In Absolute Batman #17, our titular hero faces off against Dr. Pamela Isley. Does this issue continue the series’ winning streak? Here’s our spoiler-free review.
At this point, Absolute Batman heralds no introduction. The series is a phenomenon; issue #1 has already reached an unprecedented 11th reprint. After teaming up with Wonder Woman in the brilliant issue #16, the new issue sees Batman hunt down a vengeful Dr. Pamela Isley, aka Poison Ivy, after she’s unleashed from the Ark-M facility and plans to wreak havoc on Gotham City.
In this issue, Snyder and guest artist Eric Canete bring us all-out-action, as well as catch us up with Bruce Wayne’s personal life and offer an update on Waylon Jones. But the bulk of the issue explores the backstory for Absolute Poison Ivy, explaining Dr. Pamela Isley’s history and research work within Gotham City. In the present, Poison Ivy is taking her thirst for revenge on Gotham City after being unleashed from Ark-M. She’s taken over Gotham’s Heart Building, causing absolute chaos. And Batman, as usual, is in the thick of things.
Snyder does what he does best: balances full-on action and dynamic battle sequences with rich and well-thought out backstory and raw emotion. I particularly enjoyed the back-and-forth dialogue between Bruce and Alfred as Batman navigate the labyrinthine horrors that Poison Ivy has laid out.
The way the story deals with Martha is extremely interesting too, it’ll be interesting to see how her relationship with Jim Gordon affects the wider narrative going forward.
In addition, Canete’s art is quite wonderful, offering up a chilling large-scale battle chock-full of action and fast-paced sequences. Batman wielding the chainsaws is another level of cool. His style offers a version of Poison Ivy that’s more horror-influenced, and it works, especially in contrast to the bright and colourful artwork depicted in Pamela’s past. As she descends into madness, the grittier the artwork gets.
The final page sets up a monumentally big and exciting storyline — SPOILER! — The Court of Owls. And what’s more, it turns out that Martha Wayne is working for them.
This is another triumphant issue for Absolute Batman, which continues to move forward with unrelenting momentum.
Absolute Batman #17 is out now from DC Comics. Buy it here.
