Scott Snyder’s Absolute Batman changed Harvey Dent, Oswald Cobblepot, Edward Nygma, and Waylon Jones and made them friends of Bruce Wayne. While they aren’t villains, they’re not bad guys either. Meanwhile, The Joker is a billionaire who doesn’t laugh or make jokes (his name is supposed to be ironic), Black Mask is a vicious fighter who almost brought Gotham City to the point of no return, and Victor Fries is frozen while his son is the villain of this series. However, one antagonist comic book fans have waited to see in DC Comics’ Absolute Universe is Bane, and they didn’t have to wait too long.
After Black Mask was defeated (issue No. 6 of Absolute Batman), TheJoker tells one of his workers to bring in Bane. Three issues later, say his name, and Bane appears like Joe Hendry. We knew he was coming thanks to a social media post from Scott Snyder back in November. However, nothing could have prepared readers for his debut.
Absolute Batman No. 9 creative team
- Writer: Scott Snyder
- Artist: Nick Dragotta
- Colorist: Frank Martin
The difficulty with bringing Bane into the Absolute Universe is making him bigger and scarier than he already is. Bane’s a patient, genius planner with the strength and fighting skills to break Bruce Wayne physically and mentally. And he’s already strong enough to suplex a dinosaur (yes, that happened in Batman and Robin No. 11). How do you make him more terrifying than that? Easy, you have Scott Snyder make him a better fighter and appear “roided out” even before using Venom. Then, when he uses it, make him an “abomination,”.
If you’re wondering why abomination is in quotes, it’s because of a comment made by Bane’s co-creator, Graham Nolan. He said, “As the designer/co-creator of Bane… this is a terrible abomination." According to Bleeding Cool, the co-creator of the Titan from Santa Prisca has since “softened his stance” on the Absolute version of his character. That being said, there’s nothing wrong with Bane being an abomination.
An abomination is defined as a thing that causes disgust or hatred. If you were Batman and saw what happens when Bane uses his Venom, you’d be disgusted and full of hatred, too. Not only did he easily defeat the Dark Knight with less than five moves, but he then pumped himself up like he had eaten a Super Mario Mushroom from Hell.
The Absolute Universe is supposed to have new and sometimes extreme takes on characters. It’s why Bruce Wayne looks like he adds HGH to his dozen-egg omelet. I like the look and can’t wait to see how Batman defeats him. Maybe, this time, Bruce will use the backbreaker. Stay tuned to Bam Smack Pow to find out.
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