Robert Pattinson's Batman in his costumer and cowl, looking menacing.
By
Nicolas Ayala
Published 1 minute ago
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.
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Never has Batman been so relevant to the real world than he is today. Batman has always been Gotham City’s first and most essential line of defense. No matter how much the authorities supposedly attempt to restore order, Gotham’s corruption and criminality always threaten to swallow it whole. Without Batman and the Bat-Family holding the line night after night, Gotham would collapse under the weight of its own persistent evil.
Absolute Batman takes the Dark Knight's crusade to a completely new level. His hulking size and unrestrained violence have proven quite effective. However, brute strength alone is not his greatest weapon. Absolute Batman accomplishes something far more valuable than his usual self through sheer sincerity.
Absolute Batman Exposes Gotham's Corruption To The World
Absolute Batman #13; Written by Scott Snyder; Art by Nick Dragotta & Frank Martin
The Dark Knight exposes Bane and Ark M to Gotham in Absolute Batman #13
The Absolute Universe's Dark Knight takes one of the boldest steps of his entire publishing history in Absolute Batman #13. He seizes control of Gotham’s news networks and interrupts every screen and broadcast in the city to challenge the self-righteous Absolute Bane to a public fight to the death. Batman uses the platform to reveal the horrifying experiments being conducted at Ark M and the extent of institutional corruption empowering it.
Absolute Batman does what superheroes almost never do. Bruce Wayne confronts the problem at the root instead of merely stopping another symptom. Instead of punching crime out of Gotham, Batman weaponizes the same mass media that powerful politicians and corporations use to distort the truth. In a world where misinformation spreads faster than justice, Batman brings undeniable evidence straight to the people.
It's refreshing to see a superhero attack the system directly. Politicians, CEOs, and media barons in Gotham have long enabled crime by protecting villains through complicit silence. Absolute Batman uses the media the way villains traditionally do, but this time, he does it to expose the ones manipulating the masses.
Superheroes must evolve with their eras, and in 2025 a hero can’t limit their battles to punches and gadgets. The greatest threats today are institutional. Corruption and misinformation are a problem in Gotham as much as they are in real life. Bruce Wayne's public call-out in Absolute Batman #13 proves that the modern superhero must fight not just crime but also the systems that create it.
Absolute Batman Finally Addresses A Lifelong DC Criticism
It Has Taken Batman Too Long To Tackle Gotham's Evil Head-On
Absolute Batman #14 variant cover he is worse for wear
Absolute Batman #13 finally tackles one of the longest-standing criticisms of the Dark Knight by having Batman directly acknowledge Gotham’s corruption. While most versions of Batman focus on capturing criminals and locking them away, Absolute Batman understands that the problem cannot be solved doing the same thing he has always done. To truly make a change, Batman must bring systemic decay and media complicity to the light.
Unfortunately, it's time to accept that Batman’s traditional crusade is cyclical. He captures villains, sends them to prison, they escape, and the cycle repeats indefinitely. Bruce Wayne’s philanthropic projects and rehabilitation efforts aren't a permanent solution, as the city’s power structures are invested in Gotham remaining broken. Absolute Batman understands that Gotham’s evil is rooted in decades of institutional corruption, and it must be confronted publicly and mercilessly.
Absolute Batman Supports An Unpopular Dark Knight Theory
Batman Has Hesitated To Get Brutal Too Long
Absolute Batman brutally breaks a white supremacist's arm
Absolute Batman supports the idea that Batman has waited far too long to get direct with Gotham’s reality. It has become increasingly clear that Batman’s mission is noble but flawed, because it focuses on fighting crime rather than eradicating it. Absolute Batman completely defies this criticism. In Absolute Batman 2025 Annual #1, Absolute Batman becomes grotesquely violent against white supremacists, which leaves a clearer message to potential copycats than if he just knocked them out or locked them up.
If Absolute Batman's plan works and he defies Darkseid's plans for the Absolute Universe, then he'd probably support the theory that prime-Batman has never done enough to save Gotham from itself. He’s always stopped villains, but rarely prevented the next wave, because the system protecting them remains intact. Absolute Batman holds Bane, Black Mask, and all of Gotham accountable after beating his enemies to a pulp.
Batman’s message about Bane in Absolute Batman #13 is also clever in a different way. If Batman wins, he earns the right to keep exposing Gotham’s darkest secrets, and forces its institutions to crumble under public scrutiny. If he loses, Bane inherits the spotlight, and the people of Gotham will inevitably demand explanations. They would investigate Ark M and possibly witness Batman transformed into a monster like Bane. Either outcome almost guarantees the truth finally surfaces.
Batman
Created By
Bob Kane, Bill Finger
FIRST APP
Detective Comics #27 (1939)
Alias
Bruce Wayne
Alliance
Justice League, Outsiders, Batman Family
Race
Human
Franchise
D.C.
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Batman
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