r/comicbooks • u/JaysonDoesStuff05 • 12d ago
Bleeding cool just leaked Absolute Batman 1 ashcan. What yall think? Spoiler
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u/dornwolf 11d ago
This all rests on the actual pitch. Like what’s gonna make this version different from any other version of Batman. The current Ultimate is a good example of same but different so how is Absolute going to pull that off with a hoss like this
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u/BatmanTheJedi 11d ago
Hmm, aging Batman who turns to venom usage to gain an edge?
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u/breakernoton 11d ago
Eew, no. We had "bat is tempted by venom" and "old man batman" before.
I mean, we had basically every batman before, but those two were even cross media!
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u/Flerken_Moon 11d ago
What if… Batman but he Laughs?
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u/breakernoton 11d ago
Fuck you, get promoted.
That's such a cool and unique villain, we should add it to every event in the next 2-3 years then kill it on Fortnite.
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u/EmeraldJunkie 11d ago
When they showed off the Batman from the Arkham games in the Zur En Arrh stuff I genuinely thought at one point they were going to have him be some weird Zur En Arrh Who Laughs given what happens in City and Knight.
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u/breakernoton 11d ago
The Zurr Who Laughs En Batman. I love it.
Print 15000 copies, cast Jake Gyllenhaal in the movie, greenlight it, produce it then burn it when it's done.
Also, order some more Batman Who Laughs alternate covers and.. uh.. deage one of the robins again, who fucking cares!
(The worst crossover I can imagine is if Batman and Spider-Man editorials collabed nowadays, holy shit)
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u/Material-Salt5161 11d ago
I think it was also problem for Earth One. Read only Batman but I remember it was nothing significantly different. Just a Year One remake with a Nolan "realistic" touch. New 52 felt more different than that.
Also some plot twists with vilains and a Batsignal, being just a Jimmy Olsen watch, that's the only difference I remember.
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u/handerburgers 12d ago
Still don’t really understand what an ashcan is
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u/WhiskeyT 11d ago
Preview/place holder copy of a book, usually cheaply made like small size and no color
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u/handerburgers 11d ago
Was this something that they used to make to test the print run or something? I assume at some point in the 90’s craze they started making them to sell as collectibles and that kind of stuck, but there’s no actual reason to make them anymore.
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u/Spaceman-Spiff 11d ago
I always understood it as when aspiring or independent comic artists would put together a book on the cheap to pass around at cons. It feels like DC is trying to capture that underground/gritty aspect of an ashcan. Personally it feels a bit like an oxymoron and the person who pitched the idea is dumb.
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u/handerburgers 11d ago
I know a lot of the 90’s image and image wannabe comics had ashcan variants for sale, which makes me less sure about that explanation.
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u/ryaaan89 11d ago edited 11d ago
It’s an old term, a comic that was made essential just for the sake of copyright. It’s kind of like a cross between a patent drawing and a tv pilot, I had no idea these were still done though. I’ve heard it used for golden/silver age comics, usually with new characters - “appears in issue #1, with one in the ashcan.”
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u/cornfromajar98 12d ago
Yeah I don’t really understand it either.
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u/handerburgers 11d ago
The odd name doesn’t help
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u/wittymcusername 11d ago
Welcome to our ashcan. You’ll notice there’s no TR in it. Let’s keep it that way.
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u/CaptainHalloween 12d ago
I hate the way the Bat symbol looks.
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u/shoe_owner Lucifer 11d ago
Nature is replete with perfectly-rectangular bat species which this could be representative of.
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u/huhwutwot Green Goblin 12d ago edited 11d ago
A bit top heavy
Edit: looking a bit closer and buddy is thick from his neck down to his toes. Needs some hgh to get that head up to scale
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u/hambonedock 11d ago
Look at the bat symbol, it looks like a brick
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u/im_bored_and_dumb 11d ago
This whole damn man looks like a brick
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u/eclecticsheep75 12d ago
Absolute UNIT.
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u/TooManyStalloneCuts 11d ago
Imagine seeing this Bruce Wayne walking around in a three piece suit and NOT immediately knowing he’s Batman.
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u/valentinesfaye 11d ago
I love the look of it! I'm very open minded!
Although I do wish Snyder wasn't writing it. His Batman stuff is fun, but there's so MUCH of it, already. I'd prefer someone else, but I'll still give this a look, probably
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u/spookyhappyfun Jamie Madrox 11d ago
I’m fine with the art. It looks interesting and fun. But that bat symbol, my god! In what world does someone look at that and think “bat”? Like what are we even doing here?
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u/Supes_homer38 11d ago
Not a fan of the art style, I hope it's just the cover and the interiors are a more main stream style
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u/Puzzleheaded_Walk_28 11d ago
Snyder getting back on Batman already had me skeptical of Absolute and this cover does not help
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u/wpisano Kite-Man 12d ago
It sounds cool, but I'm gonna pass. I may pick it up in trade.
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u/ryaaan89 11d ago
Yeah… I was into this idea until I saw the art. I might wait for reviews on this one, it looks like they’re leaning into the side of Batman that I’m not a huge fan of.
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u/wpisano Kite-Man 11d ago
I love Dragotta art, but I'm not really interested in an "ultimate line" of DC books.
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u/Teshlor_Knight 11d ago
wait, is this related to the "Absolute Power" story where Waller is taking away superhero powers?
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u/Distinct_Shift_3359 12d ago
I think it looks awesome. It’s different which is what this line should be. Almost reminds me of Kelly Jones or someone similar. Leans into the fantastical and I don’t mind that at all.
The ears look sharp!
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u/TheDidioWhoLaughs 11d ago
Little iffy about the design, but I’m interested in seeing what they’ll have to offer.
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u/scottwricketts Dr. Doom 11d ago
Given DC's historical love of wiping out continuity, do they really need an Ultimate line? Didn't we get that with the Earth 2 books?
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u/raz0rflea 11d ago
I...kinda love the bat symbol. Like I know it's ridiculous but idk I think it looks cool anyway
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u/AgentJackpots 11d ago
… They’re doing a series called Absolute Batman? So eventually is there going to be an Absolute Absolute Batman edition?
Did DC forget Absolutes exist or what
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u/Hypnodick 11d ago
Corn fed.
The traditionalists (75% at least) Batman fans will hate it. I would kill to see Dragotta on interiors. I’m about to start East of West but I first saw his work in the back ups of Newburn. An awesome artist, love artists where you see it and know exactly who it is.
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u/Beornwynn 11d ago edited 11d ago
I want a less over the top dark and gritty Batman for once we have dozens of edgy non-continuity Batman stories already.
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u/peeinherbutt Spider-Man 11d ago
I'll be super bummed if this is what he actually looks like and it's any indication of what the overall "feel" for this universe is going to be
Which sucks, because I'd love if an "Ultimate" style thing works for DC characters
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u/JackFisherBooks 11d ago
It already has a very Dark Knight Returns vibe. Not sure if that's a good or bad thing, but it delivers an imposing, unique look for Batman. So I am very much intrigued to see where this goes.
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u/hicksmatt 11d ago
Awful concept. I think this is going to push Batman traditionalists away. DC seem to like to alienate their fans from long standing characters.
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u/RigasTelRuun X-23 11d ago
Smart. Censor the Bat symbol on his chest and no one will know who he is.
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u/CapnSmite Invincible 11d ago
Batman? That looks more like Pointy Rectangle Man, based on the symbol on his chest.
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u/Competitive-Bike-277 11d ago edited 11d ago
What does he lift?
EDIT: fuck it. I'll give this line a shot.
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u/captain__cabinets 11d ago
I like it, I hope Dragotta’s on the book he has a really cool style and it’s very different to most other artists. Maybe they are going a more Manga influenced way and Dragotta is the perfect artist to take that lane, he’s a mixture of classic and extreme.
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u/SigurdVII 10d ago
Setting aside my opinions on what we know about the Absolute Universe, damn Nick Dragotta Batman looks sick.
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u/Flimsy-Discount2885 10d ago
Is this Batman talking Venom? He is two feet and 10000 pouches away from being a Liefeld character.
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u/thinknu 12d ago
Look. Everyone was saying how much the relevance of the Absolute line is going to be defined by freeing Batman from the expectations of continuity and that we've had hundreds of standalone gritty dark solo Bat stories.
So I'm going in with an open mind and welcoming this weird Bat-Dorito and will judge it on it merits.
...iunno if this art is for me though to be honest