With Batman captured inside the Ark M facility and Bane revealed as the monstrosity that he is, Bruce must now find a way out before he is totally broken. What this comic does more than anything else is take Batman to his lowest point in order to test his resolve in a crucible of desperation. It is, at its core, a story about the triumph of the human spirit. Appropriately, there are echoes of Knightfall where Bane first broke the bat, but now updated with all of the hallmarks of Snyder’s extreme style. This is also the first time we get to really see the inner workings of the mysterious Ark M, which almost becomes a horrific character unto itself.
The issue’s opening takes the reader meticulously through the details that make Batman so dangerous. In addition to his inhuman measurements of 6’9″ and 421 lb (that’s 206 cm, 191 kg for our friends overseas), the medical examination uncovers an array of weapons and tools hidden throughout his body. It’s clear that there’s nothing he wouldn’t do to succeed in his mission. He’s someone that would terrify the most hardened criminals. The Black Mask arc proved that. And Bane broke him.
It’s also a testament to just how seemingly all powerful Ark M is. Bane himself appears invincible even for someone like Batman, and yet he is merely “the prime” – a tool at the facility’s disposal. While in their custody, Bruce is kept under constant observation for months while his friends and family outside have no idea what has happened to him. His captors’ goals are to break his spirit and make him into some sort of abomination similar to Bane. It’s only through going to extremes such as using his own body parts as weapons that Bruce is able to put up even a semblance of resistance.
When this comic began, it billed itself as an explosive series filled with high-octane action. It delivered on that promise for sure, but I think a lot of people have maybe forgotten that Scott Snyder wasn’t always the “action” guy. When he first made a name for himself in comics it was in horror, and with Nick Dragotta’s help this comic is here to remind you of that fact.
In what is becoming a pattern for the series, the art and characters lean heavily into body horror. Ark M feels like a true Hell on Earth, with all of the tortured wretches that entails. Dragotta makes the scenery come alive in a dreadfully literal way. Hands reach up from the ground of the “K.L.A.Y. biome”, clinging to Batman in a desperate attempt at salvation. Hideously deformed faces plead from the walls of the curiously named “Isley Ecosystem”. The entire facility evokes a sense of viscera without ever stepping into something so explicit it might get the comic classified as mature readers only. In fact, the suggestion of the atrocities that lie beyond often lead the imagination to create worse than anything that might be put to page.
More than just the nameless victims of Ark M’s presumed experimentation, during his escape attempt Batman finally finds Waylon, now transformed into a (killer) crocodile monster. Just as the others, his humanity has been all but stripped away from him. It is, however, one key piece of that humanity that allows Batman to succeed in overcoming his jailors: the belief that you should never give up, no matter how strong your opponent might seem.
All of this is interspersed with a flashback to when Waylon was training to fight the boxer Bibbo and everyone around him warned that he was going to lose. They saw it as the merciful thing to be brutally honest so that Waylon wouldn’t hurt himself, but not Bruce. Bruce never gave up hope and always encouraged Waylon to keep fighting no matter what. It doesn’t matter how big the other guy might be, you show him that you can still win. That’s what the story is about. It was true when they were training to win a boxing match, and it’s true when they work together to escape the mad science facility of Ark M.
Recommended If
- You’ve wanted to see just what’s inside the Ark M facility
- Body horror stories are something you like reading
- Batman at his lowest point offers a chance to see him overcome any obstacle
Overall
Absolute Batman #10 is thrilling mix of horror and action that stands as a testament to the perseverance of the human spirit. Batman is brought to his absolute lowest by the Bane and the scientists at Ark M, but his will to fight continues no matter the cost. Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta create a tense, gruesome atmosphere inside the Hellish facility where any sane person would believe all hope is lost. Luckily Batman is just a little bit insane.
Score: 9/10
DISCLAIMER: DC Comics provided Batman News with a copy of this comic for the purpose of this review.
English (US) · 