WARNING: Contains Potential Spoilers for ABSOLUTE BATMAN #6!
The Purgemovies are part of a fan-favorite franchise that explores a dystopian future where the U.S. government allows a 12-hour period each year during which all crime, including murder, is legal—resulting in chaos, societal division, and moral dilemmas. Interestingly, a simular concept unfolds in the latest issue ofAbsolute Batman, though with an even darker twist.
Absolute Batman has taken The Purge to a new, more diabolical level of human depravity.
Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta’sAbsolute Batman#6is finally here, picking up right where the previous issue left off after Batman’s brutal clash with Black Mask. In the last issue, Sionis and his Party Animals literally tossed Batman off a skyscraper, delivering a crushing defeat to the Dark Knight.
Capitalizing on his victory, Black Mask hijacked Gotham’s TV broadcasting system to deliver a chilling message: boxes filled with masks and weapons had been scattered across the city,inviting citizens to unleash chaos in exchange for substantial financial rewards—essentially turning Gotham into a Purge-like nightmare.
Absolute BatmanBringsThe Purgeto the DC Universe
Comic Page Comes from Scott Snyder’sAbsolute Batman#6 (2025) – Art by Nick Dragotta
Readers witnessthe chaos of Black Mask’s“Purge”unfold through the eyes of Martha Wayne and James Gordon as they experience it up close. While investigating one of Black Mask’s crates left on the street, Martha puts on one of the animal-skull masks. As soon as she does, an interface appears, laying out a chilling menu of crimes with corresponding payouts:$50,000 for robbery, $100,000 for arson, $150,000 for assault, and $200,000 for murder. The interface also tracks how much the wearer has earned and scans for high-value targets.
Martha is horrified by what she discovers, knowing that such substantial financial incentives will turn Gotham into a madhouse of violence and carnage. The situation becomes even more dire when a group participating in Black Mask’s scheme spots Martha and Gordon—their masks identifying the duo as high-value targets, each worth one million dollars. Martha and Gordon attempt to appeal to the group’s humanity, urging them to rise above the madness. But their pleas fall on deaf ears. The only thing that ultimately saves them is when the masks go offline after Batman defeats Black Maskin their rematch, removing all financial incentives and ending the chaos.
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Absolute BatmanMakes The Purge Concept Even More Diabolical
The Purge and Black Mask’s attempted takeover of Gotham share striking similarities, as both encouraged citizens to engage in crime, leading to chaos, societal division, and moral dilemmas. Aesthetically, they also echo each other, featuring unsettling masks, an arsenal of weapons, and a dangerous mob mentality. However, Black Mask’s“Purge”is arguably even darker, as it placed a literal price on human life—reducing most people’s worth to a mere $200,000. In this way,Absolute Batmanhas takenThe Purgeto a new, more diabolical level of human depravity.
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