so aptly labels him, he becomes an abomination of writhing flesh.
Even beyond his physical presence, Bane still exudes power and control. In every situation he is calm, collected, and merciless. The opening scene tells you just about everything you need to know about him. In the same moment he will crush a man’s head with his bare hand and also quote ancient Akkadian kings. Even in his fight with Batman, he merely toys with him. He is confident in his inability to be moved or affected, and gives advice and commentary on Batman’s martial arts techniques. This is a Bane who is as intellectual as he is physically terrifying.
Bane’s introduction is followed up by Batman systematically hospitalizing just about every gang member he can find, looking for information that could lead him to Waylon. Normally this would be an effective way of shocking the reader into just how far he’s willing to go, and introduce concerns of him losing his morality. That does still happen, but after Bane’s brutality only a few pages earlier, Batman almost seems tame by comparison. We’ve also gotten used to a somewhat unhinged Batman in this series.
What does set this apart is the fact that Bruce has finally accepted the help of others. When coming up with a plan, both Alfred and his friends are working closely with him. There is clearly still tension surrounding his hesitation to include them and what the commitment to his mission actually looks like, but there seems to be genuine character growth as this version of Batman slowly shifts away from the brooding loner archetype that is the Batman default. He didn’t even have to adopt any orphans this time to do it.
As the series has done a few times already, the bond between Bruce and his friends is strengthened by a flashback to when they were younger. Specifically, we get to see how close Waylon and Bruce were as Waylon hypes himself up for an upcoming title fight with Bruce’s help. It also provides a few more glimpses at what Selina and Bruce’s relationship looks like in this universe, which so far it’s played close to the chest. It’s an all around humanizing sequence for the three of them that effectively sells their friendship as believable and worth getting invested in.
Recommended If
- You want to witness the biggest Bane you’ve ever seen
- Batman should stop pretending he only works alone
- Nick Dragotta’s art is gorgeous as always
Overall
Absolute Batman #9 introduces a version of Bane that is somehow bigger than fans could have expected. Through physical presence and his commandingly calm demeanor, he is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with. Batman’s own rampage to find his friend seems almost measured in comparison. Luckily, he is no longer alone as he grows and learns to finally trust those around him.
Score: 8/10
DISCLAIMER: DC Comics provided Batman News with a copy of this comic for the purpose of this review.
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