Comic of the Week: “Absolute Batman” #15

DC’s “Absolute” series has given us exciting new looks at classic heroes, changing key elements to their stories while still keeping the core of what makes the characters so iconic. Perhaps none have had a more striking change than Batman, as “Absolute Batman” may have stripped Bruce Wayne of his family fortune, but made up for it in sheer musculature.

“Absolute Batman” has been going strong, but issue 15 kicks off what promises to be one of the most significant moments in his story… by focusing not on Batman, but his most iconic enemy.

That’s right: it’s time to meet the Absolute Joker.

“Absolute Batman” #15 is written by Scott Snyder, illustrated by Jock, and colored by Frank Martin. This issue follows the Bane story arc, wherein Batman was pushed beyond his physical limits, and his friends were broken to become the Absolute versions of the classic Bat-villains they were always going to be (except they may be allies? Time will tell).

After that action-packed issue, which featured a kaiju-sized Bane, issue #15 takes things slower, focusing on narration and backstory to transition readers to the next arc.

In this issue, we get the Joker’s backstory, as narrated by Alfred (with Bruce occasionally piping in with questions and commentary). Then we get it again. And then a third time. Each time the story gets darker, as we go from the public-facing narrative to the more sinister side that Alfred’s research uncovered, to the truly twisted truth that he can only guess at.

Unfortunately, I can’t say much about that story here, because that would be going too far into spoiler territory. However, it is a fitting story for this version of the Joker, shrouded in thematic symbolism, a bit of social commentary, and a blend of horror and the supernatural that makes this Joker his own type of monster. The delivery is well-paced and deliberate, bringing us deeper and deeper into the true horrors as we go, without losing the voice of the narrator.

This gives us a Joker that’s very different from the main universe’s version. While the classic Joker is the man who laughs, the Absolute Joker doesn’t even smile. This Joker also serves as a foil to Batman in having a similar reversal from their mainline DC versions – as mentioned, this Bruce Wayne doesn’t have his family fortune, so now the Joker is the one wealthy beyond reason.

He’s a media multibillionaire with a long family history, and of course, a dark, hidden side. His crimes aren’t flashy or murderous gags, but a combination of self-enriching and sadistic, committed for his personal gain and pleasure alike. It’s properly unnerving.

But with all these changes, is the Absolute Joker still the Joker? One thing that the “Absolute” comics do is maintain the core elements of the characters, no matter how much their circumstances change; Superman is still an alien who uses his incredible powers to protect people, Wonder Woman is a mythological warrior who sees the good in the world and will do whatever she can to fight for it, and Batman is a normal man who’s trained his body and mind to their limits to ensure no one else has to suffer the same kind of loss that he did. 

For the Joker, there’s so much about him that’s already different from his main universe self, but the most important thing is his relationship to Batman in their parallels and contrasts. While how well that plays out in “Absolute Batman” has yet to be seen, at the very least, there are still parallels between them, not to mention the clown motif, so this Joker still feels like a Joker, even with all the differences.

As for the artwork, artist Jock and colorist Frank Martin do an excellent job bringing Scott Snyder’s story to life. The art is stylized with rough and jagged yet detailed designs, using heavy shadows to maintain the atmosphere. During the flashbacks, it uses a muted color scheme to indicate the era, while the modern-day scenes maintain Jock’s style while shifting to brighter colors.

Just as the story shifts three times, so too does the artwork create its own parallels, showing us different versions of the same scene to illustrate the difference between the story people know and the truth. Then, when we get to see the Joker’s true face, the art takes a shift towards the truly horrific, using scattered panel pacing and angles to increase the tension before giving us a bone-chilling two-page spread of the Joker’s true form.

The artwork sets the tone nicely, using shading and colors to manipulate the atmosphere and pull the reader into each scene. It carries the reader through the dialogue and into the world, while using panel size, shape, and placement to control the pacing.

“Absolute Batman” #15 is an excellent introduction to the Absolute version of the Joker, using both the narration and artwork to craft a chilling story. At the same time, that means I’m going to limit what I say here, because it’s a comic that must be read to truly appreciate it.

The Absolute Joker is here, and it’s an issue not to be missed.