“The Straw Man” Part Six
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artists: Nick Dragotta
Color Artist: Frank Martin
Letterer: Tom Napolitano
Review by Eric Lee
Absolute Batman #24 makes a lot of forward movement despite having some vague storytelling choices.
It goes without saying that writer Scott Snyder and artist Nick Dragotta are on a hot streak with this title. This issue delivers on the insane, breakneck pacing of the “The Straw Man” storyline. But it also finds that fine balance of wild action and character moments.
We see Batman and the Scarecrow finally have a physical showdown. The action is wildly dynamic and exciting. But the ultimate reason why it resonates so well is because Snyder inter-cuts the battle with character moments from Bruce’s past. This parallel arc works so well in conjunction, because when we get to the ultimate climax of the fight, both intercutting scenes punctuate each other.
Frustrations of ‘Absolute Batman’
There are some downsides of this issue. Some fans will be disappointed that Barbara Gordon donning the Bat-outfit is barely in this comic despite being the cover image. Additionally, it can be slightly frustrating that Scarecrow’s part of the story is done. What adds to the frustration is that Scarecrow’s still barely defined as an actualized character. We still don’t really know much about his background, personality, or why he loves to instill fear and dread. What is more egregious is the lack of explanation on how Scarecrow’s powers work. It is not fear gas. Snyder seems to infer something much more complicated and sinister. That is a cool take on Scarecrow, but I wish we had more rules in place on what he can or cannot do.
This lack of rules around his powers really makes his duel with Batman more confusing than satisfying. In past issues, Scarecrow seems to be ethereal and not an actual corporal being. But here, we see Batman punching Scarecrow in the mouth with no problems. This power scaling issue leads to the fight scene not landing as well as Snyder maybe intended.
This complaint sounds like a direct contradiction to my earlier praise of the fight. But this just shows the power of Snyder’s pacing raise above the vaguely defined antagonist. Despite this flaw, the fight scene ultimately does work because of how well structured Snyder’s parallel storytelling.
Conclusion
Absolute Batman #24 is filled with fulfilling- but sometimes flawed- scenes. But Snyder’s adept narrative handling and Dragotta’s wild art style keeps this issue above the average comic.
All images are provided by DC Entertainment.
