The majority of Absolute Batman #17, out today from DC Comics, is taken up with writer Scott Snyder and artist Eric Canete detailing the origin and powers of the Absolute Universe version of Poison Ivy. But there’s a big surprise left for the end of the issue, which will likely change everything in Gotham City. Spoilers past this point, but we just met the Absolute version of the Court of Owls… And Martha Wayne is working for them.
To give a little more context, the majority of the issue is spent with Batman working his way into a building that has been taken over by Poison Ivy. A few things about that: while she’s presented as your usual Sexy Lady ™ version of Poison Ivy on the cover, and even initially presents that way in the comic… That’s not the Absolute Poison Ivy at all. In fact, true to form, she’s a horrific monster who has messed with all forms of life — not just plants. That means she’s closer to Animal-Vegetable-Mineral-Man than what we normally think of as Poison Ivy, though she also doesn’t have a dinosaur head, to be clear.
Ivy does have a massive red eye, and a segmented body that is able to split into multiple parts. She’s also able to infect others with spores, and grow massive structures out of plants and animal parts. It’s all very gross, but it’s not what we’re here to talk about.
Instead, let’s talk about the interlude about halfway through the issue. The story jumps backwards in time to show Bruce checking in on his friends and family, discovering that the mangled Oswald Cobblepot has formed a gang and taken over the Iceberg Lounge, Edward Nygma is holed up in his server room and not even responding to riddles, and Harvey Dent has outright disappeared, leaving the hospital despite his skull being in two halves.
The kicker, though, is Bruce overhearing his mom, Martha Wayne — who is alive in this continuity — talking to Jim Gordon. While they talk on the couch and Bruce listens, Martha says, “There are things about me that you don’t know. Things no one does. Things that if they came out would change everything.”
“Not everything,” says Gordon, who kisses her. Is Jim Gordon Bruce’s dad now?? I think that’s how kissing works. All jokes aside, Bruce hears/sees them and leaves, and Jim realizes Bruce has found out he’s with Martha.
This is followed by another check-in page where we see Jack Grimm, aka The Joker, back in Gotham, Harley Quinn clashing with the Red Hood gang about teaming up with Batman, and Dick Grayson talking about how “the whole city has gone crazy” because of Batman to a woman with white hair and a headband. Who is she? Could be any number of characters, but I’ll throw out she’s like Rose Wilson, aka Ravager, the daughter of Deathstroke. Reason is we’ve already seen Deathstroke in the book, and Rose often is tied to Nightwing in the main continuity. But we’ll see.
The epilogue, though, is where the real jaw-dropper is at. There, we cut back to Martha Wayne on a phone in a public train station. “I didn’t know if you’d answer, especially after all this time. It’s me. I wasn’t followed… Are you still there?”
Who is on the other end? “We’re always here, Martha. We knew one day you’d come back… To the Court of Owls.”
Bum-ba-BUM!
So, what do we know about the Absolute Universe Court of Owls? Not much. They seem to be dressed in more comfortable, street gear and look more like the Talons (at least they have orange goggles and little Batman-style ears on their masks). Given most things are flipped in the Absolute Universe, and what we know about Martha, it seems more likely that this Court of Owls is an anarchist collective looking to bring the system down, rather than the system itself a la the Court that Scott Snyder introduced waaay back in his original Batman run.
And what does this mean for Batman? Well, as we see this issue, despite what Bruce has wanted he has become a symbol for the people of Gotham. Will that bring him into conflict with the Court? Or will they be his new allies? We’ll find out more next issue…
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