Bruce Wayne’s Batman has a new sidekick, and they make every version of Robin look like rank amateurs. The Dark Knight may see himself as a lone wolf, but he’s had allies since the very beginning, and his latest sidekick has his back like no-one else.
In Absolute Batman lore, Bruce Wayne’s vigilante career has played out very differently, from lacking his millionaire status to still having a living mother. However, one of the biggest changes is that every version of Robin is against him, assembled into a vigilante taskforce dedicated to bringing him down with the help of gigantic mech suits.
As Batman’s traditional sidekicks turn against him, a traditional enemy is standing by his side, and they just pulled off one of the coolest sidekick moments in the Dark Knight’s history.
Absolute Harley Quinn Has Become Batman’s Ultimate Sidekick
In the recent Absolute Batman #21 – from Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta, Frank Martin and Tom Napolitano – Batman is hunted across Gotham by the Robins, finding himself massively overpowered. The anti-vigilante squad attack in force, collapsing a building onto the Dark Knight, while Alfred notes that Batman has lost his focus against enemies who truly believe they’re protecting the city.
Against enemies as tall as buildings, even Batman falters… which is exactly when Harley Quinn steps in. Harley uses an army of drones to incapacitate and confuse the drones, rescuing Batman and saving his life.
The leader of Gotham’s Red Hood gang, Harley Quinn is a rebel against the city’s corrupt order and Jack Grimm’s monstrous Ark M project, which is turning innocent people into monsters. While Absolute Harley and Batman don’t always agree, they’ve become reliable allies, with many of the next issue’s variant covers depicting them as a new dynamic duo (below.)
That’s appropriate, because Harley Quinn just cemented her place as Batman’s greatest in-the-field ally in Absolute Canon, outshining Robin by taking out every version of the Kid Wonder in one fell swoop.
Thankfully, while he may think Batman is a force of chaos, Dick Grayson is still more concerned with protecting innocent people than bringing down the Dark Knight, hopefully setting up his transformation into Absolute Nightwing down the line.
Batman and Joker Have Officially Swapped Sidekicks
While the Joker’s traditional henchwoman is working with Batman, Batman’s wards have joined Absolute Joker – and at least one of them is a true believer. While the billionaire villain has tricked most of the Robins into taking on Batman, Tim Drake seems to be sincerely enjoying it. That’s understandable, given he’s literally Joker’s son.
Previous issues revealed that Joker runs a series of orphanages, prepping children to be part of his various criminal organizations. One such ‘graduate’ is Tim Drake, who Jack Grimm has legally adopted as his child. Traditionally Batman’s smartest and most unfailingly loyal Robin, Absolute Tim Drake is depicted as an arrogant agent of the Joker who sees himself as above others.
While fans are holding out hope that former EMT Dick Grayson can be redeemed and join Batman’s mission, Tim Drake seems beyond help – appropriate for a franchise where Batman’s oldest villains are now his childhood friends, and his classic allies are arrayed against him.
The Absolute Universe has wowed fans by totally reimagining the lore of DC’s most iconic heroes. As a guerrilla fighter who’ll stop at nothing to defeat the Joker, Absolute Batman has found his perfect sidekick in Harley Quinn – a street-fighting insurrectionist more comfortable with grenades than smoke bombs and acrobatics.
Absolute Batman #21 is available now from DC Comics.
- Created By
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Bob Kane, Bill Finger
- Alias
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Bruce Wayne
- Alliance
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Justice League, Outsiders, Batman Family
- Race
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Human
- Franchise
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D.C.