Absolute Batman #2 (2024)

Absolute Batman #2 (2024) : Batman was born out of violence – a horrible tragedy that shaped the trajectory of his future. But when a vigilant MI6 agent starts tracking the lonely life of Bruce Wayne, he discovers the interconnectivity between a hero’s shell life and the many layers of the Black Mask Gang. It’s Batman versus Alfred Pennyworth!

*Absolute Batman – A New Batman with New and More Dangerous Challenges*

Batman without the endless resources he always had in all his stories. But this Batman is stronger, craftier, more violent, and fiercer than any Batman we have ever seen before.

*Absolute Batman – Issue #2*

In the past, at Gotham’s zoo, Bruce knocks on the door of the bat cage with tear-filled eyes, unaware that his father is leaning on the door from the outside. He calls for his father, but there is no answer. Behind him, the noise disturbs the nocturnal creatures, and one of them crawls toward him, whispering in a terrifying voice. The glass shatters as colonies of bats surge toward him as if fate had summoned them. Bruce screams as the darkness engulfs him.

Meanwhile, Alfred continues to watch the Party Animals, who keep waging their war against Gotham without any clear purpose. As Batman continues his war on crime, he confronts the Party Animals at the Gotham Aquarium. He fights them savagely, and despite suffering multiple stabbings, he charges into the crowd, taking down many of them with brutal, devastating blows as if he were superhuman.

He turns to see the gang members gathering around him. He shouts in fury and smashes the glass, flooding the entire room with water. Batman leaps and clings to the ceiling, while the Party Animals shout, “You’ve soaked us, but you can’t stay up there forever!”

At that moment, Batman pulls a small sphere from his belt and tosses it into the water. Within moments, it transforms into a green whirlpool, releasing smoke. That sphere contained a formula that turned seawater into hydrochloric acid.

Minutes later, the Party Animals rush outside, smoke rising from their clothes and skin as they stumble straight into the waiting arms of the Gotham Police. Batman, however, has already vanished, slipping into the tunnels beneath the city.

Alfred watches all of this through the hacked surveillance cameras. Whenever he can, he follows Bruce, observing him from the shadows. He knows Batman has countless hideouts scattered across the city, places he retreats to as if they were caves. He remembers when the Party Animals once tracked Batman to his high perch—just for a moment, Alfred considered warning the Dark Knight. But it quickly became clear Bruce needed no help.

The explosion that followed was seen across the entire city. Alfred exhaled heavily as he continued to monitor the screens. In the army, one is taught the tactics of advance, retreat, and regroup. Yet Alfred had begun to believe that Batman knew nothing of retreat or regrouping. He was simply the embodiment of constant forward momentum—an unstoppable force that grinds down everything in its path.

The next day, Mayor Gordon lies in his hospital bed while the television broadcasts reports on the war between Batman and the Party Animals. Reporters turn their attention to former mayor Hill, who has announced his campaign for reelection, declaring that crime has spiraled out of control under Gordon’s administration. He insists that both the Party Animals and Batman are just the tip of the iceberg.

“Turn it off, Bullock,” Gordon coughs, wincing as he props himself up on his pillow. Commissioner Bullock switches off the TV and mutters, “Of course, Jimmy, I thought you’d want to know what’s happening.” He shrugs, then fixes a furious glare on the latest images of Batman.

“We need to catch him fast,” Bullock growls, explaining that Batman’s presence is pushing the Party Animals to escalate their violence in response to him.

“Do you remember when he saved your life?” Barbara Gordon asks from her seat at the foot of Jim’s bed. But Bullock whirls on her angrily.

“Barb, for all we know, he could be in on it with them—a secret partner trying to make us look bad,” Bullock thinks bitterly to himself.

Suddenly, the door opens and Martha Wayne enters, apologizing for the interruption. She greets Barbara with a warm embrace. The four of them talk briefly before Bullock and Barbara are called away on urgent business: the Party Animals are stirring chaos down at the city docks. Bullock sighs and motions for Barbara to follow him out of the room.

Gordon exhales again, watching his daughter leave, then turns to Martha.

“Bass, what kind of world have we given them, Martha? When we were their age, we were reckless, yes—we thought we could change everything. But at least it felt possible.”

Martha walks to the window, opens it, and lights a cigarette. “Well, I think they’re going to be even crazier than we ever were,” she says nonchalantly, taking a few slow drags.

“You sound just like Thomas,” Gordon remarks.

Martha’s face softens with sorrow. “I miss him, Jimmy. Strange as it may sound, I think he would have liked Batman.” She admits this as she hands the cigarette over to Jim. He takes a few puffs before coughing harshly.

“You know,” he says with a weary sigh, “I still think about it every single day… when we found him.”

Gordon remembers the moment he first stumbled upon Bruce in the bat cage, covered by the creatures as they swarmed around him. At first, Gordon couldn’t even see Bruce beneath the mass of wings—until the boy screamed. Only then did the bats scatter.

Martha, in turn, recalls Bruce as a small child—how he became withdrawn after his father’s death. He didn’t want to speak to her, didn’t want to see his friends. Once, he had even screamed at her, demanding that she leave him alone. She never knew he had thrown away the two medals…

Bruce Wayne, meanwhile, accepts Willen John’s invitation to join his old friends for a game of poker. His sudden appearance takes them by surprise, earning a volley of friendly remarks from across the room. Bruce removes his jacket and sits down.

“Well, well—an honor to have you with us!” Oswald crows.

But Bruce only smiles calmly. “Hey. I’ve just been busy.”

Edward pleads, “Bruce, sit down already so I can get back to counting the cards.”

Harvey begins dealing, his politician’s grin plastered across his face. “We’re playing for the big prize—seven hundred dollars and climbing.”

Bruce’s eyes drift to the empty chair where Selina usually sat.

“Anyone heard from her lately?” Edward asks.

Willen shrugs. “I got a postcard about two months ago. From Cairo.”

The old friends sit together, playing cards for a while, swapping old stories and discussing current events. At last, Bruce raises the stakes—and places a **Party Animal mask** on the table. His friends stare in shock.

“Where did you get that thing, man?” Oswald asks, leaning forward to inspect the mask.

“Found it. I’ve been working with the restoration crew at City Hall,” Bruce replies casually.

Edward leans over, studying the design closely. “I see four microchips woven into the outer fabric,” he explains, telling them that the chips could function as tracking devices—showing where the Party Animals plan to strike next.

Then he examines the circuitry more carefully, and his eyes widen. “But these other chips… these are top grade,” Edward mutters in a hushed voice.

He looks around at his friends as he lifts the mask. “I’m going to borrow this.”

Bruce turns his gaze toward Oswald as the conversation shifts to what the Party Animals might actually want in Gotham. The group keeps playing cards, while Oswald remarks, “From what I can tell, these men don’t seem to want anything specific. All they want is to destroy the city.”

Oswald eventually folds, giving up the hand.

Harvey, however, insists that the whole thing is political—that what Roman and the Party Animals truly seek is power and money. He doesn’t know much about them, but he’s heard that former Mayor Hill received a massive amount of funding for his reelection campaign.

“A man I know who works with him says Hill relies on a particular fund,” Harvey explains. “They call it *the Golden Chest*.”

The game winds to its end.

Later, Batman slips through the window of Hill’s campaign office. Despite his massive frame, he moves with flawless grace through the shadows. He picks the lock on Hill’s office door and bypasses the computer’s security system, digging through its files.

“Come on… where are you?” he mutters into the darkness as he searches. But instead of what he expects, he finds a folder labeled **Arkham**.

Suddenly, the wall screens flicker to life, and the masked face of Roman appears.

“At last, Batman—we meet. Unfortunately, we don’t have much time to talk,” the villain says with a grin.

Batman stares at the image, while Black Mask’s smile lingers.

“I really do admire you. You’re my kind of party—my kind of entertainment. So I’ll make you an offer. Anything you want—*anything*—will be yours. But there’s a problem. We’ve already alerted the police, and my people have surrounded the building. Still, I’ll wait for your call. All you have to do… is stay alive,” Roman taunts before the screens go dark.

Batman turns just as the Party Animals fire a rocket into the office. Fire and smoke erupt as the explosion tears the room apart.

But when the haze clears, Batman is still standing—ready. He moves quickly, forcing open the elevator doors and leaping into the shaft. He drops down onto one of the cars, smashes open the maintenance hatch—

—and finds *Alfred Pennyworth waiting for him.*

“Listen to what I’m about to tell you, boy,” Alfred says as Batman drops down beside him. “You’re a good detective, lad—but I’ve learned a few things about the Party Animals. They’re not what they seem.”

He explains that they can actually help one another, if only given the chance. “Just let me explain.”

Batman studies him for a moment.

“Thirty seconds,” Batman whispers.

Alfred nods. “Thank you. But first, we need to get out of here. I’ve got a car hidden out back—unless you’ve already got one.”

Batman shakes his head, presses a few hidden controls—then growls through clenched teeth:

“You’re standing in it.”

Suddenly, the elevator car lurches forward.

Outside, the police are stunned when a massive **bat-shaped garbage truck** smashes through the wall, tearing across their vehicles with unstoppable force.

In the past, young Bruce sits crying on his bed—until a voice calls to him from the window.

“Lose something?” a girl asks.

Bruce lifts his head in shock to see Selina perched on the sill, smiling. She beckons for him to follow.

“Come on. You’re coming with me.”

And so we reach the conclusion of **Absolute Batman, Issue #2**—a journey filled with mystery and awe. But the story is far from over. Secrets remain to be uncovered. Challenges still lie ahead.

If you’ve enjoyed this tale, don’t forget to support with a like and subscribe to stay up to date on every new adventure of the Dark Knight. Share your thoughts and predictions in the comments: what do you think will happen in the upcoming issues? How will Batman continue his journey in this strange, shadow-filled world?

See you next time in **Issue #3**, where we follow the story further and uncover even more of Gotham’s darkest mysteries.