This is it. The Bane issue. This Absolute Batman #9 review is all about Bane, and I am making it short and sweet. If you’ve been reading Absolute Batman, you knew this was coming. But you had no idea how bad it would be for Batman.
Spoiler warning: I’m talking about the fight. And the Ark‑M reveal. And Bane.
Absolute Batman #9 Review: Dragotta Returns
Nick Dragotta is back. No more Marcos Martin. His art style is perfect for this issue. Batman looks desperate. Bane looks unstoppable.
The double‑page spread when Bane transforms? It’s the kind of image you buy the comic for.
Bane’s Grotesque Debut
Bane does not start in Gotham. He starts in Bialya at a peace meeting. He’s there for J.K. Holdings. He kills one leader by crushing his skull. The other agrees to take the blame and restart the war.
When he gets to Gotham, he meets Batman inside Ark‑M. Batman thinks he can fight him. Bane just kicks him across the room. Then he hits Batman’s nerves. Both arms stop working. One leg too.
Bane doesn’t even use his drugs yet. He does it clean. Then he powers up. And gets huge.
The Ark‑M Mission
Bruce is on a mission. His friend Waylon Jones is missing. Waylon got taken to Ark‑M.
Bruce is mad. He’s beating up criminals too hard. Hospitals can’t keep up. His team helps him plan. Eddie, Harvey, Oz, Alfred, and young Gordon.
They find old blueprints. Bruce goes in alone through the pipes. He finds out Ark‑M is bigger than he thought. The prison is just the top. The real horror is underground.
What This Means
Batman finally met someone he can’t punch through. Bane changes everything. He’s smart. He’s strong. He’s scary.
The Ark‑M mystery gets worse. Waylon is still missing. Bruce is broken. This is just Part One.
Score: 9/10
Bane lives up to the hype. Batman losing makes him stronger.
Key Facts via Key Collector Comics.
Introduction of Bane.
Introduction of Deathstroke, briefly in a photograph.
Introduction of Dick Grayson, briefly.
Read our Absolute Batman #7 & #8 Review for the Ark‑M setup. More Absolute Batman reviews here. Next: Absolute Batman #10 Review: Bane Tortures Bruce in Ark‑M.
