WARNING! Spoilers for Absolute Batman #5So far,Absolute Batmanhas been a bold reinvention of Bruce Wayne and the entire Batman mythos, but the latest issue includes one Easter egg paying homage to what many consider to be the best Batman story of them all.The Dark Knightwill always be one of the best Batman stories in any medium, and it makes its presence known in a new issue of DC’s latest Batman hit.
Absolute Batman#5by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta pays homage toThe Dark Knightin a pretty cool way. The story sees Batman tease Black Mask out of hiding by agreeing to take the $200 million dollars offered to the vigilante to leave the violent Party Animals gang alone.
Batman may have taken Black Mask’s money, but it’s what he does with it next that counts. Organizing the stacks of cash into his chunky Bat-symbol,Batman projects it against a giant spotlight before burning it all into ash.
Absolute BatmanPays Homage toThe Dark Knightwith a New Bat-Signal Scene
Absolute Batman#5 by Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta, Frank Martin, and Clayton Cowles
It’s a striking scene, one made all the more memorable in how it recalls the moment when Heath Ledger’s Joker burned the giant pile of money owned by the Chechen mobster inThe Dark Knightto show that he wasn’t motivated by monetary gain. The new scene is doubly interesting considering thedifferences between the classic Batman and the new “Absolute” version;this new version of Bruce Wayne isn’t a billionaire. Batman burning Black Mask’s money sends a message not just to Black Mask, but to everyone in Gotham City: the Dark Knight can’t be bought.
Absolute Batman’s clever homage toThe Dark Knightis a prime example of how the creative team is taking classic elements from the character’s 80-year-history and finding new ways to reinvent traditional lore.
Unfortunately for Batman, his encounter with Black Mask doesn’t end particularly well. Black Mask shows just how deep his pockets are and how far he’s willing to go, sacrificing his own hired muscle to take down the Dark Knight.Batman winds up barely escaping from a brutal rooftop fight that ensues, which leaves the rookie Bruce Wayne beaten to a pulp. Even worse, his gesture didn’t seem to accomplish much, as Black Mask takes the opportunity for everyday Gotham citizens to earn cash by bringing Batman in themselves.
Absolute BatmanContinues to Find New Takes on Classic Batman Lore
New Bat-Signal Makes for a Striking Visual
Absolute Batman’s clever homage toThe Dark Knightis a prime example of how the creative team is taking classic elements from the character’s 80-year-history and finding new ways to reinvent traditional lore. Yet perhaps what is most impressive about the homage isn’t that it’s some throwaway Easter egg, but rather a direct way to comment upon the differences between the two takes on Batman. With theJoker lurking in the backgroundofAbsolute Batman,it will be interesting to see whether he can be as terrifying as the version of the Clown Prince of Crime fromThe Dark Knight.
Absolute Batman#5is available now from DC Comics.
Batman
One of DC’s most iconic heroes, Batman is the vigilante superhero persona of billionaire Bruce Wayne. Forged by tragedy with the death of his parents, Bruce dedicated his life to becoming the world’s leading martial artist, detective, and tactician. Recruiting an entire family of allies and sidekicks, Bruce wages war on evil as the dark knight of his hometown, Gotham City.
