Batman launches his one-man assault against Black Mask on Nick Dragotta’s cover to Absolute Batman Vol. 1 #6 “The Zoo, Part Six” (2024), DC
According to Absolute Batman writer Scott Snyder, one of his aims with the Dark Knight’s latest adventure was to make sure each issue having a big, bombastic moment that would get readers talking, as he believes that “re-embracing” this spirit of ‘monthly comics’ is perhaps the only way for the Western comic book industry to survive through this current period of economic turmoil.
The Dark Knight rises in Absolute Batman Vol. 1 #5 “The Zoo, Part Five” (2024), DC. Words by Scott Snyder, art by Nick Dragotta, Frank Martin, and Clayton Cowles.
Snyder, himself no stranger to the streets of Gotham thanks to his past work on such titles as Batman Vol. 2, Batman: Last Knight on Earth Vol. 1, and Batman Eternal Vol. 1, spoke to his thoughts on the current state of the industry while speaking to AIPT Comics‘ David Brooke in reflection of the fan-favorite title’s thus far eight-issue run.
Their discussion largely focused on the book’s content, such as what fans can expect from the upcoming Absolute universe debut of Bane and what real-world inspirations shaped this version of The Joker, Snyder eventually took a moment to take a step back from the on-the-ground action and address Absolute Batman‘s ‘meta mission’, telling his host “It’s reaffirmed everything I love about the medium. The joy of making people wait each month, of giving them something to talk about — something that hits hard and sticks.”
“There’s a reckoning happening in comics,” the DC scribe then warned. “If we don’t focus on what makes monthly comics special, we won’t survive in a tough economy. So we’re all taking our biggest swings.”
Batman takes on the Party Animals in Absolute Batman Vol. 1 #5 “The Zoo, Part Five” (2024), DC. Words by Scott Snyder, art by Nick Dragotta, Frank Martin, and Clayton Cowles.
From there, Snyder explained that “Over the last few years, there’s been this re-embracing of monthly comic book fundamentals.”
“You see more series going for daring, big moments that are gonna get people talking,” he said, “cliffhangers, reminders of what the characters are struggling with. There’s a joy to making them wait every month.”
“With monthly comics, you’re asking readers to buy in again every issue,” Snyder said. “There’s a joy to that — a joy to telling your friends, ‘Did you see what happened in Ultimate Spider-Man?’”
Mary-Jane and Peter take to the skies of New York City in Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 1 #1 (2024), Marvel Comics. Words by Jonathan Hickman, art by Marco Checchetto, Matthew Wilson, and Cory Petit.
Offering an example of one of his book’s own ‘big moments’, the Absolute Batman writer pointed to the scene in Issue #6 where the Caped Crusader, in launching a one-man assault on Black Mask, lands on the crime boss’ yacht and proceeds to literally punt one of his underlings, a seeming child, into the surrounding ocean.
“That page came out of a joke,” laughed Snyder. “[Artist] Nick [Dragotta] showed me the scene and said, ‘This might be too much.’ And I was like, ‘No way, dude. You’re keeping that in.’ That’s exactly what we’re going for — over-the-top, outrageous, and unforgettable. You want those moments where people go, ‘What the hell did I just read?’”
Ask any regular comic book reader and odds are they’ll agree that, while there some exceptions like Absolute Batman or the aforementioned Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 3 do exist, Snyder’s overview of the industry’s current storytelling habits is unfortunately as on point as Absolute Batman’s ear-knives going through Black Mask’s eye sockets.
Over the last decade, the Western industry has seen a rise in creators ‘writing for the trade’, in doing so leading the medium to be filled with more stories that may read well when taken as a whole, but are borderline unbearable to read month-to-month.
While there exist numerous reasons for this shift, themselves ranging from ‘newer, more insecure creators attempting to emulate film and television in an attempt to make the medium ‘more respectable” to ‘publishers understanding that trades are more appealing to newer readers attempting to get into comics’, it has ultimately resulted in many individual issues being filled with loads of exposition and world-building – which can be interesting, but does not usually lead to readers rushing out and begging their friends to pick up a given book.
Batman has had enough of Black Mask’s s–t in Absolute Batman Vol. 1 #5 “The Zoo, Part Five” (2024), DC. Words by Scott Snyder, art by Nick Dragotta, Frank Martin, and Clayton Cowles.
All in all, whether other creators will follow Snyder’s advice – and thus whether the industry will endure the Trump administration’s ongoing ‘reckless abandon’ to its economic policies – remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, the next issue of Absolute Batman, Vol. 1 #9, hits shelves on June 11th.
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Scott Snyder says ‘Absolute Batman’ aims to ‘re-embrace’ the traditional month-to-month style of comic book storytelling. Read More