Absolute Batman #18 Review

Absolute Batman #18

DC Comics

Written by Scott Snyder

Art by Eric Canete

Colors by Frank Martin

Letters by Clayton Cowles

The Rundown: Batman battles Ivy as someone close to him pays a visit to old friends.

After sending a message to her son, Martha Wayne finds herself in the desert meeting with the remnants of the Court of Owls of which she was a member. As she is brought before the rest of the group, she discusses what is happening in Gotham and implores them to look beyond their fear and join her in fighting back. At the same time, her son continues his battle with Ivy in the tower and learns more about what happened to her after her accident.

As Batman finds himself struggling not only with this current fight and what Ivy plans to do to the city, he also finds himself dealing with the reality of his friends being changed due to his actions and the relentless message of being told to evolve if he plans to win. As the battle commences, Bruce discovers something about Ivy that could give him the advantage as well as making a decision that will change everything about his place in Gotham.

The Story: Snyder takes this story to some dark and intriguing places in this issue. I love the expanding lore of the characters in this series as well as the mystery that is Martha. The Court of Owls connection is fantastic and I cannot wait to see the ramifications of her involvement with them as well as what happens with Bruce in the wake of this story. I love the mystery of this series and cannot wait to see what happens next.

The Art: Canete delivers stunning art throughout the issue. I love the visual style of this issue and how it handles the action and adventure of the story.