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Despite initial casting being met with mixed to negative reactions from fans, Ben Affleck’s portrayal as Bruce Wayne/Batman in Zack Snyder’s DC Universe (DCU) film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) turned out to be one of the film’s strong points.
The film may have also received its fair share of backlash, but in recent years, the Man of Steel (2013) crossover sequel, which introduced Ben Affleck as the Caped Crusader, has garnered a newfound respect from many DC enthusiasts–likely due to more recent films in the now-defunct shared universe being abysmal, and the fact that Affleck’s Dark Knight (affectionately nicknamed “Batfleck” by fans) is one of the best iterations of Batman in film.
Based upon the version of the character from Frank Miller’s popular graphic novel “The Dark Knight Returns” (1986), Affleck’s Batman is a force of nature; a musclebound, hulking bruiser who’s about as forgiving with his enemies as Marvel’s Frank Castle/The Punisher.
Credit: DC / Warner Bros.
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In contrast with Christian Bale’s Batman of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy, Affleck’s isn’t afraid to put a permanent end to his foes. As revealed in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the Batman is widely considered to be a fearsome creature by Gotham City citizens, and even something of a “sadist,” as he often physically brands criminals with the searing impression of his Bat-logo. Simply put, Ben Affleck’s Batman is a bit of a monster.
The actor reprised his role as the Gotham City crime-fighter four more times; after his debut in Dawn of Justice, he appeared in Suicide Squad (2021), Justice League (2017), the Zack Snyder-directed Justice League (2021), and The Flash (2023). The 2023 Multiverse crossover marked the end of his tenure as Batman, paving the way for yet another version who will lead the all-new DC Universe’s upcoming reboot, The Brave and the Bold (TBA).
Credit: DC / Warner Bros.
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While an actor is yet to be announced to play the new version of Bruce Wayne/Batman, the ever-expanding DC Multiverse has already replaced Ben Affleck’s portrayal in the form of DC Comic’s “Absolute Batman” series. Forming part of the wider Absolute Universe, which completely reimagines key DC superheroes such as Superman and Wonder Woman in exciting new ways, “Absolute Batman” #1 introduces a worthy successor to the Batfleck.
In “Absolute Batman,” long-time fans of the character are in for a surprise: Bruce Wayne isn’t a billionaire bachelor who lives in a huge mansion on the outskirts of Gotham. As such, this means he has no money, no Batcave, and no Alfred Pennyworth as a live-in butler. Instead, Bruce hails from Crime Alley–one of the most scum-infested areas of the city.
So, his parents, Thomas and Martha Wayne, weren’t millionaires–they were just regular people. While his father is still dead by the time the story begins, his mother is very much alive. As a young man in his 20s, Bruce is considered something of a drifter, moving from job to job (primarily in city engineering), to gain as deep an understanding of Gotham as he can.
Credit: DC Comics
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But it isn’t just Bruce Wayne whose origin story has been drastically altered–he frequents his local gym run by a friendly Waylon Jones (Killer Croc) and even grew up with a group of friends that includes Oswald Cobblepot (The Penguin) and Selina Kyle (Catwoman). Meanwhile, Alfred is a hardened mercenary who’s currently hunting the Batman.
Which leads us nicely onto the fact that Bruce is still the Batman. Like Ben Affleck’s, he’s incredibly musclebound and imposing, and also sports the black-grey color scheme. But one of the most “brave and bold” features of his Batsuit is the exaggerated logo, which doubles as a powerful ax blade that can be removed by a magnetic hilt when it’s brought to his chest.
Despite his origin story being almost an inversion of traditional Batman lore, Absolute Batman feels heavily inspired by the Affleck version. While films like Matt Reeves’ The Batman (2022), which has now created its own cinematic shared universe, continue to try and keep the character as grounded as possible, the new “Absolute” series from DC Comics proves that Batman will always work just as well at the more fantastical side of the spectrum.
“Absolute Batman #1” “Absolute Superman #1” and “Absolute Wonder Woman #1” are on sale now. “Absolute Flash,” “Absolute Green Lantern,” and “Absolute Martian Manhunter” are set to follow in March.
Have you read DC Comics’ “Absolute Batman” yet? Let us know in the comments below!
“}]] The Batfleck is out as the new DCU’s Caped Crusader has arrived. #DCComics #DCU #AbsoluteSuperman #AbsoluteBatman #AbsoluteWonderWoman #Batman #Superman #WonderWoman #BenAffleck Read More