Comics
The groundbreaking origins of Batman and the Joker in 'Absolute Batman' will surprise all readers
A non-billionaire Bruce Wayne and a very different Joker star in this new title.
The ‘All In’ event, the first issue of which has already been released in the United States, kicks off with three new titles featuring the DC Trinity: ‘Absolute Superman’, ‘Absolute Wonder Woman’ and ‘Absolute Batman’. All of them offer very different versions of the three characters, but the one that is undoubtedly causing the most buzz is the one starring the Dark Knight, and not just because of its controversial logo, which, as we discovered, has that shape for a reason.
In the first issue of ‘Absolute Batman’ we learned the origin of the Caped Crusader, which of course has nothing to do with the continuity we know and the one that is often depicted on the big screen. In this collection, Bruce Wayne is far from being a billionaire, as in fact his parents have a more normal profession: Thomas Wayne is a teacher and Martha Wayne is a social worker. During a trip to the Gotham Zoo, the young Bruce witnesses his father being kidnapped by a group of criminals, but not before he finds refuge for his son and the other children in the bat section.
After Thomas’ disappearance, Bruce becomes a troubled kid who finds an escape in football, a sport he is not bad at. But within the first week of the season, he fakes an injury to become Gotham’s guardian and seek revenge for his father’s death.
Possible spoilers for ‘Absolute Batman’ #1 are mentioned below.
The Joker, a nickname with a certain irony (SPOILERS)
If Batman’s origin is surprising, the Joker’s is no less so. At the end of this first issue, on a private flight, the pilot is talking to the co-pilot of the only passenger on the plane, whom he refers to as “the 30th richest person in the world,” and asks his companion to call him simply “Sir.” The latter uses pseudonyms such as Jack (in honor of Napier, the character played by Jack Nicholson in Tim Burton’s “Batman”, or the one from the comic book “The White Knight”) or Arthur, in honor of Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix). The pilot insists that the copilot not make any jokes. “The guy never laughs. Not at anything. Ever. That’s why they call him the Joker,” he says.
As if that weren’t enough, the names of Bruce Wayne’s childhood friends are just as shocking: Ozzie Cobblepot, Eddie Nygma, Selina Kyle, Harvey Dent and Waylan Jones.