Each Friday, we'll be letting a different DC.com writer share what they'll be reading over the weekend and why you might want to check it out. Here's this week's suggestion for a perfect Weekend Escape!
 

Batman—billionaire playboy by day, crimefighting vigilante at night. We all know the story of one of the most famous fictional characters in human history. But when we think about Batman, what defines him? Is it his genius intellect, his mastery of martial arts, or his billionaire status that funds his heroics? Do we think about how the trauma of losing his parents created the Dark Knight as we know him? Absolute Batman plays with the idea of what defines this decades-old character. The Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta story explores who Batman would be without his billions and without losing both of his parents.

The first volume of this critically acclaimed new series is now in stores and on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE, meaning there’s never been a better time for you to check it out. After all, Batman Day is just around the corner and there’s just so much to love about this different take on the Caped Crusader. Here’s why you should escape into Absolute Batman Vol. 1: The Zoo this weekend!
 

The Premise:

Gotham City is being terrorized by a gang of masked killers with seemingly no motivation outside of causing terror and destruction. Luckily, Gotham’s most famous vigilante has stepped up to take on the biggest threat the city has ever faced. This version of Batman, though, isn’t a billionaire. He has no manor, no Batcave and no Alfred. Oh, and he isn’t an orphan. One of his parents is still alive in this retelling of Batman’s story.

This Bruce Wayne also hangs out with some familiar faces, but they’re probably not the ones you’d expect: Harvey Dent, Edward Nygma, Waylon Jones and Oswald Cobblepot are his closest friends. What is he doing hanging out with some of mainstream Batman’s most notorious rogues? When a secret agent named Alfred Pennyworth rolls into town, he changes everything for the young Dark Knight. But is Agent Pennyworth a friend or a foe of Batman? Only time will tell.
 

Let’s Talk Talent:

Absolute Batman launched an entire new DC Universe, so you know they had to bring out the big guns for this one! The series is written by Scott Snyder, one of the most influential Batman writers of the modern era. Snyder has done a great job capturing the essence of Batman in this thrilling alternate universe where the Dark Knight is a bit more violent and brutal in his battle for Gotham’s working class.

The art is by Nick Dragotta, who has redesigned the Dark Knight in an incredibly impactful way. That bat-symbol on Batman’s chest? It’s actually an axe head that he uses in battle. Dragotta’s aided by colorist Frank Martin, whose colors flesh out and help create the tone of this Gotham that somehow manages to be even darker than mainstream Gotham—which, wow, is the rent cheap at least?
 

A Few Reasons to Read:

• This Batman represents the working class, and because of that, he’s more impressive and relatable. While one of Bruce Wayne’s core strengths is his trust fund, which awards him the resources to buy things like Batmobiles and Batcomputers, this Bruce Wayne has to rely on his wits, innovation and personal skills. His suit, tools and weapons have been meticulously planned and created with his limited materials. That makes his accomplishments much more impressive and impactful.
   
• Absolute Batman flips the script, critiquing the ultra-wealthy for their crimes against the people rather than glorifying billionaire heroes. Batman is a rare instance of a billionaire using their resources and money for good, which doesn’t exactly represent our own reality. In this story, we see characters like Roman Sionis, a wealthy organized crime leader who uses money as a means to control and oppress people. And he isn’t the only one—just wait until you meet the Joker! This version of Batman strives to represent the modern age more accurately, offering a critique of the fundamental problems of our society without romanticizing the ultra-wealthy.

• It's a genuinely cool comic. From Batman’s redesign to meeting new versions of old characters to seeing exactly what happens when evildoers FAFO with Batman, this book feels fresh and exciting. It’s a version of Batman that I’d love to see in live action some day—the art of adapting Absolute Batman’s insane choreography from the page to the big screen would be such a celebration of the medium of superheroes!
   
• Snyder and Dragotta have a blast subverting all of your expectations. One of the many thrills of reading a good alternate universe comic is looking for all of the different versions of familiar concepts and characters. The Absolute Alfred Pennyworth is a far cry from the kind butler we know, Jim Gordon isn’t the GCPD commissioner and I’m not even sure that Black Mask is human. Every character reveal in Absolute Batman has kept me on my toes and I doubt that will slow down as we enter the series’ second story arc.
   

Why It’s Worth Your Time:

Absolute Batman Vol. 1: The Zoo is a fresh take on Batman as a whole. This Dark Knight feels like a modern solution to a classic character—a take on him that reflects our own world a bit more accurately by playing with Bruce Wayne’s relationship to money and resources. It’s the perfect gateway into the greater Absolute universe (which we’ve been highlighting recently here in Weekend Escape) while giving Batman fans an incredible story to savor on. Fans of 2022’s The Batman are going to really like this one!
 

Absolute Batman Vol. 1: The Zoo by Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta and Frank Martin is now available in bookstores, comic shops, libraries and as a digital graphic novel. It can also be read in full on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE.

Sami DeMonster writes about superheroes, horror and sci-fi for DC.com and reviews comics every week on social media. Follow her at @samidemonster on Instagram and Substack.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Sami DeMonster and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.