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DC Comics recently launched its Absolute Universe to critical and commercial acclaim, withBatmans corner of this new reality shaping up to be one of the most different and dark places of them all.
Having already tussled with a few new versions of classic bat-villains, Batman is set to face the hulking mastermind known asBanenext, withBanes designer and co-creator being none too happy about his creations new Absolute Universe look.
An alternate continuity separate from DCs main canon, the Absolute Universe takes generous liberties with pre-established character lore, withAbsolute Batman, by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta, significantly revamping Batmans origin into something even more grounded and real, especially now that Bruce Wayne is without his billions.
But after the official reveal of Absolute Banes debut in the pages of anupcomingAbsolute Batmanissuesparked heavy fan debate online,Banes co-creator Graham Nolan took to X to express his concerns about Banes new design, calling it a terrible abominationcompared to what he had originally envisioned for the character.
Absolute Banes New Character Design in DC’s Absolute Batman Book Is Simply Too Much
According to Bane Co-Creator Graham Nolan
Commenting about how he doesnt like Absolute Banes redesign in the slightest, Graham Nolan, after posting Nick Dragottas art of atruly massive Banetowering over an already large Batman, bluntly says As the designer /co-creator of Bane…this is a terrible abomination, point blank telling the world what he really thinks of his creations new look.
Mentioning how many have done excellent interpretations of Bane but This is not one of them,Graham also states that Banes disproportioned head is a problem for him, going so far as to sayThe Dark Knight Rises Bane was a failure too!
Bane may be one of Batmans most formidable foes, but the Dark Knight has admitted that a surprising villain could beat him in hand-to-hand combat.
Co-creating Bane alongside writers Chuck Dixon and Doug Moench for 1993sBatman: Vengeance of Bane #1,Graham Nolan designed Bane as a muscular but still somewhat realistically proportioned man, with his Absolute redesign cranking things up to eleven in a way thatonly the Absolute Universe can, specifically where Banes muscles, tiny head, and Venom hoses are concerned.
And while Nick Dragottas unique art style obviously lends itself to more extreme takes on the characters he draws, Graham Nolan isnt exactly wrong about the direction Banes design took here, as its an over-extrapolation of the characters most recognizable traits.
Absolute Batmans Redesign Is Over-The-Top but Works Perfectly for the Absolute Universe
Absolute Bane Will Debut in Absolute Batman #9
Making his much-anticipated debut in JunesAbsolute Batman #9,Absolute Bane is a character whoScott Snyder has wanted to tacklesince he began developingAbsolute Batmans story, with Banes presence promising to be the biggest challenge Batman has faced yet a concerning thought considering Bane broke Batmans back in DCs main continuity and may be looking to do so again.
Absolute Batman may be big, but Absolute Bane is bigger, and while this design works well for this continuity,Banes co-creator feels differently, ensuring that thisBatmanvillains latest redesign will be a hot topic for the foreseeable future.
Source:@gnolan12
