DC's Batman Replacement Officially Starts Their Story
Nicolas Ayala is a Senior Writer for the Comics team at ScreenRant, with over five years of experience writing about Superhero media, action movies, and TV shows.
It's the beginning of a new journey for DC's new Batman, who accepts the duty of following in Bruce Wayne's footsteps in the most dangerous version of Gotham yet. The day Bruce Wayne first put on the cowl and cape, he chose to embody Gotham’s moral compass until his last breath, a role that demands sacrifice every waking moment of his life. The Dark Knight’s crusade is also enticing to other vigilantes, as it represents the ultimate stand against corruption and chaos, but it also comes with all the suffering that Batman's mission involves.
Gotham's vigilantes know the highs and lows of protecting Gotham after several years experiencing them right alongside Batman. Jason Todd’s death at the hands of the Joker is definitely the most harrowing example of the cost of this lifestyle on Earth-0. In the Absolute Universe, Tim Drake’s death at the hands of Clayface underscores the same truth. In both cases, even the most capable of Batman's allies find themselves vulnerable to Gotham’s darkness, and Batman finds himself unable to defend those closest to him. Still, there's no shortage of novice crime-fighters who wish to follow Batman and carry his legacy.
Choosing to join Batman's war on crime is a courageous decision, but doing so in the Absolute Universe is an entirely different beast.
Absolute Batgirl Joins Batman's Mission With Her Own Take On The Batsuit
Absolute Batman #24; Written By Scott Snyder; Art By Nick Dragotta & Frank Martin
Following Tim Drake and James Gordon's deaths, Batman confronts Scarecrow head-on and crucifies the fear-inducing villain in his own maze. Meanwhile, Barbara Gordon is left broken by the realization that corruption has rendered the law obsolete. Disgusted by how Slade Wilson's group of Robins try to turn her late father into a political martyr, Barbara refuses to let his legacy fade, so she uses a discarded communicator cowl to follow Bruce Wayne's coordinates, finds Batman's underground stash of weapons, and takes Gotham's protection into her own hands as The Bat.
Barbara Gordon's transformation into Absolute Batgirl culminates in her first official suit-up at the end of Absolute Batman #24, where she improvises an updated Batsuit of her own with the combination of Batman's cowl and belt, a kerchief, a long brown coat enhanced with the original Batsuit's sharp tendrils, and a sprayed-on yellow bat emblem on her Kevlar armor. Absolute Batgirl also rejects Batman's strict anti-firearm stance by wielding a massive version of Alfred Pennyworth's shotgun. This heavily armored incarnation of Batgirl promises to be the most aggressive, no-nonsense version of Barbara Gordon in the DC multiverse.
Batgirl Should Be Prepared To Survive The Absolute Universe's Biggest Threat
Tim Drake's Death Doesn't Seem Like A Good Omen For Batgirl
Batgirl must brace herself to survive the Absolute Universe’s greatest nightmare, the Absolute Joker himself. Barbara Gordon's willingness to defend Gotham alongside Batman places her directly in the crosshairs of the trillionaire tyrant. And since this world tends to adapt classic comic events and characters with a darker twist, like the premature death of a Robin, it's safe to say that a new version of The Killing Joke is a real possibility on the horizon. The fact that this version of the Joker can physically morph into a hellish behemoth with sharp teeth and immense strength sets up a horrific nightmare for Barbara Gordon.
There's no explicit confirmation that the Absolute Universe will adapt The Killing Joke, but the pieces are now set on the board. Traditional armor and street-level tactics offer little defense against DC's classic Joker, while Absolute Batgirl's massive modified shotgun would give her a much better chance to fend off a transformed Absolute Joker, but a physical confrontation with the shape-shifting Absolute Joker would still put her life at great risk. If DC adapts the Joker's attack on Batgirl in this continuity, the encounter would likely push the horror elements to their limits.
Which classic Batman character would you like to see in the Absolute Universe?
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