Batman's war against Black Mask and the Party Animals gang comes to a boiling point as he pushes the limits of their "truce". The continuous, back and forth antagonism between them has become a running theme of the story. Both rely on theatrics and shock and awe tactics to achieve their goals, and now they're pushed up against one another. I'm sure you've all seen a situation where two people who feel they need to be the center of attention are put in the same room together. It's sort of like that, but with more weapons and explosions.

The biggest difference between them, aside from one being good and one being evil, is money. In that sense Black Mask's role serves as yet another way the comic reiterates how much "not having money" is core to this version of Batman. It makes sense, as it's one of the main contrasts he has with "normal" Batman. Previous issues have gone out of their way to show how he manages despite his limited resources, often falling back on his support network of friends and engineering abilities.

This time it goes a step further in the most Absolute Batman way possible by having him  let all the money Black Mask gave him burn up in a spectacular display of defiance. More than that, he uses that pile of money to form a bat signal on the memorial light to commemorate the tragedy that killed his father. It is, as the kids say, "extra". That really encapsulates the driving philosophy for the whole series. He doesn't need expensive toys, he just needs to be Batman.

Except, let's interrogate that idea a bit. Snyder isn't the first to try their hand at writing a Batman without money. After all, it's one of his most notable defining traits as a hero, so it makes for prime "what if" scenarios. Unfortunately, Snyder often falls into the same trap that many of those other writers do in making his lack of money an aesthetic more than anything else. He still has the giant, souped up car and all the gadgets he could want. The conceit is just that he "built" them instead of buying them. The cost of the components which make up those gadgets is largely sidestepped.

The problem is that there's a reason why Bill Finger and Bob Kane made Batman a millionaire. Part of it was that a legacy of "aristocratic vigilantes" like Zorro, but also because it offered you a lot of freedom as a writer. A wealthy socialite doesn't have to hold down a day job and can afford to buy resources that enable his ability to fight crime. Take that away and you need to fundamentally alter how Batman works in a way I don't think many writers are prepared for. One example of a story I think was able to pull that off was Paul Pope's Batman: Year 100, which really leaned into a Batman that barely got by while existing in the margins of society. I wonder how much that story influenced this one, given they both use fake fangs as an intimidation tactic.

Regardless of how he gets access to his toys, there's no denying that Absolute Batman is a terrifying force to be reckoned with. While their stylistic choices might not be for everyone, Snyder and Dragotta have created a character that embodies the "metal" sensibilities just as much if not more so than Snyder's previous series that actually had metal in the name. The way he systematically dismantles the opposition with brutal effectiveness makes you appreciate why the superstitious and cowardly lot would fear him.

The fact that Batman is made into such an unstoppable force is what makes Black Mask into such a credible threat when he does in fact stop him.  Not just physically through overwhelming firepower, but psychologically too. If Batman's entire raison d'être to act as a symbol of hope for the people, then Black Mask can act as a symbol for embracing nihilism. No matter what Batman does, he can't win. Black Mask will turn the people of Gotham against one another as the systems they trust crumble around them.

In many ways, this is what makes Black Mask such a perfect foil for this version of Batman. They are mirror images of each other, using similar tactics to achieve opposite goals. The fact that one of the things that sets Black Mask apart from this Batman, money, is also a way in which he's similar to normal Batman just adds to that dynamic. If Batman works in contrast to his villains, Black Mask does a great job defining who this version of Batman is.

Recommended If

• You want more Absolute Black Mask
• Nick Dragotta returns on art and is as impressive as ever
• The stakes continually getting higher is what excites you about the series

Overall

Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta continue to deliver a spectacularly brutal Batman that's a joy to watch. Black Mask serves as his terrifying mirror image, a symbol to the people of Gotham to give up on any semblance of order and simply revel in its destruction instead.  While the series' excess might not be for everyone, it gleefully embraces its extreme melodrama.

Score: 8/10

DISCLAIMER: DC Comics provided Batman News with a copy of this comic for the purpose of this review.