If you were to judge Absolute Batman #13 by its cover, you’d wager it’s a Catwoman-focused issue. You wouldn’t be wrong, but writer Scott Snyder and artist Nick Dragotta pack a lot into the latest issue as we get closer to the Bane vs. Batman showdown we’ve all been waiting for. There’s romance, a DC icon is revealed, and the effects of Bane’s venom become clearer on Batman in a tight penultimate issue of the story arc.
Absolute Batman #13 opens in a flashback, with Bruce and Selina snuggling on the metro. They refer to some kind of crime involving Falcone, and as previous flashbacks with these characters show, they’re deep in love.
From there, the issue cuts to the present, and where we left off. Catwoman has easily taken down Alfred, and Batman is having none of Catwoman joining them in their fight with Bane. As usual in this series, Dragotta does a good job showing interesting tech, like Selina’s whip, which also serves as bullets to a gun later on in the issue. There’s a stripped-down look to both Catwoman and Batman, yet their sci-fi vigilante tech is always cool to see.
This issue is made up of some powerful scenes. A check-in with Bane advances things and reminds us of his relationship to those who control Arkham, while Batman and Catwoman’s outing further flesh out what the venom does to him. Throw in a cool scene involving the news, always iconic for Batman comics, and there’s ample stakes-raising before the fight with Bane. There’s even a flashback with Waylon that pays off as the issue eases into its cliffhanger. When you put this comic book down, there’s a lot to think about.
How humiliating.
Credit: DC Comics
Dragotta continues to put out his best work ever, from a panel of Bane getting seen by doctors, which equally shows the gruesome nature of being his size, to the impressiveness of all that work is a sight to see. Flashbacks show a calmer, more innocent-seeming Bruce, while a panel of Batman raging and his clothes tearing from the muscles hammers home his new monstrous form. A full-page splash of Batman and Catwoman jumping through the sky feels iconic, from Catwoman’s well-designed costume and the reflection of the city in her dome helmet, to Batman’s chunky boots and sleek cowl.
One downside of all these good scenes is how they feel disconnected. Jumping to and from flashbacks is one thing, but a scene change from Batman insisting Catwoman leave to them having sex seems random and too abrupt a transition. The transition isn’t clear, and you might think it’s a flashback. This leads to a mission, which is natural and good, but the cutaway to Bane, followed by the newscast, makes you wonder if a scene is missing. The issue then cuts from a flashback back to the present, further losing the reader. More transitional glue could have helped the plotting and flow of the problem.
Absolute Batman #13 delivers powerhouse visuals and emotional weight in a jam-packed penultimate chapter, though its occasionally choppy scene transitions keep it from complete perfection.
You must be logged in to post a comment.