Warning! Spoilers forAbsolute Power: Origins#3!Batmanis one of the most popular comic book characters ever created, and I’ve noticed that DC Comics tends to inflate that reputation every chance the publisher gets by making him the most dangerous and powerful person in the room. This ego-inflation most recently led to a strange retcon as a majorSuicide Squadmoment is changed to prop up Batman even more.
The surprising retcon to the Suicide Squad was seen inAbsolute Power: Origins#3 by John Ridley, Alitha Martinez, Norm Rapmund, Andrew Dalhouse, and Steve Wands. This book detailsAmanda Waller’s rise to absolute powerin the DC Universe and goes over a few events that avid DC readers have already seen. One such event is Batman’s assault on Belle Reve when he discovers the existence of the Suicide Squad, butthe way this story retells the event is very different from how it originally played out.
In this book,Amanda Waller is humiliated and easily defeated by Batman. He threatens her and gets everything he wants with few issues. This utter defeat pushes Waller to begin plotting even more against superheroes, but looking back on the event as it first played out, this simple defeat on the part of Batman isn’t what happened. Instead,Origins’retcon was made to furtherboost Batman’s reputation, but I truly do not think it works that well. I honestly think that the original story is much better because it shows both characters at their best.
Amanda Waller Originally Faced Batman Down - And Won
The original confrontation between Batman and Amanda Waller was first seen inSuicide Squad#10 by John Ostrander and Luke McDonnell. At first, this story plays out much like the retelling, with Batman sneaking into Belle Reve and stealing data from Amanda Waller, which she quickly realizes. The difference is, in the original story, Batman then quickly tries to escape after stealing the data, only to bestopped by Amanda Waller and the Suicide Squad. Waller manages to negotiate with Batman,essentially threatening Batman with his secret identityto turn over the data he stole. Batman obliges and leaves empty-handed.
This isn’t a loss for Waller; it’s a moment of victory as she averts a nearly catastrophic moment of sabotage.
This single issue established Amanda Waller as a real threat to the DC Universe at large, practially leading to more recent events likeTitans: Beast Worldby Tom Taylor, Ivan Reis, and Lucas Meyer and evenAbsolute Powerby Mark Waid and Dan Mora. She knew exactly how to handle Batman and what to threaten him with to get him to back down. Even Deadshot expresses surprise that Waller actually got Batman to stand down and leave. I think it’s clear this isn’t a loss for Waller;it’s a moment of victory as she averts a nearly catastrophic moment of sabotage. But inAbsolute Power: Origins#3, she later describes this as Batman intentionally “humiliating” her. That’s simply not how the event played out in the original version of events, and was only shown this way to try and beef up Batman’s reputation as an unstoppable force.
Amanda Waller Once Stood Her Ground and Defeated Batman
DC Officially Rewrites One of Its Most Iconic Moments
Batman is an amazing character, and he’s one of my favorites in the entire DC Universe. But what makes Batman cool is that Bruce Wayne is just a man. He’s not some unstoppable force of nature. I think it’s okay if Batman loses or faces setbacks, because what makes him incredible is how he overcomes them. In the original version of this story,Batman tried to expose Waller and failed. She beat him, unquestioningly, making her a fascinating force in the DCU and making Batman a more complex hero. But this defeat doesn’t mean he gives up; he outright says he will continue going after her and find another way to bring her down. In this retelling, then, why is Waller still active if Batman got what he needed to shut her down?
1 Suicide Squad Member’s Heroic Act Proves Batman’s No-Kill Rule Works
One Suicide Squad member has proven that Batman’s No-Kill Rule works, forever silencing haters and criticism of the Dark Knight’s moral code.
Batman is an incredibly popular character and fans love to see him succeed. But sometimes DC takes this desire for Batman’s triumph a little too far and makes him seem unstoppable, even when it doesn’t serve the plot. Waller has had years of buildup to her dislike of superheroes, and the original confrontation between Waller and Batman inSuicide Squaddoesn’t change her motivations. If anything, the original event strengthens them. Waller managed to successfully talk Batman down, forcing him to leave empty-handed. This event shows her thatBatmancanbe defeated, which is much better than him just showing up as an impossible force and humiliating her and the entireSuicide Squad.
Absolute Power: Origins#3andSuicide Squad#10are available now from DC Comics!
Batman
One of DC’s most iconic heroes, Batman is the vigilante superhero persona of billionaire Bruce Wayne. Forged by tragedy with the death of his parents, Bruce dedicated his life to becoming the world’s leading martial artist, detective, and tactician. Recruiting an entire family of allies and sidekicks, Bruce wages war on evil as the dark knight of his hometown, Gotham City.
