The Absolute Universe Joker is based in Manila – Absolute Batman # 1 Spoilers

One of the biggest surprises from the newly minted Absolute Universe books happens at the end of Absolute Batman # 1 when it was revealed that this universe’s version of the Joker exists and is actually based in Manila Philippines.

Check out the page that mentions the Joker in Manila after the cut.

the joker in Manila absolute batman # 1

To give more context to this bit of the book written by Scott Snyder with art by Nick Dragotta, Alfred Pennyworth reports to his mysterious employers about his recent run-in with this universe’s version of Batman (spoiler alert, Batman beat him and shot him with non-lethal shotgun shells).

In the following page, Alfred contacts his employers and tells them that the Batman will be dealth with next time they cross path and then Pennyworth gets informed that his “other” target has disappeared. Through a monologue, we also learn that this version of The Joker is doing what the Batman has done i.e. training with Henri Ducard and dealing with the League of Assassins which is something that was threaded on in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins.

I guess what happens now is we slowly build up to the eventually meeting between the self-taught Batman and the well-schooled Joker. I actually like what they did here, putting Batman in the shoes of how the Joker operated and giving the Joker the wealth and training.