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DC Comics has gleefully reimagined some of its most recognizable characters under the protective armor that is the alternate-universe-set Absolute Universe experiment. A sinewy, spooky Mr. Freeze and a hulking and hunched Batman are some of the most stark deviations from traditional character designs. Yet the most recent character revealed to join the Absolute fold delivered deflating results, despite his pumped-up physique.
An X post revealed the first look at Bane from the Absolute Batman universe—and its character design is remarkably faithful to the villain's classic appearance. The cover of Absolute Batman #9, scheduled for June 11, shows Bane with his familiar mask and venom tubes, receiving only a slight muscle upgrade as opposed to the usual Absolute reinvention. Weird flex, DC, but okay!
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Absolute Batman Introduces Its Bulked-Up Bane in Upcoming June Issue
A Modest Makeover Compared to Other DC Characters Pulled Into the Absolute Universe
Absolute Batman rolls out its Bane with a minimal makeover. The character's portrayal in the sneak-peak art comes equipped with all the hallmarks Batman fans will recognize—the mask, venom tubes, and tactical pants—just supersized and painted orange-red. But even the supersizing, which writer Scott Snyder spoke enthusiastically about in a recent IGN interview, has precedent. In fact, despite Absolute Batman's more visceral nature, this Bane resembles the extra-campy Batman and Robin iteration of the character. Writer Scott Snyder defended the design's singular focus:
"Bane, the one thing I'll say is he's really big. That's it. People were like, 'Oh, he's going to be small.' He's not going to be small. He's not small. We wanted someone who makes Bruce's silhouette look smaller."
The ongoing "Ark M" storyline will facilitate Bane's debut as "an old adversary of Alfred's"—ironic because Alfred is among the more transformed characters in the Absolute Batman universe—the series' grizzled narrator. Time will tell if the mysterious connection between the two essential Batman characters will help justify the little alteration Bane received. Until then, the character is a rare shortcoming from a line otherwise celebrated for its visual boldness.
Source: X, IGN
DC Comics
Created by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson
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