Absolute Batman Vols. 1 and 2 by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta (2025 and 2026)

This Batman, described as a "genius of violence" by none other than this comic book universe's Alfred Pennyworth, is a lot more badass than the Batman you're probably used to.

Is he rich?  No, he was born poor, in Crime Alley, where he developed several lasting friendships with people who were, in "normal" DC continuity, his adversaries.

Does he have a chip on his shoulder?  Yes, he does, but for different reasons.  In the Absolute universe his father, a teacher, was killed during a school field trip, and his mother is still living.

Are bats relevant to his becoming a masked vigilante?  Yes, but not in the same way.  Instead of falling into a cave full of bats on his parents' estate, he gets pushed into the bat house during a shooting which leads to his father's death, and he never develops the same fixation on that animal.

Is he an unassuming, normal-looking guy outside of his costumed adventures?  In a way yes, in another way no.  He does work a regular job, but he's also a HUGE individual - hulking even - with an interest in things like poker and boxing.

Is he the world's greatest detective?  Not in the conventional sense, no.  This Batman is more of a strategist ready to get his hands dirty.  What he wages against Gotham's criminal element is more of a war with serious casualties, and he has zero qualms about taking lives in the process.

Does he have a Robin?  Lord I hope not.  The Wikipedia entry detailing his exploits in volume 3 (which I have yet to read) mentions that the Absolute Deathstroke makes an appearance with "an army of Robins" later on.  I sincerely hope Robin isn't introduced as part of a lame attempt to tone this character down and/or make him more "relatable."

How about his rogue's gallery?  Scott Snyder has, I think, made them all better.  Gone are the more cartoonish adversaries of yesteryear, to be replaced by truly terrifying individuals acting out nearly unimaginable levels of trauma.  The Bane of this series is SCARY, and even relatively minor villains such as Black Mask are very sinister.

By this point Absolute Batman represents over a third of the Absolute Universe's total revenue.  I totally get this.  I've read bits of Absolute Superman, Absolute Martian Manhunter and Absolute Flash, and Absolute Batman outshines them all in terms of consistency, attention to detail and sheer badassery.  

It should also be said that volume 2 far outshines volume 1 in terms of awesomeness.  If you've only read volume 1 and wondered what the big deal was, I highly encourage going back and reading volume 2 immediately.  Volume 2 is METAL, upping the ante considerably on all the weirdness hinted at in volume 1.

I plan on reading volume 3 later this summer.  For that matter I'd like to take another pass at Absolute Martian Manhunter (which I enjoyed) and track down Absolute Wonder Woman, which I haven't read yet.  At this point in time DC is BURYING Marvel in terms of comic book sales, and for evidence one need look no farther than the two trade paperbacks discussed here.

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Hey Kids!!  Comics!!

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Hey Kids!! Comics!!

1. Gideon Falls Volume 1: The Black Barn by Jeff Lemire, Andrea Sorrentino and Dave Stewart

Of the three comic books discussed here Gideon Falls is my favorite by far.  Jeff Lemire has a great ear for dialogue, and he adds enough exposition without crowding the story.  Andrea Sorrentino's art is by turns beautiful and eerie, and the way she (he?) uses panels in this book is a wonder to behold.

A Catholic priest assigned to the Gideon Falls parish stumbles into some mysterious happenings around town, while a psychiatrist treating a "schizophrenic" discovers that there's more to his "delusions" than meets the eye.  From that point on the weirdness only escalates, and I'm looking forward to reading the other five volumes in this series if and when I come across them.

There's been a TV adaptation of this comic book series in the works for a while, but no news on its progress since 2019.  It would seem that COVID derailed it.

2. Tokyo Ghost: The Atomic Garden by Rick Remender, Sean Murphy and Matt Hollingsworth

My second favorite of these three comic books.  It's got that early 80s Frank Miller/Neuromancer/Martial Law vibe, and although it's somewhat derivative I'm thinking the second installment is probably much better.  Yes, first impressions are important, but sometimes you have to give writers time to set up a story.

In the distant future two lovers, one of them hopelessly addicted to technology, journey to Japan to fulfill a contract.  Rick Remender's dialogue is well done, and Sean Murphy's art has a kinetic quality that jumps off the page.

A movie adaptation was in development, but no news since 2021.

3. Night of the Ghoul by Scott Snyder and Francesco Francavilla

My least favorite of these three comics.  The art is suitably spooky, but Scott Snyder needed to slow things down and explain the plot better.  What's going on with that basement beneath the retirement home?  And why does the son character randomly leave the car and start exploring a sewer during a rainstorm?  And what does the mom character having early onset Parkinson's have to do with anything?

A film adaptation could work, but whoever wrote the screenplay would need to flesh out the the story elements better.  As it is this is more of an outline than an actual horror comic in itself.

When I think about it, Scott Snyder does this kind of thing a lot.  He'll start out with an interesting premise and then laze his way through the rest of the story he's set up.  Dark Knights: Metal is probably the worst example of this tendency.  Cool idea, but it went nowhere fast.

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"Undiscovered Country" Volumes 1-3 by Scott Snyder, Giuseppe Camuncoli and Others (2020-2022)

I'm not that familiar with Scott Snyder.  I think I read some Superman comics he wrote, a series spotlighting different times in Superman's life?  Something like that.  I didn't finish the series.

I'm also unfamiliar with the artist on Undiscovered Country.  This fact isn't that unusual though.  I'm unfamiliar with many artists working today.

The story?  It's somewhat difficult to encapsulate, but long story short it's the future, America has gone "off grid," and several representatives from what's left of the rest of the world venture into the mysterious blank spot on the map that used to be the United States.

Thereafter these representatives are tasked with "walking the spiral," i.e. passing through all 13 of the former America's sovereign states.  Each of the 13 zones they pass through represents a failed attempt at utopia, the first being a Libertarian, Mad Max-style place where anything goes, the second being a Matrix-type world where the distinction between human and machine is less significant, and the third being a kind of amplified Hollywood, where dreamers engage in unfettered acts of creation.

Eh, it's OK.  All in all it reminded me of One Piece, though One Piece is of course more whimsical.  Undiscovered Country isn't quite boring, but it does seem very derivative at times.  This type of "future assessment of a postapocalyptic America" has been done to death in comics, Watchmen, The One and Give Me Liberty providing but a few examples.  And besides that, something like One Piece is just more fun.  Repetitive, yes, but more fun.

I probably won't be continuing with this series.  As it is I've read through 18 chapters of it, and I can't see future installments improving much upon what's already been published.

Oh, and by the way, you can read the first issue online.

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Batman Vs. Superman, Superman Vs. Batman...

Anyone who's read this blog more than once probably recognizes my fondness for both superheroes and superhero films.  In this I am like many other guys my age.

Ever since Man of Steel came out, there's been talk of its sequel, which we now know will also feature Batman.  Who's in it, who's not in it, who's directing it, who's writing it, etc., etc., etc.  I've been doing my best to stay abreast of the rumors (and most of them are just that, rumors), and I have a few thoughts on the subject that I'd like to share.

1. The General Premise

So soon after Marvel's The Avengers, a Justice League movie would be too much to absorb.  We need an interim movie to bridge the gap.  If they can find a believable, interesting Batman to go with the Superman they've already created, we'll have a movie that very effectively leads us into the Justice League.  

As great as Christian Bale was in Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy, I don't think his particular take on Batman would work in the context of Superman.  For "Batman Vs. Superman", we need the kind of Batman that created Brother Eye, the kind of Batman who keeps secret files on EVERYONE, and the kind of Batman who is smart enough to stay several steps ahead of everyone else.

2. How it Relates to Frank Miller's "Dark Knight Returns"

The earliest announcement of this movie featured a cast member from Man of Steel, quoting a line from Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns.  As comic book fans everywhere are aware, The Dark Knight Returns was perhaps the most celebrated comic book series of the 1980s, and moreover a series that redefined Batman as a character.  

The use of the quote leads one to think that Batman and Superman will be at each others' throats in some fashion, with an older Batman outsmarting Superman near the end.  While I would love a movie adaptation of one of my all-time favorite comic books, they are obviously going to adapt elements of Miller's story to the world already established in Man of Steel.  Miller has been called in to advise on this project, so I am hopeful that any elements from his comic book will be handled well.

3. Zack Snyder

Zack Snyder just isn't as consistent a film maker as Christopher Nolan.  This point should be fairly obvious.  I thought Watchmen was great, I liked the Dawn of the Dead remake, and I even thought 300 had certain points in its favor.  For all his decent films, however, there is Sucker Punch.

At his worst, he is all style and very little substance.  Man of Steel had a good first half, but the second half of the movie degenerated into a WWE Smackdown.  Altogether it was OK, but it could have been a lot better.  I think that if we get the careful "Watchmen Snyder" we'll get a good movie.  If we get the flashy "Sucker Punch Snyder" then this thing will be a disaster.

4. David Goyer

Yes, he wrote the Dark Knight Trilogy.  But yes, he's written a lot of bad films.  I think his presence is largely irrelevant.  If the director handles his script well, it will be good.  If the director handles his script badly....

5. Henry Cavill

He's a good actor, and a great Superman.  I'm happy he's coming back for the sequel.

6. Ben Affleck

My first thought was: "Really?  The guy from Daredevil?"  But he has directed and starred in some good films since, so maybe it won't be as bad as all that.  He's certainly a good actor, and if the story's solid I'm sure he will make a convincing Batman.  

I just find it strange that he's involved with this project.  After Daredevil bombed, wasn't he quoted as saying that he wouldn't even consider a project unless the script is solid?  This movie doesn't even have a script yet!

7. The Possibility of Robin Appearing

Please no.  Robin is a relic of a time when all superheroes needed to have younger sidekicks, or stand-ins for an adolescent readership.  Believing in a grown man who dresses up as a bat is hard enough.  But a younger boy at his side, dressed up as a bird?  In a pair of speedos?

8. Cameos by Other Superheroes

Some speculate that Wonder Woman might appear in this movie.  It would be difficult to make such a cameo work, and Wonder Woman is the one superhero(ine) who really, really deserves her own movie.  I'm hoping they don't waste her on this one.

If Warner Bros. is really going ahead with The Flash film, then it is also possible that he might appear in this movie as a teaser.  Given the Flash's alter-ego as "police scientist," this might be more in keeping with an attempt at realism.  Any display of his powers, however, would be distracting.

Either way, I doubt that either character could be easily incorporated into the film.  Batman is so grounded in "realism," and bringing him into contact with a Superman will be a feat in itself.  Why complicate the issue with other superheroes?

9. Potential Villains (If There are Any)

Lex Luthor is inevitably mentioned.  But why?  In the presence of a supersmart Batman - the kind of Batman that this movie needs, Lex Luthor seems redundant.  

I can't see how a villain is necessary for this movie, and I think it would be better to let the audience take sides.  This element - moral ambiguity - is one element from the Nolan films that ought to be preserved.

10. How Successful it Might Be

That's the big question, isn't it?  I'm thinking that it will be moderately successful, but far from earth-shatteringly so.  The novelty is going to sell a lot of advanced screening tickets, but the script and especially the direction will need to be really, really good if we're going to see a blockbuster.  My guess is that it will enjoy a huge opening weekend, but lack the staying power that The Avengers is STILL enjoying.

11. What it Might Bode for the Future DC Cinematic Universe

Of course if it does moderately well we'll see that Justice League movie, possibly with Ben Affleck or Zack Snyder directing.  If it tanks?  I predict that The Flash will either be scaled down or disappear altogether, and that Warner Bros. might just decide that the superhero movie game is best left to Marvel, Fox, and Sony.  I hope it does well, just because I am dying to see a Flash movie.

12. Marvel, Fox's X-men, and Sony's Spider-man

Let us not forget the competition.  This movie is due out in 2015, when several other superheroes are also due to hit theaters.  By that time "Batman Vs. Superman" will be squaring off against The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, and a rebooted Fantastic Four... which, by the way, will exist in the same film universe as the X-men films.  Sony's Spider-man will sit 2015 out, though a third (sixth?) film is scheduled for 2016.

Which is not to mention the Star Wars sequel, a movie that will be rocking our worlds the same year. 2015 is a big year for movies, and "Batman Vs. Superman" will be facing some stiff competition.