Absolute Batman (2024-) #5

Absolute Batman (2024)

by Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta (artist)

WILL THE PARTY END HERE FOR ABSOLUTE BATMAN? With his friends lives at stake, will a broken, beaten, and ultimately defeated Bruce Wayne finally compromise and give up both himself and his morals to Black Mask? Or does he have something even BIGGER than himself to help? And what does this have to do with Mayor James Gordon and his relationship with a young Bruce Wayne? All this and more in the penultimate issue to the first arc of ABSOLUTE BATMAN!

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Batman, Comic Book, Superheroes, Crime, Graphic Novels

Kindle Edition

Published February 12, 2025

About the author

Scott Snyder is the Eisner and Harvey Award winning writer on DC Comics Batman, Swamp Thing, and his original series for Vertigo, American Vampire. He is also the author of the short story collection, Voodoo Heart, published by the Dial Press in 2006. The paperback version was published in the summer of 2007.

Reviews

[Stacy (Gotham City Librarian) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Black Mask is a horrifying, substantial threat in this run. I can actually imagine what it’s like to live in Gotham, for once, given the many parallels to our current political situation. Another thing I appreciate about this Bruce is that even though he abides by his classic and important no kill rule, he’s still very violent. These pages are bleak and bloody. I do hope that the next issue delivers a little bit of a hopeful edge, but I trust that it will.

I also appreciated the logical explanation for why the Bat symbol is so thick. Lol

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid issue, but I want to be more character driven.

[Michael Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goddamn. Now *THAT* is how you do the penultimate issue of a first arc! This thing had me on edge the whole way through, with some really great moments of pure, wonderfully executed shock. Issue 6 cannot come fast enough.

[Zoey · Rating 5 out of 5]

In every universe, Batman can never catch a break.

[Nightwing’s Thiccness · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roman and his gang using Bats’s new gadgets on him was pretty dope.

[Christian M. T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part 5 of 'The Zoo' arc.... Dragotta is back on the artwork in another action-packed issue... such a fan of his panel to panel action moments.

Batman is more brutal than ever in his fight against Black mask and his mob, showing us more of his vicious gadgets and how far he is willing to go...

A stand-out scene is seeing what Batman does with two hundred million dollars cash, with the explicit aim of sending a very loud message to every one of Gotham's enemies.... to be continued!

[Cody Lakin · Rating 2 out of 5]

All right. So, I went into the Absolute Batman line with skepticism. What I felt I needed was a real justification for this storyline even existing. I understand reimaginings are the way things work with comics, but when it’s as fundamental as Batman being poor, and a reversal on so many characters, my expectations go up on what they’ll do with it.

And so far? I’m mostly disappointed—enough I’ve knocked back my issue 5 rating to two stars. It feels like pretty much just a normal Batman story, but he happens to be poor.

I can’t escape the feeling they’re telling the wrong story. This could’ve been a new Year One, where we see his process, we see how much of a struggle it’d be for him to be Batman while also struggling to support himself and maintain his relationships. That makes the task of Batman seem like a HUGE thing. I’d love to see him build it up, but really struggle. And also be morally gray, because he’d likely have to steal and operate even further outside the law. That’d be an interesting moral thing to confront!

But… I don’t know. I didn’t get any of that. It just felt like business as usual, with some reimaginings that they’ve yet to do anything truly creative with.

And as is par for the course with other work I’ve read from Scott Snyder, it has such a strong start, with an ultimate letdown of a finale. There’s a plot point in volume 5 that I thought was so unbelievably stupid…

So, I don’t know if I’ll continue the Absolute Batman line. The art was great, it had some killer parts and ideas, but has so far disappointed me.

[Arianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why would they tear down the zoo just because there was a shooting? Everyone knows that's the right way to react to terrorism - you raze the place where the attack happened down to the ground. What does it even mean to "tear down" a zoo? It's a zoo. You can tear down... the enclosures I guess? But you're not "tearing down" a zoo. The only instance I could find of someone saying that was a British politician arguing for the secession of Biafra from Nigeria. I mean maybe Snyder is trying to allude to "the zoo" of Gotham criminals being destroyed, but why would Gordon speak allegorically to Bruce at his dad's funeral? Is he the fucking Riddler? No, I forgot, the Riddler is one of Bruce's buddies.

Cool issue tho.

[Kastie Pavlik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounding up. Finally a decent Batman story. Aside from the costume tweaks that I think should be added to mainstream (the hooks), I've given up on Absolute Batman. I don't feel like this series has been pulled off or done as well as Absolute Superman and Wonder Woman. We've gotten very little, if anything, that addresses Martha still being in his life. Hell, still being alive now. I don't know how many issues I have left in my pulls, but I'm canceling this title as of the June order cycle.

[Shreyas · Rating 4 out of 5]

And that's how a penultimate book of an arc should be! Bloody, grim, bleak, and gore all over—this issue exudes it all. The current-day events run parallel to Bruce's childhood and his coping with his father's death. It was an interesting stylistic choice, but I must say, it works for the current run. We all get a logical explanation about why the Batman symbol is so thick in this iteration. Black Mask shines in this current run, proving himself to be a worthy and dangerous foe to Batman. I can't wait to read the final issue of this arc!

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

EASILY the best issue since the first. Black Mask comes out to play but Batman ain't backing down. Some BRUTAL fighting, great "oh shit moment" and a ending that sets up an explosive finale. Finally Absolute Batman kicks it into high gear to Join Supes and Wonder Woman.

[Marcus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bruce confronts Black Mask for a brutal confrontation. I really like how things turned out here, kept me guessing and has me wondering where things are going to go from here. Still not in love with the series per se but it remains an entertaining read.

[Jadyn❀ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is what living in the real world feels like right now, too

[Frodo · Rating 4 out of 5]

mellor que o anterior

[Pranay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice! We are back in the midst of action and story telling!

[Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing that this seems to be another case of the villain actually makes incredibly good points but kills as many people as possible as a means to an end

[Haden Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2

[Nikhil Math]

Oh man, this ending. It is making me wonder what the heck Batman is going to do now...

[BRAMBILLA SIMONE · Rating 4 out of 5]

"L'unico eroe di questa storia, Batman, è il denaro."

[Keegan Schueler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic to be back with absolute Batman and it sets up the finale amazingly while also being a great issue on its own. More on the backstory of the zoo with a few more hints without the big reveals and having Batman meet finally with Black Mask with the money in his hands.

[The Wintermute System · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loathe previews for books I don’t care about - like the Zantanna one that did nothing for me. Main story four stars, knocked one down for a lame preview.

[R.J. Huneke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Killer!!!!!

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

The continuing New adventures of Batman. but told differently

[Saket · Rating 5 out of 5]

Violent 😳

[Thaddeus Tuffentsamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than the last issue (which was a dragging filler issue). Bruce has nailed down who the villain is, set him up, only to have his behind handed to him!

With Alfred saving said behind, only to chew him out and write him off.

We’re left with Bruce trying to figure out how to straighten this all out.

Not bad as a story. The last few issues have really dragged in my opinion. Absolute Superman is much better. I’ll at least read this current storyline to its completion. Not sure if I’ll continue reading them afterward.

[Brett Shupe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the new approach to Batman , it's interesting to see what they do with all his rogues'gallery and side characters. How they are different from the norm is what I find most intriguing about this series. I have found this series is inconsistent, there are alot of great stuff in here but also some stuff that brings the hype down a bit

[Cybernex007 · Rating 5 out of 5]

“See Roman…I don’t need cars, or planes, or computers. I don’t need anything you have. All I need…is Batman.”

What a good issue, full of hard hitting emotional moments with some of the best drawn and written action scenes I’ve seen in a minute tacked onto the end. This issue really has everything I want from this series. This issue immediately opens with an emotional moment, Bruce getting his final shots from Leslie due to the bat incident at the zoo…immediately leading into his father’s funeral. As we left Batman last issue Roman offered him a deal. 200 million and Batman backs off…and it seems that Batman accepted the money. We now follow Batman on his way to the meeting point with Roman, the entire way taunting the animals to do something…at this moment he is untouchable. And Roman seems to have gotten what he wanted, Jim knows in his mind that he won’t be elected mayor, but what he admits to Martha and regrets the most is that due to everything being in shambles, the memorial light at the zoo won’t shine this year.

As Batman reaches the meeting point, Alfred is still watching from a distance as he sees the snipers ready, just in case he double crosses them. At the same time we see back to Thomas’s funeral. Gordon informed Bruce that they will be tearing down the zoo, probably building something practical in its place. But before Gordon could leave Bruce stopped him. “I don’t want them to knock down the zoo. Or turn it into something “practical.” I want something there that makes everyone look. Like you said, something that shines.” As Batman is finally meeting mask to mask with Roman, he reveals that he already got the money…and already spent all of it. Only moments later the zoo memorial light lights up the sky! Covered in a giant bat symbol made of money! THE DEAL IS OFF! The party animals try and rush Batman, but these action panels are too good. One of my favorites is when the animal who got his arm chopped off in the first issue tries to get payback and jump on Batman’s back…only to be impaled from the spikes that can shoot out on Batman’s back!!

But as the money can be seen burning away on the light, the fight is not completely in Batman’s favor. As at the end of the day they see right through him, and know how much he cares for human life. Roman orders the snipers to open fire…taking out his own people! As Batman rushes to save them, it leaves him open an vulnerable to being taken down by net launchers. Due to the slick fast combat we saw Roman show off before, he is even able to break Batman’s arm. As Batman reveals that the entire altercation has been filmed through a hidden camera on his head that has been sent to the news, they don’t see the point. One of Roman’s right hand people takes one of the blades out of Batman’s cowl and stab it into him. While the other one lights him on fire, and finally a third takes his own axe and knocks him off the roof. The way Roman sees it, Batman hasn’t done anything, he hasn’t inspired anyone by burning that money. The only hero in this story is money. As Batman falls to the ground, he has no time to recover, the cops are already on his tail. He is forced to slip away to the bottom of the parking garage he landed on (a car crushed under his weight and broke his fall lol), and her to the nearest sewer grate. Before he slips in he is actually hit by a squad car driven by Barbara Gordon! She almost stopped him, but he called her bluff, and she just let him go.

As this issue comes to an end, Roman is fully in the public eye now and he doesn’t care. He went to the news and have them a full, pretty impressive, villain monologue about growing up on a pig farm. And how when he would kill a pig there was the slight chance the pig would have a spasm. Not of pain, but of joy. Turns out that happened when the pig fully accepted their fate and the bolt was able to go deep enough to hit a part of their brain. A full spasm of euphoria right before death…because they accepted it. And he expects Gotham to do the same. Alfred was able to catch up to Bruce, but not to offer help and patch up his wounds, but to scold him! Things are 10x worse out there now, and Gordon and Martha are some of the first to see it. The invitation to join the party animals have just opened to the entire city, and everyone is invited. Just find your nearest street corner with a mask and gun and get to work. I also can’t help but notice the masks and guns were unloaded from vans with “JK” on the side. I know in this world joker is supposed to be rich, is this going to lead into that, or just a coincidence? I guess we will see, I know I’m excited!

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

The, what I'd imagine to be as I'm reading this online and can't exactly tell, double title page with the Zoo stuff on it is SO beautifully drawn. My god.

Spoilers:

The fight where he gets burnt and shit was so tuff. The one thing I wasn't a huge fan of was the blonde woman with the mask, and maybe this might be a 'skill issue' like I just haven't been paying enough attention to these as I kind of tend to do when I binge-read, but I feel like she came out of nowhere? Like I literally have no idea who she is other than she's the big guy's girlfriend or whatever. I liked seeing Barbara though, she's super cute, and the Martha Gordon thing is interesting.

Bruce is super cute when he goes into the sewer, but OH MY GOD he is built like a MF LORRY... and I don't know if I like it much - although with the villian designs I've seen from tiktok (which were unfortunately spoilers that got me into reading this) I don't think it's that unreasonable for him to be that buff considering what he's going to go up against. I will also say that the drawings of bruce's wounds after he escapes and goes to Alfred are low-key kinda gross, like I stopped for a good minute and was like ... oh my god ... but I mean that in a good way. Like yes they are kinda 'ew' to me, but they are also really cool and I like seeing the effects the explosion & gunshots had on him.

[Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An issue that actually does something for the story and has high stakes…amazing! Maybe one of the best issues. Batman - of course - breaking the deal with him and the party animals and using the 200 million dollars as a makeshift bat symbol. I thought the double crossing would have ended there but Black Mask figured he would break the deal.
Black Mask injures the Batman, forcing him to retreat, and tries to recruit any Gothamite into fighting for the party animals cause. Taking money from the rich. Which…doesn’t make sense for Roman Sionis? (I guess these are elseworld characters)


Although I rank many of these issues very high, I’m so far very disappointed in this Absolute Batman series. The only important issues to this arc is 1 and 5. Everything else is random backstory with nothing new or interesting to add. It’s kind of a shame.

[Alexis Moreno · Rating 4 out of 5]

This issue was really interesting. I love young Bruce essentially say i don’t want something pretty or practical in the place of something horrible. Essentially he doesn’t want something so fake and heavy to feel easier, he wants it to be memorized and he wants it to fucking matter. He doesn’t want the easy way out, he wants shit to be right or as right as they can be and sometimes that really fucking hurts and he’s willing to pay the price. Unfortunately, so do others in the city which is where things can get into the authoritative and oppressive side of batman but i felt that didn’t really apply here since he’s a reaction to the another form of oppressive systems in place and trying to combat from outside a system that has lost it’s ability to do so. i enjoyed the finale to the first act. I hoping for more depth and richness going forward.