Absolute Batman Is the Perfect Response to The Dark Knight Returns: Here's Why

To satisfy fans' rabid hunger for new information on the Absolute Universe, Snyder recently gave an interview with the Comics Beat where he explained how his story took inspiration from the iconic The Dark Knight Returns story by Miller. One of the biggest things to keep in mind is how these two stories are practically the exact opposite, but somehow, manage to end up at the exact same place.

It's possibly one of the smartest things that Snyder has done, as The Dark Knight Returns has already proven immensely popular and is a great source of inspiration. As Snyder says, the new Absolute Batman is "...the chaos. He’s the one who’s willing to break the rules to make things better." His youth makes him different from Miller's grizzled Batman, but their persistence is exactly the same.

Frank Miller's Batman Was a Tired Man Who Had Given Up

The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller, Klaus Janson, John Costanza, and Lynn Varley

The Absolute version of Batman has managed to surprise a lot of people with just how brutally violent he is. He has used an ax to cut off a criminal's hand, before mocking him about which direction the hospital is. While this brutality might seem a bit out of character, it's actually pretty similar to the older version of Bruce Wayne seen in The Dark Knight Returns, who once referred to himself as a doctor, as he brutally broke every bone in a criminal's arm. But the connection between these two versions of the same character goes much further than just their use of violence.

Since The Dark Knight Returns first came out, it has become a seminal and iconic work. It took Batman back to his dark and gritty roots and made people realize that this character still had a lot of star power. The story follows an older Bruce Wayne who has essentially given up on Gotham City. He no longer acts as Batman and simply wants to be left alone in his mansion, where he can waste away and die. He is eventually spurred back into action to try and save Gotham from the threat of a new group of criminals.

This version of Batman is old, but he's brutal. He fights like a surgeon, turning any battlefield into his operating table as he breaks a criminal's bones with expert precision. In this interpretation of Batman, he goes up against the system itself. Gotham City had mostly fallen into chaos and vigilantes weren't welcome, to the point that Ronald Reagan ordered Superman to bring Batman in for his crimes. It's a dark story that's perfectly reflected in how Absolute Batman is fighting in a very similar Gotham.

Absolute Batman Is a New Take on an Old Formula

Absolute Batman #1 Main Cover by Nick Dragotta and Frank Martin

Absolute Batman starts at nearly the exact opposite place of Miller's Batman. This new version of Batman grew up in poverty and had little to his name. He doesn't have billions of dollars or a mansion he can retire to. Instead, this Batman has to fight tooth and nail to try and save his city, which is being torn apart by the gang known as the Party Animals. While both versions of Batman use brutal tactics to bring down their enemies, this version of Batman is also a lot younger. It's an interesting twist to a well-known story.

Miller's Batman had to come out of retirement and fight against Gotham City, which had fallen even deeper into corruption due to the politicians far above the city. Snyder's Batman is in a surprisingly similar spot. This version of Batman is practically an agent of chaos. While Batman is usually trying to impose order on a chaotic city, both of these versions of Batman are trying to break the system that has taken hold of their beloved city. With Miller's Batman, it's the gangs and corrupt politicians, and with Snyder's, it's the ultra-wealthy like the Joker.

An Old Concept for a New Age

DC isn't shy about putting twists on iconic stories. Death in the Family was one of the most important Batman stories of the decade when it came out, and DC has followed it up with Death of the Family and is now doing Death and the Family in the upcoming Batman and Robin storyline. The publisher isn't afraid to continually retell stories that have done well in the past, but this is the first time that DC has decided to truly revisit The Dark Knight Returns and put a twist on it. So far, it seems that Absolute Batman is completely worthy of following in the footsteps of Miller's Batman.

Absolute Batman and The Dark Knight Returns are both available now from DC Comics!

Source: The Comics Beat