Look, I know what you’re thinking. “Juan, Absolute Batman #3 book came out over a year ago. Why are you reviewing it now?”
Simple: I have a job. The trucks don’t route themselves, and sometimes the comic stack gets tall. But here is the secret to collecting: The Hype Cycle is a liar.
When Absolute Batman #1 dropped, everyone lost their minds. By Issue #3? The tourists had left. The speculators moved on to the next shiny Number One. And that is exactly why we are looking at this issue today. Because now that the dust has settled, we can ask the real question: Is Absolute Batman #3 actually a key issue, or is it just trade-paperback filler?
Spoiler alert: It’s a key. And it’s probably sitting in a dollar bin near you right now.
The Plot: The Calm Before the Concrete Cracks
If you’re reading for explosions, this issue might bore you. This is the Setup Chapter. The script slows down to establish the new status quo. We get Bruce Wayne negotiating with the Party Animals (Black Mask’s crew), we get the origin of his resources, and we get the pivotal alliance that defines this run.
The critic in me says Snyder is writing for the trade. This issue feels like a bridge. But the collector in me sees something else: world-building. This is where the rules of the Absolute Universe are actually written.
The Human Logistics: Why Bruce Needs a Crew
One thing this run does better than the main continuity? It remembers that Bruce Wayne is a person.
The flashbacks to Bruce and Selina as homeless kids on the rooftops are excellent. It grounds the Absolute craziness in something real. And his current crew? They aren’t just sidekicks; they are his civilian anchor.
If Bruce is just a tank made of muscle and trauma, the story breaks. He needs friction. He needs people to tell him he’s an idiot. Seeing the Absolute remix of these relationships, the banter, the loyalty, the shared history, is the engine oil that keeps this massive machine running. Without it, he’s just a guy in a cowl punching poor people. With it, he’s a leader.
The MI6 Alfred
Okay, turn off the Story Mode brain and turn on the Asset Manager brain. Here is why you buy this issue.
Absolute Batman #3 is the moment Alfred Pennyworth (the human MI6 agent, not the butler) officially stops hunting Bruce and starts helping him.
- Why it matters: In Absolute, Alfred is a tank. He’s an ex-soldier the size of a doorframe. This issue solidifies the Absolute Dynamic Duo. It’s the origin of their partnership.
- The Nygma Factor: We also get deeper into Edward Nygma’s tech. Those Thinking Machines (AI bots) are clearly setting up a massive payoff. First appearances of tech always matter later when the villain (Riddler) goes full digital.
The Art: Dragotta’s Silent Storytelling
I’ve said it before: Nick Dragotta is the MVP of this series.
Snyder writes a lot of words (he loves a monologue), but Dragotta knows when to let the panels breathe. The flashback sequences are drawn with a rougher, scrappier line weight that feels like a memory. And the design of the Bat-Cave (which is basically a brutalist garage) looks incredible.
It’s not pretty art. It’s industrial art. It fits the logistics of this world perfectly.
Final Verdict: The Back Issue Hunt
Absolute Batman #3 isn’t the most exciting read of the run. It’s talky. It’s slow. It’s mostly people standing in rooms discussing budgets and ethics.
But for a collector? It’s a goldmine hiding in plain sight.
- The Read: 7/10 (Vital for lore, slow for pacing).
- The Investment: 9/10 (Crucial Alfred/Bruce partnership moment).
My Advice: Stop chasing the new $50 variants. Go to your local shop, dig through the back issues, and find a clean copy of Cover A. Bag it, board it, and thank me in 2030.
Score: 7.5/10
Key Facts of Absolute Batman #3
- Full appearance of Selina Kyle as a child
- Introduction of Julia Pennyworth in full
- 1st appearance of AL, an artificial intelligence robot created by Edward Nygma
