One of Batman’s most iconic tools may just be the Batmobile. The vehicle is pretty much the vigilante’s Swiss army knife of equipment, serving as everything from transportation to protection to weaponry and beyond and has seen many iterations over the decades. Most recently, DC’s Absolute Batman #2 debuted a brand-new version of the vehicle, on that is more insane than even The Dark Knight Trilogy’s Tumbler but now, the Scott Snyder-written book has done it again, introducing another new version of the Batmobile that makes the case that bigger isn’t always better.
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Warning: spoilers for Absolute Batman #4 from Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta, and Gabriel Hernandez Walta beyond this point.
Absolute Batman #4 gives readers a deeper look into the early moments of Bruce Wayne’s efforts as Batman, revealing some of his first forays into fighting Gotham’s crime — including something of a proto-Batman that not only used a gun but was much more theatrical, complete with face paint and a pair of fangs containing a paralytic that deployed when he bit a foe. But we also see Bruce’s efforts evolve and that leads us to the introduction of what may just be the tiniest ever Batmobile — just don’t let the size fool you because that thing is lethal.
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While in pursuit of a tractor trailer truck full of weapons and drugs being brought into Gotham by the Maronis and Falcones, Batman uses a radio-controlled car that he’s tricked out to wreck a shipment and subsequently take down the henchmen driving the truck. The tiny Batmobile isn’t anything particularly special; the issue describes it as “a bottle jack. An RC Roadster loaded with a 4600KV, Some black paint. All under a grand,” but it packs a major punch. It also serves as a reminder that while Absolute Batman is an alternative version of the iconic hero with a different origin and vastly different resources, he’s still incredibly intelligent and able to come up with elaborate and effective tools to support his crime-fighting trade.
The tiny Batmobile also isn’t the only new and interesting gadget of sorts that we’re introduced to in Absolute Batman #4. The issue also reveals Bruce testing out a new tool, the Bat-Thumb. That device is a sort of grappling hook but isn’t one that you have to manually throw or fire out of a gun. Instead, it’s a device that’s worn strapped to his hand and wrist that activates with a bend of the hand. Once activated, the Bat-Thumb extends and curls to attach to whatever surface the user plans to anchor themselves to. The issue shows Bruce using it to climb in through a window and while the Bat-Thumb looks like a ridiculous device, it’s one that seems a lot more practical, giving Batman an on-demand device that presumably could have other uses as well.
Between the tiny Batmobile and the new Bat-Thumb, Absolute Batman is really giving readers not just new equipment to be excited about as part of the vigilante’s arsenal, but also serves to highlight that, at the core of this character in any iteration is his ingenuity — which means it will be interesting to see what this version of Batman comes up with next.
Absolute Batman #4 is on sale now.
