Warning! Spoilers ahead for Absolute Batman #1!The newestBatmanon the block comes face-to-face with his first real supervillains, and they reveal the dark depths ofDarkseid’snew world.The Absolute Universe has finally debuted, and it’s got a Gotham that makes the Prime DC Universe look like Metropolis by comparison.
In his attempt to gain more power than ever,Darkseid bonded with the Spectre. However, his power grab was foiled, and his physical body was destroyed. But his energy dispersed and imprinted on a young, alternate Earth, creating a world that reflected Darkseid’s oppressive ideals. Now thatthe Absolute Batman is startinghis crusade, he’s coming face-to-face with villains that embody this terrifying new universe.
The Party Animals Are Absolute Batman’s First Official Villains
They’re Absolute Monsters Who Will Kill Anyone
InAbsolute Batman #1by Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta, Frank Martin, and Clayton Cowles, MI-6 agent Alfredy Pennyworth is pulled off an assignment and forced to come back to Gotham City for the first time in years. Alfred notes that the city has grown worse in his time away, asa news report discusses the fastest-growing threat in Gotham: A criminal gang known as the Party Animals, who have just slaughtered nine people, including two police officers. Alfred returns to his base and prepares to be briefed on his new mission.
Don’t forget to readDC All In Special #1to see the birth of the Absolute Universe!
Alfred’s handlers give him the unsettling details on the Party Animals who, in just three months, have raised the murder rate in Gotham by 700 percent single-handedly. This criminal crew does anything to sow chaos in Gotham and nothing is off-limits to them, not even a day care which the Party Animals torched the previous day, killing 32 individuals. Alfred is ordered to stay in Gotham and obtain information about the gang, but not to engage with them.Alfred is also asked to keep an eye out for Batman, who is also pursuing the gang.
…the Party Animals who, in just three months, have raised the murder rate in Gotham by 700 percent single-handedly.
At a town hall meeting, Mayor Gordon tries to appease his constituents, all of whom are in fear for their lives with the Party Animals on the streets. Unfortunately, the town hall is interrupted by the gang, who shoot at and nearly kill the mayor. Before they can massacre everyone attending the meeting, Batman comes in and takes on the entire gang at once.Batman uses every gadget at his disposal to put on a show of force for the Party Animals, and thankfully, they back down after Bruce cuts one of their member’s hands off.
The Party Animals are Just the Start of Batman’s Dangerous New Villains
Darkseid Wants This Batman Put Through the Ringer
It should be noted that, unlike the Prime Universe, this Batman is actually life-long friends with several of his villains (Penguin, Riddler, Killer Croc, etc.). Their colorful criminal personas don’t exist in this world and, so far, there’s no indication that they ever will. But one can’t have a Batman story without over-the-top villains, so it makes sense that in a world devoid of the usual suspects,new threats would emerge to challenge Batman. It also stands to reason that in a world built on Darkseid energy, they would be much more dangerous than the Caped Crusader’s normal threats.
A dreary world like that is the optimal breeding ground for a crew like the Party Animals to emerge.
The Absolute Universe originally began as the Elseworld, a young, alternate world that could have been like any other variant in the multiverse. But because Darkseid’s energy imprinted on it, it made a world that was much more brutal and harsh than the Prime Earth. The deck is purposefully stacked against the heroes of this Earth because Darkseid wove tyranny and hopelessness into the fabric of reality. A dreary world like that is the optimal breeding ground for a crew like the Party Animals to emerge. Worse,they might not even be the most heinous villains Darkseid has created.
InDC All In Special #1, Darkseid said that in his world hope “will have to burn brighter than ever before to survive at all”. However, Batman does a pretty decent job at handling the Party Animals, but this is just one of his first outings. There’s already a Black Mask shown to exist in this world, and from the look of things, he’s more extreme and violent than Roman Sionis have ever been portrayed.Not to mention, the ‘Joker’ of this world is an amoral, killer billionairewho is almost certainly going to be a huge problem going forward.
What’s Next for Absolute Batman’s Rogues' Gallery?
What Other Villains Can Darkseid’s World Generate?
Thanks to Darkseid’s machinations, anything could happen in this new world. While there’s no doubt Black Mask and Joker are on the horizon to cause Absolute Batman some serious grief, there’s undoubtedly other villains just like the Party Animals waiting in the wings. It’ll be tough to top a gang that can increase the crime rate by 700 percent, but in a world that embodies the worst aspects ofDarkseid, it won’t be long beforeBatmaneventually finds a villain who does.
Absolute Batman #1is available now from DC Comics.
Darkseid
Darkseid is a tyrannical supervillain in DC Comics, ruling the hellish planet Apokolips. He seeks the Anti-Life Equation to control all sentient life and eliminate free will across the universe. With immense strength, energy manipulation, and Omega Beams that disintegrate targets, Darkseid is a relentless foe of Superman, the Justice League, New Gods, and free people everywhere.
