Batman isn't fighting to win, he's fighting for us.

Batman isn't fighting merely to win; he is fighting to inspire. And this battle, brilliantly rendered by Snyder and Dragotta, is as brutal as ever.

Snyder and Dragotta have once again outdone themselves. This entire arc has been an incredibly brutal, at times desperate, and dire experience. They successfully established Bane as an unstoppable, overwhelming force, its the Absolute Knightfall where the villain attempts to break Batman in every conceivable way. It felt, at times, like he was close, yet Bruce never wavered.

Going into this climax, I desperately wanted to see Bruce kick Bane’s teeth in. Bane had targeted all of Bruce's allies and caused terror across the globe. The final encounter between them is the kind of visceral, over-the-top, and ridiculous fight that only comics can truly deliver, yet it never felt like it was leaning on shock value.

The intensity and sheer brutality of this fight arent for shock value. They dramatically reinforce the impossible stakes stacked against Batman. In this world, he is forced to be more violent, operating under pressures that have never been higher. Yet, interwoven through this climactic, brutal and bloody confrontation is a powerful flashback between Waylon and Bruce.

The odds were never in Waylon’s favor, and he was clearly in over his head—even Bruce had doubts. But Waylon’s tenacity inspires Bruce, proving that no obstacle is too big. Bruce takes this lesson to heart, pulling out all the stops to finally dismantle Bane.

What truly surprised me about this issue was the overwhelming sense that Batman is bigger than just one man. He utilizes the Red Hood gang, enlists the aid of his friends, and everyone is watching this fight closely, even Barbra and Bruce's mother. It genuinely feels like the story is building toward a profound “We are Batman” movement, and it feels absolutely earned after everything they’ve been through. I loved this issue. Each page is action packed. Dragotta packs more and more panels into each page. This is the best issue of Absolute Batman so far. Theres an energy to this issue that feels unreal. Its chaotic, and brutal and cathartic. This issue is Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta at their absolute best.