In the previous issue of Absolute Batman, Bruce was going through a lot. His friends (Harvey Dent, Ozzie, and Eddie) won’t talk to him, and Bruce couldn’t find Waylon after he gave him the stone to change him back (Absolute Batman No. 16). If that wasn’t bad enough, he walked in on James Gordon and his mother (Martha) kissing. Unfortunately, trouble in his personal life doesn’t mean he can stop being Batman. So, despite everything, the Dark Knight fought Poison Ivy to stop her from spreading her spores that would turn Gotham into monsters.
During their fight, artist Eric Canete continued to show things from Bruce and Poison Ivy’s past to connect what was happening in the present. For Ivy, readers see that the “accident” caused by Grimm (Joker) destroyed all of Ivy except for her heart. Meanwhile, one of Bruce’s memories is a conversation with Jim Gordon.
During their conversation, Gordon recommended that Bruce (whom he knows is Batman) not give in to the Darkness. Sadly, he doesn’t take the advice. Because even though Ivy stopped spreading the spores, Bruce still destroyed her heart, and that was the last thing tying Pamela to her mother. Barbara Gordon asked Batman why he did it anyway.
What's next for Batman?
Batman is a lot of things. He’s brutal and ruthless, but never unnecessarily. Unfortunately, thanks to everything that’s happened to him in his personal life, it looks like that’s going to change. It reminds me of the Punisher when he told Daredevil, "You're one bad day from being me.” While things are looking grim, it may not stay that way for long, thanks to Dick Grayson making his way into the next story.
During this issue, Dick Grayson is lying in an ambulance and says, “All right, Dick. Tomorrow, you do something about him.” The something he’s referring to is Batman, whom he hates. And since writer Scott Snyder has said Dick will be crucial to the next storyline (and the giant “R” on one of the upcoming covers), it seems to be true. And like when Jason Todd died and Bruce became more aggressive, a Robin came in to take him out of the darkness.
I don’t know what role Dick Grayson will play in the life of the Dark Knight, but it’s necessary. If I had to guess, the good that Dick is doing or his upbeat personality will have an effect on Bruce. However, this will happen after Grayson confronts him for believing Batman is bad for Gotham City.
Obviously, Dick Grayson’s intervention won’t stop the Dark Knight from being a vigilante. But it will give him a new perspective and stop him from becoming like the people he’s warring against. And after reading Absolute Batman: Ark M, Grimm's goal is for Bruce to become a monster like everyone else who’s gone through Ark M, like Slade Wilson, who will also appear in the next story arc.
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